 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||||||||||
| Your account |  |
Today's news index | |
Weather | |
Traffic | |
Movies | |
Restaurants | |
Today's events | ||
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
Monday, September 27, 2004 - Page updated at 12:00 A.M.
Seahawks By José Miguel Romero
Ask yourself, Seahawks fans. Can you remember the last time you were this excited about your team's defense? Oh, there have been good defenses in the history of this franchise. The 1984 team that shut out three opponents. The 1991 team that allowed only 261 points in 16 games. But this is uncharted territory. Thirteen points given up in three games. And not a single point in a dominating 34-0 defeat of the San Francisco 49ers yesterday at Qwest Field. Led by a defense that is making a name for itself in the NFL, the Seahawks shut out the 49ers before 66,709 roaring fans in their home opener. The 49ers? Shut out? Yes, it happened. San Francisco was blanked for the first time since Oct. 9, 1977, when the Atlanta Falcons won 7-0 at Candlestick Park. That's 420 games with at least some kind of score. And speaking of streaks, the Seahawks won their 10th straight home game dating to 2002 and are 3-0 for the fourth time in franchise history. "Getting a shutout in this league for any team is a huge deal," Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said. "That's not easy to do. The way our defense has been playing the first three ballgames, it really gives you hope for the future." Seattle forced four turnovers — two interceptions and two fumble recoveries — and its offense finally developed a good rhythm, scoring off of the first two 49ers mistakes. The Seahawks held San Francisco to just 175 yards of total offense, and only 48 of those were rushing yards. Not bad for a defense that only two years ago was dead last in the NFL in run defense and 19th in total defense in 2003. Such a performance had every coach and player feeling good. But players know that perceptions change fast in the NFL from week to week. "Everybody has a good day, and they (the critics) might look at us and say we had a good day," defensive tackle Rashad Moore said. "But we can stay the quiet storm. Nobody has to know about us until that Sunday when they face us." Moore might have just coined his unit's new nickname: The Quiet Storm. You never know where it's coming from or when it's going to strike. There wasn't much to be quiet about yesterday. Cornerback Ken Lucas opened the festivities in the first quarter by intercepting 49ers quarterback Ken Dorsey and running it back for an apparent touchdown. Except officials ruled that Lucas stepped out of bounds 26 yards before reaching the end zone. "I wasn't looking at my foot, but I was hoping coach Holmgren would have thrown the red flag out there and at least challenge the play," Lucas said. "I guess it was just so obvious I stepped out." The Seahawks turned that turnover into a field goal to take the lead for good. On their third possession of the game, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck connected with wide receiver Bobby Engram for the offensive play of the day, a 60-yard pass that set up running back Shaun Alexander's 1-yard burst for a touchdown.
The Seahawks, set up at the 49ers 15-yard line, added another touchdown when Hasselbeck faked a reverse to Koren Robinson, rolled out to his right and fired a strike to Alexander. The 49ers were through, and the first quarter hadn't even ended. "Anytime it's on the ground or it's close, we've got two or three people there that's going to give us a chance to get (the ball)," Woodard said. "That's the way we play defense, and we're always running, trying to make plays." The Seattle defense started thinking shutout. Last September, Seattle beat the Arizona Cardinals 38-0, but the Cardinals gained more than 100 more yards than the 49ers did yesterday. "Once it got to 17-0 and 24-0, we were like, 'We've got a chance to do this,' " Woodard said. The Seahawks' defensive front four — Moore, Woodard, Grant Wistrom and Chike Okeafor — overwhelmed the San Francisco offensive line time after time. Dorsey did what he could to complete passes, but the lack of a running game hurt San Francisco's ability to move the ball. The 49ers never gained more than 15 yards on any single run. The Seahawks plugged the holes and gaps as fast they opened. "We were in the spots where we were supposed to be," said Okeafor, who had five tackles, a sack and a forced fumble against his former team. "It's a real accountable defense. There shouldn't be gaping holes. Playing as a unit. That's the best defense." The Seahawks took a 24-0 lead into halftime on Alexander's third touchdown of the game, a 1-yard run in the second quarter set up by a pass-interference penalty. Alexander twisted his left ankle while crossing the goal line and limped off the field. He never left the game entirely, however, and finished with 19 carries for 52 yards. The Seahawks didn't need turnovers to help get the offense going to start the second half. Their first drive of the third quarter lasted 68 yards on eight plays and ended in Hasselbeck's 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Itula Mili. Their second possession ended with a 28-yard Josh Brown field goal to complete the scoring. Free safety Ken Hamlin had an interception and Moore recovered a Dorsey fumble in the fourth. Hasselbeck had his best performance of the season, completing 21 of 30 pass attempts for 254 yards and two touchdowns. "I guess I'm most pleased with the fact that it was a total team win," Holmgren said. "About as good as you can get." José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com
Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company
|
|
|
  |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
seattletimes.com home
Home delivery
| Contact us
| Search archive
| Site map
| Low-graphic
NWclassifieds
| NWsource
| Advertising info
| The Seattle Times Company
Back to top