It’s about time Kerney came to play

By Chris Cluff  |   Friday, November 30, 2007  |  Comments( 1 )

Seattle Seahawks
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Patrick Kerney signed with the Seattle Seahawks in March. He finally showed up in November.

The Seahawks gambled by giving the 30-year-old defensive end a monster six-year, $37.5 million deal on March 5, hailing him as the missing pass-rushing link in their defense -- a high-energy sack man who would bring a consistent rush to opposing quarterbacks. Kerney was billed as a healthier, higher-energy defensive end than the worn-down Grant Wistrom had been.

The team was so confident Kerney would come back from a torn pectoral muscle to provide a steady rush that it gave him a $10 million signing bonus and let Wistrom go a few days later.

But, for most of the first half of the season, you couldn't tell whether that was Kerney or Wistrom starting at end for the 'Hawks. Kerney made his presence known in the first game, recording 1.5 sacks and four quarterback hits as the Seahawks knocked Tampa Bay quarterback Jeff Garcia and running back Carnell Williams out of the game. But after that, Kerney disappeared. He had just two more sacks over the next seven games, and that $37.5 million sure looked as if it might turn into the same bad investment the team had made in Wistrom.

But along came November, and back came Kerney. In the past three games alone, he has shown the relentless rush he was known for in Atlanta, where he had three years of double-digit sacks. Kerney has recorded seven sacks over the past three contests and now has 10.5 to rank second in the NFL behind Green Bay's Aaron Kampman (11).

The last time Kerney had such an incredible sack run was in 2004, when he recorded seven in the first four games and went to the Pro Bowl after finishing with 13.

During this stellar stretch of games, Kerney also has caused three fumbles -- two of which led to Seattle touchdowns -- and recorded an interception (his first since that 2004 season). He has helped Seattle's defense surge to 11th overall, fourth in scoring (16.6) and second in sacks (35, three behind the New York Giants).

Kerney's nonstop work ethic is a big reason he is able to increase his production so late in the season.

"Kerney is just one of those guys, over the course of a season, he just has a motor and he goes and he goes," coach Mike Holmgren told reporters. "Some guys are slowing down, and he's going."

Kerney is the first Seattle defensive end to reach double digits in sacks since Michael Sinclair led the league with 16.5 in 1998. Wistrom was paid $21 million for 11.5 sacks in 41 games, and Kerney already has nearly reached that total in 11 games.

The 6-foot-5, 272-pound Kerney credits his increase in big plays to an increase in his comfort with the Seahawks' defense.

"I've reached a point of familiarity with the system where every play I know what (defensive coordinator) John Marshall is thinking when he makes a call," Kerney told reporters. "That certainly helps, but really just the play of all my teammates has helped me get the numbers I've had the past few weeks."

And when it's all over, he could be thanking his teammates for getting him back to the Pro Bowl while the Seahawks are thanking him for giving them the big plays they had been missing from that position.
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About Chris Cluff

Chris Cluff spent 10 years as an editor and sportswriter for The Seattle Times. He was a key figure in the newspaper's coverage of the Seahawks, particularly during their Super Bowl run in 2005. He also has written two books on the Seahawks: "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Heart-Pounding, ...
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