Seahawks’ D lauds Bolts, but pans itself
Trying to defend the Chargers, the Seahawks looked like pigeons.
“They got us,” linebacker Bobby Wagner said.
“It wasn’t our football,” said safety Earl Thomas, a first-team All-Pro.
The NFL’s best defense entered with extra rest and departed Qualcomm Stadium in a puddle -- worn out by Philip Rivers, schooled by Antonio Gates, battered by Ryan Mathews and sapped by defending for 42 minutes in brutal heat that caused its starting safeties to get IV fluid during the game.
Thomas knows the Seahawks.
He says that wasn’t them for most of Sunday’s 30-21 defeat.
“I just feel like it wasn’t us. I don’t want to say it was luck,” he said. “You want to show them due respect because they did a great job.”
The Seahawks won the Super Bowl seven months ago. The previous eight Super Bowl winners failed to repeat as champion.
After trouncing the Packers in the NFL’s season opener, 36-16 on Sept. 4, Seattle absorbed its first “two-score” defeat since a 23-13 loss to Dallas in 2012.
It wasn’t an ambush because there wasn’t a surprise element.
“As defending Super Bowl champions, you expect teams to play well and come at you for four quarters,” tight end Zach Miller said.
“On the road,” Thomas said, “it’s all about character and momentum, and we didn’t do that today.”
The Seahawks’ D flashed great speed but lost the tussle up-front.
The defense failed between the earholes, too. Most glaring of the mental miscues was Bruce Irvin’s obvious late hit on Rivers, reviving a third-quarter drive that Antonio Gates would turn into six points with his third touchdown catch of the game.
The Seahawks were slow to adjust to Rivers’ look-long, throw-short passes, if they ever did.
Thomas suggested they may have outsmarted themselves.
“We had some calls that were kind of new to us this week, for some reason,” he said.
He added, “We tried to mix it up and show something new. But it didn’t work out. They did a great job. Their quarterback is a great quarterback.”
Seahawks defenders spent nearly as much time on Jack Murphy Field as the officials did because the Chargers converted on 10 of 17 third downs.
Thomas saw some “panic” in Seattle’s play. “Make them make great plays,” he said. “We’re going to talk about it Monday.”
The previous time they faced an AFC West team, Seahawks defenders shrink-wrapped a Broncos offense that had set an NFL season scoring record. Sunday’s showing scarcely resembled the Super Bowl performance.
“People have got to understand that we’re human beings and we’re going to have situations like this,” Thomas said. “But it’s only going to make us stronger. It’s not time to point fingers. We have a long season. That’s why nobody’s head’s down right now.”
