KIRKLAND – Thirteen weeks from Ivy League acceptance, the Seattle Seahawks got distracted.
Two tests proved more difficult than expected, a new student arrived to stir the pot, and the Seahawks moved from the head of the class to the middle of the pack in a three-week span.
Now halfway through the 2004 season, all is thankfully not lost. Consecutive wins over beatable opponents put Seattle back atop the NFC West through eight games.
It hasn’t always been pretty. There has been a fair share of mini-controversies. And sometimes the natives have gotten restless.
But when it comes time to hand out midseason report cards, the Seahawks have earned themselves a passing grade.
* Philosophy: C+
Mike Holmgren’s passing attack too often kept the running game idle, and it hurt the Seahawks during a three-game slide. But he eventually dumbed things down, rekindled his love for Shaun Alexander, and the results have been encouraging.
* Geology: B+
Once the Seahawks figured out that traveling by land (ie., Alexander) was easier than flying through the air, the offense got into a groove and helped the Seahawks post back-to-back wins. Alexander is primed for the best season of his NFL career.
* Aerospace: B-
Dropped passes (25, by unofficial count) and one horrific game from quarterback Matt Hasselbeck kept this grade from being higher. Seattle’s passing game only recently started to hit its stride. Injuries and the possible suspension of Koren Robinson will leave this subject as a big question mark over the final eight weeks.
* Government: B-
Three weeks into the season, defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes looked ready to run for secretary of defense. But injuries and a few ill-timed breakdowns in the secondary helped drop Seattle’s D from the top of the NFL to No. 8 at midseason.
* Special ed: C-
Injuries have also wreaked havoc on Seattle’s special teams unit, while even the healthy players proved inconsistent. Return and coverage units haven’t played up to par, and the punting game isn’t as steady as it was. Placekicker Josh Brown has been the lone shining star.
* Geography: A
After going 2-6 on the road in 2003, the Seahawks already have three wins in away games this year. Now if only they could find a way to win in the desert.
* Anatomy: D
Seattle breezed into the bye week with plenty of healthy body parts. But the pieces started to crumble: Grant Wistrom, Anthony Simmons, Bobby Engram, Tom Rouen, Alex Bannister, Ken Lucas, etc. Perhaps med school would be a good idea.
* History: D+
Just when it seemed as if the Seahawks had shaken their past, a maddening trend came back to bite them again. That is, the post-bye-week swoon. Following a 3-0 start, Seattle lost three in a row to temporarily drop out of first in the NFC West. During the Holmgren era, the Seahawks are now 6-0 in games before a bye week and 0-6 in games immediately after.
* Chemistry: B
Long one of the Seahawks’ best subjects, this was an area of concern following a high-profile addition. Although the trade for Jerry Rice was expected to only make the Seahawks better, the initial attention served as enough of a distraction to cause Seattle to drop a game at lowly Arizona.
* Psychology: D
At the risk of butchering Freud, it was Seattle’s Ego that ran the brain after the bye week. The Seahawks broke out to a huge lead over St. Louis, started to feel pretty darned good about themselves, then dropped back into a familiar area known as The Seahawk Zone. The long, humble journey out is just beginning.
* Astronomy: Inc.
Will the moons align? This could be the most important grade come January, as the Seahawks have gotten off to solid starts before. With a favorable schedule – Seattle’s final eight opponents have a combined record of 31-34, including five teams that are at or below .500 – the Seahawks are primed to post double-digit wins and win the NFC West.
In an effort to get a passing grade, the Seahawks had to simplify things a bit over the first half of the 2004 season. They might need to think a little deeper over the second half.
And if there’s going to be hope of getting where they want to go, the Seahawks can start by passing their most important test of the season this Sunday.
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