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| | | | | | | | Thursday, September 28, 2000
Holmgren's Hawks have to step it up a notch
By Alex Laracy
MondayNightFootball.com
After a less than auspicious start in 2000, in which they got pummeled by the offense-less Dolphins and juggernaut Rams, the Seattle Seahawks have soared back into the AFC West picture, with a pair of ho-hum victories over two of the league's most hopeless horror shows, the Saints and Chargers.
|  | | Ricky Watters has rushed for 290 yards on 65 carries this season. |
Wins are wins, but one must wonder if Mike Holmgren's Hawks will spread their wings even further and compete with the big boys in the AFC, or merely hover in the clouds of NFL mediocrity. With a lineup that blends a handful of wily veterans with a promising slew of young thoroughbreds, the sky might be the limit for Seattle. Yet their ability to incorporate its strengths into the complex Holmgren system will determine if this team is a legitimate league contender.
The offense: fly or flail?
It doesn't take a football mastermind to figure out the Seahawks depend on the volatile right arm of quarterback Jon Kitna. In the Hawks' two wins this season, Kitna is a combined 33-for-50 with a pair of touchdowns and an interception. In Seattle's losses, he's 26-for-44 with one touchdown and six interceptions. Holmgren loves Kitna's toughness and leadership qualities, however, if the young quarterback doesn't develop some consistency soon, Holmgren won't hesitate to summon hometown boy Brock Huard to right the Seattle ship.
The Hawks boast one of the league's most unique and potent running attacks, with workhorse Ricky Watters chugging along like a brash young buck with this year's first-round pick, Shaun Alexander, eager to spell the vocal veteran. The twosome has combined for 351 yards and a 4.5 yards-per-carry average. Look for Alexander to see more and more of the ball as the season rolls on whether the often-irritable Watters likes it or not.
The consistently ordinary Sean Dawkins is back at receiver and has maintained his aforementioned rep thus far (10 catches for 115 yards, 0 TDs). The Hawks are high on rookie third-round pick Darrell Jackson, who has more receiving yards thus far (184) than his more highly-acclaimed teammate at Florida, Ravens rookie and 10th overall pick, Travis Taylor (172 yards). Tight end Christian Fauria (3 catches for 29 yards) rounds out this somewhat shallow receiving crew.
All-Pro left tackle Walter Jones heads up a decent offensive line that also features standout left guard Pete Kendall and veteran center Chris Gray. Mammoth first-round pick Chris McIntosh has yet to beat out Todd Weiner at the other tackle, while Floyd Wedderburn mans the right guard spot.
The defense: time to shine
The big old man in the middle, Cortez "The Killer" Kennedy, heads up a unit that should rival the Bucs and the Jets as the league's top units, but they've yet to truly shine in 2000. Riddick Parker has yet to make Seahawks fans forget about Sam Adams, while Lamar King (16 tackles, two sacks) has filled in admirably for the departed Philip Daniels at right defensive end. Sack stalwart Michael Sinclair looks to rebound from a sub-par six-sack season at left end.
Outside linebacker Anthony Simmons (36 tackles, two sacks) should make his first Pro Bowl appearance this season, while on the other side, Chad Brown seems to be a bit in the decline (5.5 sacks in '99, 0.5 sacks and 23 tackles thus far in 2000). George Koonce, a Holmgren favorite, has come over from Green Bay to bolster the middle linebacker spot with 27 tackles.
While Charles Woodson and Champ Bailey have most of the press pegging them as the best young cornerbacks in the N.F.L, Holmgren wouldn't trade Shawn Springs (85 tackles and six interceptions in 20 career games) for either of them. On the other side, the "Wee" Willie Williams returned his first interception of the season 69 yards for a game-clinching touchdown against the Chargers. Underrated strong safety Reggie Tongue (17 tackles, one forced fumble) plays his first game against his old team, while Jay Bellamy (25 tackles, one interception, one sack) has had an outstanding start to the season.
The prognosis:
Outside of one more game against the hapless lightning bolts, the Seahawks don't play another lemon this season. Unless Kitna can maintain some level of consistency week in and week out, and the defense starts playing up to its capabilities, Holmgren's Hawks should hover around the 500 mark all season long.
But the mix of veteran and youthful talent in Seattle is certainly top-notch, and Holmgren does have a tendency to get the best out of his players. Don't be surprised to see Seattle turn it on around midseason and steal the erratic AFC West.
Note:
The Seahawks released rookie kicker Kris Heppner (6-for-9 in 2000) on Tuesday and signed another rookie, Rian Lindell, who played at Washington State University.
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