Sept. 12, 1999
SEATTLE -- This was a nightmare for both the new coach and general
manager of the Seattle Seahawks.
By Mike Kahn
SportsLine Executive Editor
Unfortunately for Mike Holmgren, he happens to own both titles.
Related Links:
Lions beat listless Seahawks T O P N E W S
With the Seahawks opening the new era of Holmgren -- and his 8-year, $32 million contract -- Sunday afternoon in the Kingdome against the woebegone Detroit Lions, the expectations were soaring for a team that hasn't been to the playoffs since 1988.
"Yes, I was really excited," Holmgren said.
Yes, he and the Seahawks were beaten by the Lions 28-20 in a game highlighted by an astounding barrage of errors by the Seahawks in the first half that led to a 25-7 halftime deficit.
And remember, this was to a team that lost All-Pro running back Barry Sanders to premature retirement, three offensive linemen to injury during the preseason and All-Pro wide receiver Herman Moore to an injury to his left knee in the first quarter of Sunday's game. Moore is expected to miss 3-5 weeks pending the results of an MRI scheduled for Monday.
"I did not expect this," Holmgren said. "Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Detroit played well. We're not very good. That combination will get you every time."
The first half ended in near silence as Seahawks All-Pro linebacker Chad Brown was taken from the field in an ambulance with a neck injury, while the PA system blared: "Shake Your Booty," emphasizing how out of sync the whole organization was on this opening day. Fortunately for Brown and the team, X-rays proved to be negative and he was sent home. He may even play next week.
That was only the most frightening thing that happened on this afternoon of doom in the Kingdome. On the first play from scrimmage, quarterback Jon Kitna was sacked for a 7-yard loss, and three plays later, wide receiver Sean Dawkins fumbled after a reception that would have been a first down.
"I was thinking, 'Oh my, how can this be happening?'" Seahawks running back Ricky Watters, who last season became the first running back in NFL history to have at least 1,000 yards on three different teams but finished with 21 yards on 13 carries Sunday.
"This is a great system. I won a Super Bowl with it in San Francisco, Green Bay won a Super Bowl with it. I have full confidence in it. We can't start looking at each other. It's just everything is new and it all came down on us today. It will get better. It can't get worse and we know we got better in the second half."
The Seahawks even had a chance to tie the game when they took possession with 2:01 left. Fittingly, they failed to get a first down.
But none of that would have mattered were it not for the madcap sequence of events in the first half.
The Seahawks were tagged with four different illegal procedure penalties . . . once on two consecutive plays to kill a drive in Lions territory.
Seahawks kicker Todd Peterson missed a 32-yard chip-shot field goal in the first quarter when his timing was thrown off on a high snap from Chris Gray.
Deems May's high punt snap over the head of Seattle punter Jeff Feagles was straighter and truer than the field goal attempt, but also went through the end zone for a safety.
Of course, neither of those hurt any worse than Charlie Rodgers failing to signal for a fair catch on the 9-yard line, fumbling and setting up another touchdown for the Lions.
On the heels of offensive tackle Howard Ballard's late retirement, Lions defensive end Robert Porcher was in the Seahawks offensive backfield so frequently, he appeared closer to having a long-term contract with Seattle than holdout receiver Joey Galloway. More to the point, Ballard's replacement Todd Weiner was out of the game for good late in the second quarter with an ankle sprain.
Wide receiver Charles Jordan pulled a hamstring on the second series and did not return. Cornerback Fred Thomas broke his leg and will have surgery Monday. And so went the first half of Holmgren's greatest misadventure. The only way the Seahawks scored in the first half was a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown by Willie Williams.
The second half was better, but not good enough. Otherwise, Kitna was on his heels and lacked the time to run the offense. A lot of it was Porcher . . . but without the speedy Galloway and Mike Pritchard, out until at least this Sunday following knee surgery, the receivers lack speed and experience.
"They crowded us pretty good (on the line of scrimmage)," Holmgren said. "That's something I would do, too."
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| No amount of Mike Holmgren's coaching seemed to help Jon Kitna or the Seahawks execute on the field.(AP) |
"We knew it was going to be tough without Barry and once Herman went out," Batch said. "But we made a promise as a team that we would come out as a group and fight together. We weren't going to let anybody play harder than us, and I think that really surprised Seattle today."
Nobody more than Holmgren. Red-faced and too calm for the situation, he balked at riding the defense or offensive line, deferring to the old "I'll wait to look at the films" routine. All that was left was to consider how similar this was to the Dennis Erickson Era or the Tom Flores teams during the past decade.
And what Holmgren found out was that this is going to be a long haul for both the coach and the general manager. They just both happen to be him.