There will be a football game on Sunday between the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers. However, few people will be paying attention. They will instead be busy reviewing and dissecting the facial expressions of Seattle head coach Mike Holmgren each time the TV cameras cut away for a reaction shot of the coach.Viewers will try to determine whether or not he looks like he wants to quit immediately following the game. Or maybe he’ll look content to stay and not bolt for a Niners job that’s pretty much been offered to him by Bay Area media outlets. With former Niners head coach Mike Nolan now out of the picture, the speculation games begin on who will backfill the position. And Holmgren is always the first one listed because of his close ties to the area and storied history with Niners greats Bill Walsh and Joe Montana.
Holmgren respects the game too much to leave the Seahawks midway through the season and he’s not getting fired. The real unanswered question is will he sit out next year, like he promised his family, or will he jump to San Francisco at the conclusion of the 2008 season? Nobody will have the answer until it happens, but the Niners job may be a once in a lifetime opportunity. So, it seems Seahawks fan can look forward to the next two and half months of Holmgren speculation while their bruised, battered and belittled football team tries to make the best of a lost season.
The Holmgren guessing games would have started if the Seahawks (1-5) were winning. Injuries to the offense are to blame just as much as a Seahawks defense that seems to have read too many of its press clippings. With 11 starters returning, this defense was billed as an elite group. Not a preseason game went by without a reference to pro bowl linebacker Lofa Tatupu’s goal for his defense to post five shutouts in the season. The goal now should be holding a team under 20. These guys couldn’t stop an oncoming 4-year-old on a tricycle. The squad ranks 27th in team defense, 29th in passing defense and 21st in rushing defense.
The Niners (2-5) have a middle of the pack offense, but they still pinned a loss on the Seahawks in Week 2 with a 33-30 win in overtime. Quarterback J.T. O’Sullivan could once again put up big numbers against Seattle. He was 20-32 for 321 yards and a touchdown in their last meeting. Iit’ll be difficult for the Seahawks to match San Francisco’s offensive output without injured quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. In terms of team offense and passing, they’re near the bottom of the league. Their rushing game is really the only weapon, ranked 8th in the NFL.
If the Hawks defense could keep O’Sullivan and the Niners offense off the field, Seattle might have a shot. But nothing that the defense has done this season tells us they’re capable of shutting down anyone.
Fantasy geek stuff
- San Francisco, Pick ‘Em – The Hawks defense is that bad. Just pick an offensive player and you should be awe-ight. O’Sullivan or running back Frank Gore. Even rookie wide receiver Josh Morgan seems to be the hot pickup for this weekend.
- Julius Jones – The last running back to run for over 100 yards against the Niners was Julius Jones in Week 2 when he went for 127 yards and a touchdown.
The Seahawks inability to stop San Francisco on key third down plays led to the Niners 33-30 overtime win Sept. 14 in Seattle. On third and 7 from the Niners own 23, O’Sullivan connect with 87-year-old wide receiver Isaac Bruce for 33 yards. That essentially set up the winning field goal attempt for kicker Joe Nedney a few plays later.
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