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| | | | | | | | Tuesday, September 26, 2000
Seattle has consecutive victories for first time in 10 months
Associated Press
KIRKLAND, Wash. -- With consecutive victories for the first
time in 10 months and one game separating them from the top of the
AFC West, the Seattle Seahawks are showing improvement.
Or are they?
|  | | Mike Holmgren still feels the Seahawks have a lot of improving to do. |
Despite Sunday's victory over the San Diego Chargers - giving
Seattle a 2-2 record - the Seahawks aren't where they want to be.
Their two victories came against teams with a combined record of
1-7. And Seattle on Monday ranked in the bottom third of the league
in both offense and defense.
"We're taking steps each week, but I don't think we're close to
where we're going to be," quarterback Jon Kitna said.
The Seahawks' season got off to a horrid start in a 23-0 loss at
Miami, then got only slightly better when a narrow defeat against
St. Louis left them at 0-2.
But games against struggling New Orleans and San Diego have
given Seattle a chance to get back into the thick of the AFC West
race, which they won last season.
The Seahawks lost twice to the Chargers last season.
"They hung in there, hung in there and found a way to win at
the end," coach Mike Holmgren said of Sunday's 20-12 victory.
"Last year, we lost that game. So I'm looking at it as a step
forward."
Despite two triumphs in two weeks, Seattle ranks 27th in the
league in total offense and 23rd in defense. And Kitna's 63.2
quarterback rating puts him ahead of only three other NFL starters:
Steve McNair, Akili Smith and Ryan Leaf.
"We can be pretty consistent on offense at times, but not
nearly consistent enough," Holmgren said. "I thought we played a
pretty good game against New Orleans and a pretty decent offensive
game against the Rams. (Sunday), I thought we were too spotty. I
would like to be more consistent that way."
On defense, the two key issues are stopping the run and
defending third-down conversions, Holmgren said.
And then there's special teams, where the play was so shoddy
Sunday that Holmgren spent part of Monday morning sitting in on a
special teams meeting, something he rarely does.
"We weren't very good (Sunday), and I wanted to see and hear
why, what happened," Holmgren said. "I didn't say anything, I was
just in there."
Among the players who were probably sweating at that meeting
were rookie kicker Kris Heppner, who missed a 34-yard field goal
Sunday for his third failed kick in nine tries.
Holmgren has also been unimpressed by Heppner's kickoffs after
giving him the roster spot over five-year veteran Todd Peterson at
the end of training camp.
"The options are, Kris either gets better, or I replace Kris,"
Holmgren said. "Those are the options."
Notes: WR Derrick Mayes underwent an MRI on his sprained ankle
Monday, but results were not available. He appears to be the only
player who may miss Wednesday's practice due to injury. ... Next
Monday night's game at Kansas City is Seattle's second MNF
appearance in two seasons after the franchise went the previous
seven seasons without playing on Monday night. ... RB Ricky Watters
needs 35 yards in Monday's game to pass Earl Campbell for 13th
place on the all-time rushing list. Watters has 9,373 yards and
could move as high as 12th by the end of the season (10,273 by
Ottis Anderson).
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