Head Examination
…
New information announced
today into the ongoing investigation of the crash of Hawk Flight 2004. FAA investigators
announced today they have encountered a shattered visage …
Mike Holmgren came to Seattle
in 1999 -- carried aloft the shoulders of the Seahawk faithful and preceded
by the waving banners of Super Bowl titles to come. These days however, his
reputation amongst the Hawk nation resembles “Bleeding Kansas” during
the American Civil War. As Holmgren has now completed year 6 of his 5-year plan,
more and more Seahawk fans have begun to join the Rebel Cause. Since Holmgren
has 2 years left on his $32 million, 8-year contract … AND since Allen’s
all but said Holmy’s coming back … Hawk fans whom are embittered
are going to be forced to down another dose.
The question as I see it
here is --- do the Rebels TRULY have cause to fire on Ft. Sumter??
The Darwinian Offense …
Those who access their BatComputers
will remember back to training camp this year, when Holmgren said that he felt
Matt Hasselbeck had learned the offense now … and that he was going to
add a few “wrinkles” to the offense. Well, the offense struggled
mightily and I found myself saying a lot of: “Gee, I wonder why Hasselbeck
just threw an IN and Robinson ran an OUT?” … or “Why did Hasselbeck
just throw it LONG … and Stevens broke the route off SHORT?” This
leads me to conclude that confusion was reigning supreme as Hasselbeck and the
receivers did not appear to be on the same page.
Passing Numbers
With Wrinkles (Hasselbeck’s first 6 starts) …
Comp% |
3rd
Down% |
Yards |
TD |
INT |
113-211(54%) |
26-84(31%) |
1399 |
7
|
8 |
Avg. 233Yds/Game
1.16 TD/Game 1.33 INT/Game
Passing Numbers Without
Wrinkles (Hasselbeck’s last 8 starts) …
Comp% |
3rd
Down% |
Yards |
TD |
INT |
166/266(62%) |
43-97(44%) |
1962 |
15
|
7 |
Avg. 245.25
Yds/Game 1.875 TD/Game .875 INT/Game
Alexander’s Numbers With Wrinkles (Alexander’s first 6 starts)
…
| Yds
Rushing |
Avg. |
TD |
| 524
|
4.46 |
6 |
Avg. 87.33 Yds/Game
4.46 Yds/Carry Avg 1 TD/Game
Alexander’s Numbers Without Wrinkles (Alexander’s last 9
starts) …
| Yds
Rushing |
Avg. |
TD |
| 1092
|
4.87 |
9 |
Avg. 121.33
Yds/Game 4.87 Yds/Carry Avg 1 TD/Game
Based upon the numbers,
it’s clear that Mike Holmgren decided to scrap teaching his youngsters
integral calculus … and go back to finger painting. If Holmgren had stuck
with the finger painting rate, those numbers (using those averages) would have
projected to …
Hasselbeck …
3679 Yds Passing … 28 TD … 13 INT
Alexander …
1820 Yds Rushing … 4.87 Yds/Carry … 15 TD
I don’t fault Holmgren
for recognizing that his offense MUST evolve – -- the veloco-raptors patrolling
today’s defenses prey on hapless elderly offenses. However, I wonder along
with many of the Hawk faithful if he isn’t acting a lot like Stanley Milgram
--- trying to create a pre-biotic soup out of materials that scientists now
KNOW just weren’t present on early Earth.
West Coast IN-Offensive
…
If you study teams that
successfully run the West Coast Offense (WCO) … you will find that the
breakdown of offense (Pass to Run) is about 60% pass … 40% run. The WCO
succeeds by spreading the ball around to MANY receivers (giving the QB several
options) … which then opens up the offense for a successful running attack.
Looking at the 2004 Hawks offense … there’s no question that Alexander
the Great’s conquests constituted 40% of the Hawks offense. However, as
even the most casual fan will note that the Seahawks TRUE passing threats are
Darrell Jackson … AND … well, er, we’ve got Darrell Jackson.
It’s hard for Legolas to fight the Urik-Hai hordes with only 1 reliable
arrow. That naturally begs the question … just WHO filled his quiver?
Concrete Thinker?
…
It’s a fairly known
fact that Mike Holmgren scripts his first 25 plays or so. That obviously is
done with greater meticulous precision than a watchmaker making repairs. The
question though is … exactly WHAT happens after there’s no more
script? Can he turn on the improv afterburners like a Robin Williams standup
concert … or does he call for a juggler for the next 30 minutes? Here’s
an intriguing breakdown of the last 3 acts …
2002 Seahawks Offense
(Offensive Points Scored)
1st Half
Seahawks 183 Pts (1 Shutout)
Opponents 174 Pts (2 Shutouts)
2nd Half
Seahawks 158 Pts (3 Shutouts)
Opponents 181 Pts (2 Shutouts)
2003 Seahawks Offense (Offensive Points Scored)
1st Half
Seahawks 253 (1 Shutout)
Opponents 155 (2 Shutouts)
2nd Half
Seahawks 135 (2 Shutouts)
Opponents 186 (41 Cleveland, 2 Shutouts)
2004 Seahawks Offense
(Offensive Points Scored)
1st Half
Seahawks 215
Opponents 202
2nd Half
Seahawks 156 (2 Shutouts)
Opponents 171 (2 Shutouts)
Regarding this season, Mike Holmgren admitted that perhaps he might have been
able to make a difference with his play calling especially late in games. Well,
the numbers there agree w/ya. According to the theme – it appears that
opposing coaches are doing a much better job of adapting to the Hawks D than
vice versa.
Let’s Do The Time Warp Again … Let’s Do The Time Warp Again
…
Hmmm … so the case
for pilot error seems to be mounting. Let’s go a little further back into
the Holmgren’s flight career …
Packers - Holmgren
Era …
|
|
Offense(Ranking) |
Defense(Ranking) |
Year
|
Record
|
Pass
TD |
Rush
TD |
Pass
TD |
Rush
TD |
1992
|
9-7 |
10 |
25 |
9 |
15 |
1993
|
9-7
|
12 |
3 |
8 |
3 |
1994
|
9-7 |
2 |
17 |
13 |
7 |
1995
|
11-5 |
1 |
23 |
21 |
2 |
1996
|
13-3 |
1 |
20 |
4 |
5 |
1997
|
13-3 |
1 |
22 |
2 |
22 |
1998
|
11-5 |
4 |
26 |
19 |
2 |
After Holmgren …
|
|
Offense(Ranking) |
Defense(Ranking) |
Year
|
Record
|
Pass
TD |
Rush
TD |
Pass
TD |
Rush
TD |
1999
|
8-8 |
23 |
13 |
13 |
25 |
2000
|
9-7 |
14 |
19 |
29 |
4 |
2001
|
12-4 |
2 |
16 |
5 |
14 |
2002
|
12-4 |
1 |
18 |
24 |
12 |
2003
|
10-6 |
1 |
5 |
12 |
6 |
2004
|
10-6 |
3 |
26 |
32 |
14 |
Here’s some quick
observances after looking at earlier flight data …
1) Brett Favre has had virtually
THE SAME offensive success WITH Holmgren at the helm … as WITHOUT.
(In all fairness though … Mike Sherman undoubtedly picked up quite a few
tricks from his teacher.)
2) The 1996 and 1997 Packers
succeeded not just because of strong OFFENSE(’96 team was #1 in pts scored
with 456) , but also because of strong DEFENSE (’96 team was #1 in pts
allowed with 210) as well. Specifically, strong PASS defense being the
key. Fritz Shumur joined the Packers in 1994 as their defensive coordinator.
Two years later … the Packers went to the Super Bowl.
3) The Hawk defense ranked
10th in the NFL in points allowed (310) in Dennis Erickson’s last year
(1998.) Mike Holmgren took the Hawk offense and in his FIRST year (Shurmur’s
ONLY year) … watched the defense IMPROVE to 8th in pts allowed (298.)
The 1999 Defense ranked 8th in pass TD allowed and 10th in Rush TD allowed (up
from 22nd the year before.)
4) Fritz Shumur died just
before the 2000 season – Steve Sidwell was hired. The defense fell to
17th in pass TD allowed and 28th in Rush TD allowed. The Hawks record? --- plummeted
to 6-10.
Preach It Brutha …
Seahawks fans, broadcasters,
and national experts alike have all been trying to get into the head of Mike
Holmgren … trying to understand exactly what makes him tick and why he
does what he does. Well, perhaps the most misunderstood (and IMO the MOST significant)
driving force in Holmgren’s life – is his Christian faith.
[Skeptic from back double-take:
“What’s this guy doing, throwing a reverse flea flicker here or
something???”]
No amigos … merely
pointing out a crucial point. That is, that a person’s Worldview is the
lens through which they process EVERYTHING they see and experience in life.
Since it shapes every decision and action a person makes … understanding
cultural concepts is incredibly significant in understanding WHERE Mike
Holmgren is coming from. Permit me 5 minutes from the Sunday School classroom
if you will (my purpose is not to PREACH … merely to EDUCATE) …
Hang with me here.
[Skeptic from the back]:
“All right --- You’ve got your 5 minutes preacher – !!”
(starts stopwatch)
The term “Christian”
is a Greek term and literally means: “Little Christs.” It follows
then, that true followers and adherents of the Christian faith are those who
seek to emulate his characteristics in their lives. Perhaps one of the most
valued and highlighted traits of Christ – is his MERCY, and you will find
many passages that demonstrate Christ to be merciful and loving throughout scripture.
Jesus befriended and accepted society’s outcasts … and taught that
no one was beyond redemption. Indeed – MANY Christians are incredibly
merciful, loving, understanding, and caring people. They believe (as Jesus did)
… in loving the unlovable and giving those who deserve no mercy unlimited
chances …
[Skeptic annoyedly pointing
at his watch]
OK then, but is that a totally
BALANCED perspective? In addition to being merciful, scripture also demonstrates
in many places Jesus’ preoccupation with JUSTICE and RIGHTEOUSNESS. There
are many passages in the New Testament which speak about his coming judgment
in which he will right all wrongs. One of the most remarkable things Scripture
reveals about Jesus’ personality … is that he was an amazingly BALANCED
individual. So then if that’s the case … his followers should also
seek to attain that same balance.
Though the mercy/judgment
BALANCE is the ultimate goal … a great many Christians [inadvertantly
because of personality, ethnicity, family background, etc] tend to fall on ONE
SIDE of the teeter-totter … or the OTHER …
White Hat vs. Black
Hat …
If someone were sauntering
towards the “Mercy” end of the teeter-totter … how would we
know … and what might we see? We might see …
1) Comments such as Coach/Former
GM Mike Holmgren made in his press conference at the end of the season regarding
the firing of Mark Michaels …
Holmgren:
“I had to let (special teams coach) Mark (Michaels) go yesterday,
and so we're looking for a special teams coach. And I'll say this, in my meeting
with Mark yesterday; first of all, I agonize over that. I care about
my guys and I will try and do whatever I can within reason to keep everyone
together. But they also know they're accountable for how their players
play. Special teams, it's really a tough job. So that wasn't very much fun yesterday.
But we're going to look for a special teams coach and try and improve that area
this next year. Part of the problem, and this was not Mark's fault,
because of our injury situation his core special teams players all of a sudden
became starters. And we had some depth to allow us to do that, but not on special
teams. It allowed us to have Koutouvides, Kacyvenski, Tracy White,
those guys played defense, but there wasn't a lot left in the tank for the special
teams thing. But things like onside kicks and blocked punts and things like
that; I think we must do a better job of those types of things. Those are very
specialty things and, quite frankly, they cost us a couple of ball games this
year.”
2) The coach/former GM puts
up with toddler-type shenanigans from his supposed #1 WR. (Pssst. Perhaps it’s
time to think about more than sending him to his room – it isn’t
working.)
3) The coach/former GM says
to his Pro-Bowl Prima Donna EVERY YEAR: “No problem Walter … you
don’t have to follow the same rules everyone does. You don’t have
to bust your butt in training camp like those other poor slobs.” (Try
that one with your kids and see how that works for ya.)
AHHHHH, but what about the
sons Holmgren adopted? NO fumbling my football there Ahman Green! Are you questioning
me, Pete Kendall?! Sam Adams and Phillip Daniels out …. Lamar King and
Brandon Mitchell in. Soooo … 30’ leashes for Holmgren’s CHOSEN
sons – “my guys.” 3’ leashes for his ADOPTED ones. Regardless
of the rationale for it … favoritism is a veritable H-BOMB on team chemistry.
FAA’s Preliminary Report …
Though the resume’
shows a long history with QB’s who have more rings than your local Zales
Jewelers … there are enough dings now to make many fans start scratching
this one across the glass. Indeed, the preponderance of evidence demonstrates
a pattern of both inconsistency and rigidity. It suggests difficulties adapting
BOTH to changing situations … and in being able to think outside the box.
Fans are finding themselves
asking questions such as … how many unexpected plays have they seen in
the last 6 years … how many years in a row must this team’s left
tackle be franchised … and just how many chances DOES a player get who
repeatedly violates team rules?
Mostly, the evidence clearly
shows how a man’s greatest adversary … is often himself --- a lesson
more and more Coach/GM’s are starting to learn. One man simply CAN’T
be both pilot and flight controller. It leads to a LOT of plane crashes.
All that said … let’s
turn down the burner on the fry pan and admit that we probably haven’t
seen anyone walking on water lately (Editor's note: Yes, but...Belichick
tries it without the water wings in about a week.)
The Seahawks organization’s
greatest overall need right now … is change. If this team is to truly
win … then every single, solitary member of this organization must honestly
ask himself not only: “Do I truly WANT to win?” … but also:
“Am I truly willing to do whatever it takes TO win?” What separates
those who succeed from those who fail … is the ability and willingness
to: A) acknowledge that fact … B) ask: “how can I best maximize
my own strengths?” … and C) how can I best empower the people around
me?
Success starts at the top
… and good teams are merely reflections of effective, winning leadership.
A body functions best when every tissue of every organ does its part. A brain
sure can’t last long if all it’s in synch with … is itself.
The greatest thing a leader can often do … is to point to the man in the
mirror and say: ”You’ve got to change.” One thing’s
certain --- 2005 will go a long ways towards determining just how effective
a head pilot this man really is.
Todd Webb writes for
Seahawks.NET whenever he can be torn away from his beloved Seattle Mariners.
Feel free to send any comments, questions or "Bavasi for President"
handbills to apologetic_thinker@yahoo.com.