Top > Sport > 2004 > September > 2004-09-27

Seahawks` dominant defense makes the dream seem possible

What we weren`t sure about was the defense. The group with all the youth up the middle. The pack that was missing Chad Brown. The unit that ranked 19th in the league a year ago in yardage allowed and 27th against the pass.

So it is that the most impressive thing about Sunday`s 34-0 shutout of San Francisco and the Seahawks` 3-0 start is a very impressive thing indeed. The Hawks are playing the best defense in the league.

The Hawks are playing the best defense in the history of their franchise.

The Hawks are playing the kind of defense that makes Super Bowl talk seem a lot more than just silly preseason hype.

Three games, 13 points.

It`s a remarkable stat. And it`s a reason the giddy expectations for this season could be turning into golden reality.

Last year the Seahawks opened the year with incredible defensive intensity and some head-hunting hits. But this group seems more level-headed and thus better prepared for the long haul of an NFL season.

It won`t always be as easy as Sunday`s sideswipe of the offensively limited 49ers. But then again, there`s no reason the Seahawks can`t build on what they`ve already done.

Rookie defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs will get better. Brown will get healthy. The youngsters will get more experienced.

And defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes will still be coaching, still prodding, still demanding his charges keep their feet on the ground and their helmets in opposing ballcarriers` ribs.

``The way our defense has played in the first three games,`` said Holmgren, ``gives you hope for the future.``

But first, a look back to put this three-game start in perspective.

The Seahawks have been 3-0 three prior times in the franchise`s 28-year history. The fewest points they`ve ever surrendered in the first three outings was 28.

So this 3-0 start with the 13 points allowed is something else. You don`t lose many games giving up 4.3 points an outing. You look pretty good when you allow just one touchdown in three weeks. You gain a little extra swagger when you shut out a team whose last zero on the final scoreboard went up 27 years and 420 games ago.

``Nineteen seventy-seven,`` said cornerback Ken Lucas. ``I wasn`t even born yet. We made history today.``

They also made plays, picking off two passes, forcing a pair of fumbles, holding the Niners to 2-of-13 on third-down conversions.

Granted, this wasn`t the 49ers of the Joe Montana era. Or even of Jeff Garcia days. But this San Francisco club had averaged 23 points and 364 yards against Atlanta and New Orleans the prior two weeks. Against the Seahawks, they managed zero and 175.

Repeat after me. Offense sells tickets. Defense wins championships.

``Everybody expects our offense to be explosive. And they are,`` said defensive tackle Cedric Woodard, whose first-quarter sack and fumble recovery set up one of Seattle`s touchdowns. ``We`re just trying to make a name for ourselves as a defense.``

If they keep pitching shutouts, surely there will be some nickname like the Blue Wave or Rhodes Warriors attached to this group. But for now, they`re more worried about their game than their fame.

``I think we`re still just scratching the surface,`` said second-year safety Ken Hamlin. ``There`s a lot of things we can get better at.``

That`s the sort of talk that brings a smile to the face of veteran cornerback Bobby Taylor, who played nine years with some standout Philadelphia Eagles defenses before signing with Seattle this season. One of the dangers of youth is getting too carried away with a big start. The Seahawks suffered a little of that last season.

``I think that`s the reason I`m here,`` said Taylor. ``I`ve got to keep guys mindful of the highs and lows of this league.``

But Taylor likes what he`s seen so far. He feels the sort of chemistry that mixed so well in Philadelphia during his own younger days.

``Guys are flying around, having fun, causing havoc and creating turnovers,`` Taylor said. ``It reminds me of Philly. We were young and stayed together and just jelled. That`s what we have here. I look at Ken Hamlin and he could be the next premier free safety in this league. Ken Lucas had a great training camp and it`s carried over. Marcus Trufant, I see him being like a Troy Vincent.

``The most important thing is we`re staying on an even keel. Even though things are going good, guys aren`t walking around with their chest out. We have our goals set high and guys are focused on that. We`re definitely not satisfied yet. We can`t feel like we`re invincible.``

That would be wise. The Seahawks have tougher foes upcoming. Not every Sunday will be a picnic in the park. Not every opposing quarterback will be as green as Ken Dorsey. Not every effort will be a shutout.

But three games into this season, one thing bodes very well. Seattle`s youthful defense has played better than its ballyhooed offense. The weak link has become a chain-link fence.

And the feeling of hope, the hype of a Super Bowl contender, suddenly seems like more than a distant daydream for a city just awakening to the delicious possibilities.