Friday, November 20, 1998

At 42, Moon's age becomes old question

By Bob Sherwin

The Seattle Times

SEATTLE - Time passes. So does Warren Moon.

The day after his 42nd birthday, the Seahawk quarterback can say he has avoided the inevitable like a blitzing linebacker. Yet time may be catching up. His days as an NFL performer - at least as a Seahawk - could be down to a precious few.

Moon, who has broken records, bones and the law of averages, seems to be the primary target for what's wrong with this disappointing 5-5 season. His longevity and his career numbers are remarkable, third highest in yards (48,896), attempts (6,758) and completions (3,957) but there is one number that keep coming up - 42.

"With the struggles we've had now, you try to figure out the reasons why," Moon said. "The last couple of days have been tough for me. I start to question myself, too. Can I still do it? Am I still good enough?"

He answered those questions for himself after watching films of Sunday's 20-17 loss to Oakland in which he threw three interceptions, including one in the final seconds. After breaking down the film, he felt that, indeed, he had made mistakes.

"You see it's not all you. Parts of it is you, and parts are everyone else, too," he said.

But Moon, in his 15th NFL season - 21st including six years in Canada - is the one player most vulnerable for a couple of reasons.

One is his age. Whether he still can be effective is unknown, but teams generally do not build around a 42-year-old quarterback.

The other factor is his salary. He held out this year until he got a two-year deal, but in the NFL, few contracts are guaranteed. If the club does not bring him back next season, he does not get paid and that will clear approximately $5million in cap money.

So the question becomes, if you make a change, when do you do it? Now? Next week, should Seattle lose Sunday to Dallas? Or next year?

Coach Dennis Erickson, whose job security is tied directly to Moon's right arm, is not likely to go with a youth movement, such as starting Jon Kitna, the designated quarterback of the future. Erickson believes Moon gives his team the best chance to win. Besides, yielding to Kitna and a rebuilding process would seal his fate as well as the coaching staff.

"I don't know if he has slipped, but I feel like I'm 60 today," Erickson said. "I think Warren is not having his best year but it's a combination of everyone involved. Physically, watching him throw and do things he's doing, he's no different than last year."

Last season, Moon emerged as the starter in Week 2 after John Friesz was injured. He then started 14 games and set franchise records for completions (313) and yards (3,678). The Hawks led the NFL in net passing yards per game at 247.4.

This season, he hasn't been as sharp. He has completed 56.5 percent of his passes, below his career average of 58.6. He has just nine touchdown tosses and seven interceptions. Except for 1996, when he was injured for much of the season with Minnesota, he has averaged 22 touchdown passes per season this decade.

"I don't think about him as a 42-year-old man," quarterback coach Rich Olson said. "He's still in great physical shape. He still can throw the football. He's still getting pounded, which gets harder to take every year. The training room becomes his home."

Moon, who cracked two ribs Oct. 4 against Kansas City and missed almost two full games, said "mistakes are killing us. Those are the things that really hurt."

Since that Kansas City game, he has thrown two touchdown passes and been intercepted six times.

The Hawks have had 83 penalties for 660 yards, 10th highest in the NFL. But the number is not as crucial as timeliness.

When the Seahawks draw near the end zone, they're having trouble finishing the job. They have been in the red zone - inside the opponents' 20-yard line - 40 times this season with 12 touchdowns. Last year in 44 chances, they had 20 touchdowns.

Olson said earlier this year he studied films of the top eight teams with the highest red-zone efficiency from last season and found "there is nothing magic about it. Someone has to make a play."

No one has made enough of them. How much of that is Moon's fault?

"If I thought that I was a problem, I'd be a team player and do that (bench himself) because I don't want to do anything to stop this team from winning," he said. "If I'm the cause then make that change. If I'm not, then make the change wherever else it is.

"A lot of things go wrong in different places. If they want to go in another direction they need to consider that, but that's not the way it is right now."

(c) 1998, The Seattle Times.

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