Seahawks defense has run out of excuses

RENTON — Seattle doesn't have the same defense it did a year ago.

It has the same players for the most part, returning 11 starters, but this hardly resembles the defense that was expected to lead the Seahawks this season. The one that last year stood a game away from setting a franchise record for fewest points allowed in a 16-game season.

The players themselves saw the difference Monday when they reported to work and watched film of Sunday's 44-6 defeat in New York, the largest loss of coach Mike Holmgren's 10 seasons as coach.

"It's just heartbreaking to watch it," linebacker Lofa Tatupu said.

"It's painful," safety Brian Russell said. "It's really painful."

What has happened to the defense that kept four opponents from scoring a touchdown last season? How does a team that allowed more than 30 points only once in the first 15 games of 2007 give up more than 30 five times in the past seven games if you include the playoffs?

What has changed?

"Same people, same scheme, same coordinator," defensive tackle Rocky Bernard said. "We're just not playing up to our potential right now."

This defense was supposed to be the strength of the team. Seattle has chosen 10 players in the first three rounds in the four drafts since Tim Ruskell became president in 2005. Seven play defense. The Seahawks have also signed big-budget free agents such as Julian Peterson, Patrick Kerney and Deon Grant.

The Seahawks allowed 247 points through the first 15 games last season. The franchise record for fewest points allowed in a 16-game season was 261 set in 1991.

When Seattle allowed 44 points to Atlanta in the 2007 finale, the result was seen as an aberration. Seattle didn't have anything on the line, its playoff position was secure.

Two weeks later, the Seahawks got whitewashed by Green Bay, which ran for 235 yards and scored 42 consecutive points. The conditions were considered a factor. Seattle's defense was built around speed so the snowstorm at Lambeau Field neutralized Seattle's biggest strength.

When Seattle gave up 38 points in the season-opening loss in Buffalo, the special teams took the brunt of the blame. The Bills returned a punt for a touchdown and scored off a fake field goal.

But after the Giants scored points on their first six offensive possessions and running back Brandon Jacobs averaged 9 yards per carry? There's nothing to excuse that.

"We didn't play very well for whatever reason," Holmgren said. "You scratch your head about it, but I'm not losing faith in them.

"I'm a little ticked off we didn't play better."

Holmgren met with the defensive coaching staff Monday and discussed everything from personnel to scheme, play selection to leadership. Holmgren said there may be lineup changes though he didn't disclose what was being considered. He also said the game plan would be pared down.

When asked what has happened to the defense, Holmgren listed three things.

• Big plays. Eli Manning completed five passes of more than 20 yards Sunday and Brandon Jacobs had two runs for more than 30 yards. Holmgren said the Giants scored three touchdowns on plays in which the Seahawks got caught blitzing. Reducing the number of big plays was a point of emphasis last season and the main reason Russell and Grant were signed. This season, the big plays have been a big problem.

"We've been in single coverage and we haven't handled that very well," Holmgren said.

• Waning pass rush. The Seahawks have 11 sacks this season, which ranks about the middle of the league, but even that total is deceiving. Eight of those sacks came in the game against San Francisco.

• Blitz execution. This ties into the waning pass rush, but Holmgren said specifically that there have been issues with the spacing of players when the team blitzes. Peterson is the only linebacker with a sack this season and none have come from the secondary.

The fact that blitzes haven't produced sacks put extra pressure on the secondary.

"We put them in some tough situations from the standpoint of we're not getting pressure," Tatupu said. "Linebackers, D-line included, sometimes [the] secondary is involved with that, too, with safety blitzes. Any time you're blitzing, the whole premise is to force errant throws."

It all adds up to a difficult situation for a team whose banged-up offense is more proficient at running the ball than passing it, but the defense is hemorrhaging points at such a rate the Seahawks are forced to throw the ball to play catch-up.

"That's a bad formula for us right now," Holmgren said. "We don't have the weapons necessarily to kind of go toe-to-toe and have a big, big scoring game."

Danny O'Neil: 206-464-2364 or doneil@seattletimes.com