This Sunday marks a sad but timely end to Mike Holmgren’s coaching job in Seattle. He brought a struggling franchise from the hole and turned a culture of losing into four consecutive NFC West championships. No doubt this will be an emotional game for Holmgren, who faces his former student and super bowl champion Brett Favre.
The last two meetings between Brett Favre and Mike Holmgren, back in the playoffs last year and in 2006, involved two things: football and snowstorms. That two game series is tied at one a piece.
This Sunday will likely see a blanket of snow over Qwest and a fitting end for Holmgren as the Seattle Seahawks head coach. We’ll call this one the snow bowl, because whoever wins this goes one game up in the series, but more importantly ends the Holmgren-Favre series with a win.
To "keys to victory" and "things to watch"
KEYS TO VICTORY
Defense needs to tackle. Snow is the worst enemy to a relatively small defense built around speed. Oh crap, that’s our D! Making cuts turns into a sprained ankle if your not careful out on a slippery turf. Last game against the Packers, the Seahawks struggled to keep up and make tackles against their slippery offense. If the snow blankets Qwest, the Seahawks defenders better be sure to wrap up or short gains will turn into touchdowns like they did in Lambeau last year.
Jennings/Wilson on Coles. We all know Trufant has got the left side locked down, even though he will face a great receiver in Jericho Cotchery, but what about the other side? Wilson and Jennings will have a tough time against Laveranues Coles. But, they do stack up favorably against him. Wilson and Jennings are both short guys, 5-9 and 5-11 respectively, but Coles is only 5-11. Jennings typically excels at covering the smaller guys and Wilson is the fastest guy on the team. They should keep Coles in check this game.
Pound the rock. With an already sub-par group of receivers, we will need to run the ball a lot more, and do it effectively. It will be difficult for our receivers to get open quickly with traction being a problem, so we will need to open up our receivers by running the ball successfully. This goes without saying in EVERY game, but as usual it’s easier said than done. Our offensive line is going to be made entirely of backups who inevitably make mistakes.
Be opportunistic. Brett Favre has the record for most interceptions in a career, and the Jets have plenty of turnovers this season with Favre at the reigns (he’s thrown 17 picks). Sometimes he’s brilliant and sometimes he’s piss-poor, but he’ll always give a defense a chance to make a play. The Seahawks will need to capitalize on the QB’s mistakes. Can I get a Big-Play-Babs?
Work them hips Wallace. I’ve said it before, but QB Seneca Wallace needs to utilize his speed more to keep the defense on their toes. If our rushing attack isn’t effective then why not give Wallace the option of running it himself if he can’t find the open receiver?
Stuff Thomas Jones. Thomas Jones has been the superior brother this year, dominating Julius Jones in stats and leading the Jets’ running attack with more than 1,200 yards and 13 TD’s. The Jets have an excellent running game with the free agent acquisition of Alan Faneca. The Hawks need to find a way to shut down Jones or risk stacking the box and opening up the passing game for Favre to pick apart like the last meetings. Tatupu and defensive coordinator John Marshall are going to have to be on their A game to make sure things don’t get out of hand too early.
Things to watch. Kyle Williams at left tackle. He’s taking over for Locklear, who was taking over for Walter Jones. He’s a strong guy at 290 pounds with quick feet, and hopefully he can keep Seneca from being blindsided.
Also look for TE John Carlson to break his third franchise record. If he scores two touchdowns, he’ll have the most in a season (He has 601 yards, 51 receptions and 3 TDs). The current record is held by Jerramy Stevens at five. Opposite Carlson is Jets Rookie tight end Dustin Keller (509 yards, 3 TDs, 45 receptions), who is also having a fine year. Many Seahawks hopeful thought Keller would be a good pick-up in the 2008 draft. Watch for the battle of the tight ends to see who has the better game.
Holmgren’s tribute lap. Be sure to stick around after the game ends, as Holmgren will be doing a lap around the stadium to shake hands and receive congrats from the fans. There are also a few pre-game festivities planned, so get there early.
My Prediction. 27-21 Seahawks, Holmgren’s farewell… not in our house Mr. Favre!
