Do 1991 Dawgs Hold Lesson for 2005 Hawks?

The emerging storyline of Sunday's NFC Championship game is whether the Seahawks defense can stop the Panthers' Steve Smith. The buzz about Smith strikes us as familiar--he's a small-statured receiver who is the focal point of his team's offense--a brash, competitive player who runs reverses, breakout screens, and catches long passes.

It's just what the undefeated Huskies heard before the 1992 Rose Bowl about Michigan's Heisman Trophy winner, Desmond Howard. Husky corner Dana Hall, we learned, wasn't fast enough to cover Howard. The versitile receiver was the nation's best player and could single-handedly dash the Dawgs' national championship hopes.

But what happened in the game? Howard had one catch.

How did the Huskies stop Desmond Howard? With an audacious and unexpected strategy worthy of Napoleon. From the post-game report in the January 2, 1992 Seattle Times:

UW defensive coordinator Jim Lambright divined that Howard receive bump-and-run coverage from Hall and Walter Bailey, the only cornerbacks this season to challenge the short, quick receiver in that fashion. Safety Shane Pahukoa provided double coverage when needed. To scare away passes designed for Howard, outside linebackers faked as if they would shadow him on short routes.

The Huskies didn't sit back and wait for Howard to hurt them--they brought the hurt to him.

Could this work for the Seahawks? To wit:

--Corners Marcus Trufant and Andre Dyson are both bigger than Smith, who stands only 5-8. Ideal for bump-and-run. Then again, Trufant and Dyson both have nagging injuries.

--Strong safety Michael Boulware proved his pass coverage abilities at the end of the Redskins game, slapping away what looked like a long touchdown to Santana Moss. But then free safety Marquand Manuel would have the bulk of the responsibility.

--The risk of giving outside linebackers D.D. Lewis and Leroy Hill partial responsibility for Smith over the middle is that it makes the Hawks susceptible to the run--but as the Panthers are down to their 3rd string running back, the Hawks might get away with it. Then again, they'd be yet more reliant on rookie middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu.

Will coach Holmgren and acting defensive coordinator John Marshall be so bold? Unlikely. Holmgren admitted as much after the Redskins game when he said (we paraphrase) "every defensive coordinator I've known likes to stop the run first, then play the pass."

But that's what the Bears did--they brought a safety down to help with the run, and Steve Smith burned them for 12 catches, 218 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Smith is the Panthers' best (and, with DeShaun Foster out, really their only) offensive threat. If there was ever a time to play pass first, run second, this is it. And the '91 Huskies could be a guide.