CheramieIII

Saturday Morning Quarterback: Saints will test Seahawks' strengths as well as weaknesses

By CLARE FARNSWORTH
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

KIRKLAND -- Just how good is the Seahawks defense?

That is the question that won't go away as this team takes the first of 16 steps in an NFL season with lofty playoff aspirations.

Few can question the potency of the Seahawks offense, a unit that should be even better than its No. 6 ranking last season. The pivotal players are a year older and, in some cases, light years better.

But the defense remains a work in progress.

"Overall, when you look at the defense, I feel like we've made some improvement," said Ray Rhodes, the quick-fix coordinator who took the Seahawks from No. 28 in the league to No. 19 in his first season. "But again, everything will be on the line when we start this week against New Orleans."

Yes, it will. But it also will be on the linebackers, where Orlando Huff "won" the summer-long competition to be the starter in the middle almost by default and Isaiah Kacyvenski is the starter on the strong-side because Chad Brown and D.D. Lewis are injured; and the defensive backs, who have so much talent but so little experience.

The Saints will test both groups individually as well as the nickel package, in the Superdome tomorrow.

The implements of examination at the Saints' disposal:


Deuce McAllister. Two years ago, 10 backs trampled the Seahawks for at least 100 yards. Last year, they trimmed that to four, and actually allowed an average of only 75.5 yards in their final four games despite facing Marshall Faulk, Marcel Shipp, Kevan Barlow and Ahman Green.

McAllister, however, will pound away at the middle of the defense that is manned by tackles Cedric Woodard and Rashad Moore and Huff.

They will, of course, need help against the 232-pound McAllister, who runs behind a center/guard trio that averages 320 pounds and features Pro Bowl blocker LeCharles Bentley.

"You can't try to arm tackle Deuce," Seahawks free safety Ken Hamlin said. "You've got to put a body on him and gang tackle. Everybody has to get to the ball when he has it."


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