Did Mike Holmgren Set the Tone?

by: Michael Steffes

Mike Holmgren has taken a lot of flak lately, on this site and other fan populated sites, for his ultra conservative approach in the two previous games. I for one called for Mike Holmgren to do what is necessary to win the game, not to simply not lose it. Yesterday, he answered the call.

On 4th and 6 from the SF 35, with the Hawks only up 6 - 0, Holmgren went for it. It would have been a 52-53 yard field goal, something Mare could conceivably make. Mike could have also pooched the ball deep in Niner territory, hoping to play the field position game the Hawks haven't been able to win yet. Instead he went three wide, with Carlson flexed out to make it trips right. Wallace exploited the single coverage on Koren Robinson for a first down.

By the end of the drive the Hawks were up 13-0. This represents a huge difference from previous road games where the Hawks fell behind and were seemingly beat by halftime. Mike Holmgren finally decided the Hawks had nothing else to lose and played with some aggression. His players followed suit. ~END~