On this date
A look at the memorable – and not-so-memorable – moments in Seahawks history that occurred on Dec. 20:
1981: Dave Krieg passes for three touchdowns, including two to Steve Largent, as the Seahawks close the season with a 42-21 win over the Browns at the Kingdome. Rookie safety Kenny Easley leads the defensive effort with two interceptions, returning one 82 yards for a score; and Greggory Johnson returns a Michael Jackson-forced fumble 31 yards for another score. Jackson also has 16 tackles and sack.
1985: In a Friday night game at the Kingdome, Norm Johnson hits the right upright on a 52-yard field goal on the final play as the Broncos win 27-24 behind a 432-yard passing performance by John Elway.
1986: In a Saturday afternoon game at the Kingdome, Curt Warner runs for 192 yards and three touchdowns and Dave Krieg throws two TD passes to Darryl Turner as the Seahawks close their season with a 41-16 victory over the Broncos. Steve Largent also catches six passes for 101 yards. The Seahawks finish with 10-6 record, including victories over both teams that advance to the Super Bowl (the Broncos and Giants), but do not make the playoffs.
1987: Curt Warner runs for two touchdowns, Dave Krieg passes for two more and John L. Williams catches eight passes for 117 yards in a 34-21 victory over the Walter Payton-led Bears in Chicago. Eugene Robinson leads the defensive effort with two interceptions and 11 tackles, while rookie Brian Bosworth has two fumble recoveries and a sack.
1992: Loss No. 13 in the Seahawks’ 2-14 season comes in Denver, as Gaston Green scores the only touchdown in the Broncos’ 10-6 win at Mile High Stadium. The defense intercepts John Elway three times and forces three fumbles, while Chris Warren runs for 97 yards in the loss.
1998: The Seahawks score 17 points in the final 10 minutes to pull out a 27-23 victory over the Colts at the Kingdome, as Ricky Watters has a 33-yard touchdown run, Shawn Springs returns a fumble 14 yards for a TD and Todd Peterson kicks a 30-yard field goal. Watters finishes with 178 rushing yards in Dennis Erickson final home game as coach of his hometown NFL team.
2009: The Buccaneers score 24 unanswered points in a 24-7 victory over the Seahawks in Seattle. Matt Hasselbeck passes 29 yards to John Carlson for the Seahawks’ only points, but also throws four interceptions.
On this date
A look at the memorable moments in Seahawks history that occurred on Nov. 23:
1980: Will Lewis returns a punt 75 yards for a touchdown, but the Seahawks fall to the Broncos 36-20 in Denver.
1986: The Seahawks begin a five-game winning streak as they jump to a 21-6 lead and hold on a 24-20 victory over the Eagles at the Kingdome. Dave Krieg passes 72 yards to Daryl Turner for one touchdown and Bobby Joe Edmonds returns a punt 75 yards for another. The Seahawks sack Randall Cunningham nine times, including three by Fredd Young.
2003: Matt Hasselbeck passes for five touchdowns and 333 yards as the Seahawks take leads of 27-10 and 41-24, only to have the Ravens storm back with 38 second-half points and win 44-41 in overtime. Matt Stover ties the game with a 40-yard field goal as time expired in regulation and then wins it with a 42-yarder in overtime to end the four-hour game. Darrell Jackson catches seven passes for 146 yards, including an 80-yard TD.
2008: Matt Hasselbeck throws touchdown passes to John Carlson and Maurice Morris, but Shaun Suisham kicks a 22-yard field goal midway through fourth to give the Redskins a 20-17 victory in Seattle. Julian Peterson has two sacks among his 10 tackles.
Cyber surfing: Wednesday
Good morning. Here’s what’s “out there” about the Seahawks for today, Nov. 16:
Mike Sando at ESPN.com has his weekly “Risers and Fallers” in the NFC West, with Seahawks tackle Russell Okung landing one of the “riser” spots: “Okung fared well in matchups against DeMarcus Ware and Terrell Suggs over the past two games. He had help at times, but there’s no question Okung is gaining in confidence and ability as his previous ankle injuries fade into the more distant past. His play has helped Marshawn Lynch put together 100-yard rushing performances in back-to-back games for the first time in his career. Seattle has allowed only two sacks in its last two games after allowing 14 in its previous three.”
Steve Kelley at the Seattle Times looks at the improved play of the entire O-line as a reason that things could get better in the second half of the season: “But I’m here to tell you that the offensive line is growing. It is beginning to understand coach Tom Cable’s zone schemes. The linemen are learning. Lynch is finding holes. … ‘That last drive showed what kind of a team we can be,’ tight end Zach Miller said after the game.”
Eric Williams of the News Tribune stays with the topic of the line and the improved running game: “Although it took longer than anticipated, the Seattle Seahawks finally are running the ball with some authority 10 weeks into the season. Through seven games, Seattle averaged just 78 yards a contest on the ground, second-worst in the league. But the Seahawks have put together impressive back-to-back rushing performances against two of the best run defenses in the league, Dallas and Baltimore.”
John Boyle at the Everett Herald examines the silly notion that the Seahawks would be better off losing to secure a higher draft choice: “Do we really even have to address this? Are there really Seahawks fans who are unhappy that the Seahawks surprised everyone outside of their own locker room and knocked off Baltimore last weekend, because of what it might mean to their draft position? Well based off the chatter on sports radio, Twitter, the blogosphere, etc., it seems this is something we have to talk about.”
Playing off that theme, Peter Schrager at FoxSports.com has a mock draft for 2012 and projects the Seahawks selecting … “Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU. A junior, Claiborne has four interceptions and is the top defensive talent on the best team in college football. Two years ago, the Seahawks rolled the dice on another defensive back in the Top 15 — do everything safety Earl Thomas and it’s worked out quite well. Seattle could be in the QB hunt if they finish with a Top-5 pick, but the way they played on Sunday vs. the Ravens, that might not be likely. Claiborne’s a 6-0, 190 pound physical, playmaking corner who would start — and make an impact — right away. Though this may change, I like him more than Dre Kirkpatrick at the moment.”
Here at Seahawks.com, we give you a behind-the-scenes look at Sunday’s victory over the Ravens with Rod Mar’s photo blog and Ben Malcolmson’s “From the Sidelines”: “Players set a very clear tone in the locker room before Sunday’s matchup against the Ravens. ‘We’re tired of losing,’ defensive tackle Brandon Mebane exclaimed to his teammates just before heading out to the field.’“How much does this mean to you?’ Apparently a lot.”
We’ve also got a look at why John Carlson was named the team’s Man of the Year: “Last week, John Carlson was selected as the Seahawks’ Man of the Year. Tuesday, he showed why. The team’s on-the-mend tight end was at Cathcart Elementary School to present principal Casey Bowers and 410 revved up students with an oversized check for $10,000 for being honored as the Seattle-area “Super School” in the NFL’s Play 60 campaign. ‘I didn’t plan the timing of the award and then this appearance,’ Carlson said with a smile following an assembly and 45-minute Ultimate NFL Physical Education Class. ‘But if I could have, this would have been a good way to do it. But I enjoy doing this stuff and I get a lot out of it.’ ”
There’s also at look at the day’s activities with “Tuesday in Hawkville,” including who might start at right guard this week for John Moffitt, who was placed on IR; as well as the Seahawks’ Sunday opponent in “Up Next.”
Cyber surfing: Saturday
Good morning. Here’s what’s “out there” about the Seahawks for today, Nov. 12:
Danny O’Neil at the Seattle Times looks at the Baltimore Ravens’ defense that will invade CenturyLink Field for Sunday’s game, and sees the kind of defense the Seahawks would like to become: “The Seattle defense will be measured against Baltimore’s defensive performance, and the Ravens are the NFL’s gold standard in terms of the run-squashing defense to which the Seahawks aspire. Baltimore has ranked in the league’s top five in rush defense for six successive years, and only San Francisco and Cincinnati have allowed fewer rushing yards than the Ravens this season. ‘There’s no better bunch of guys that you’d want to play defense with than those guys,’ Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said of the Ravens. ‘They’re all tough. They’re all physical. They’re all strong and play with a great attitude and can really make your day hard.’ “
Eric Williams of the News Tribune stays on the defensive – side of the ball, that is – and wonders where all the sacks have gone: “The question was a bit facetious, but it achieved the desired affect. Was it coach Pete Carroll’s design for the Seahawks defense to play more pass coverage and total only 13 sacks midway through the season, tied for third-worst in the National Football League? ‘The quick answer to that is no,’ Carroll said, chuckling. ’There’s no design to have 13 sacks. We should be getting two or three a game if we’re doing just average, so we’ve got to get to the quarterback more. We need to do all of the things – we need to pressure better and more effectively, we need our guys to rush, we’ve got to cover and hope they hold it more – so it’s a combination of things. We’ve got to get ahead in games too, so they’ll have to throw the ball more, and when we’re dictating situations that’ll help quite a bit.”
Mike Sando at ESPN.com has his “Final Word” on the NFC West heading into Week 10, including this ominous look at third downs concerning the Seahawks: “The Seahawks’ last three opponents have converted 24 of 52 chances on third down. That percentage would rank 30th in the NFL if applied to this season as a whole. The third-down trouble stands out as a primary concern against Baltimore. The Ravens made first downs 14 times on pass plays alone against Pittsburgh last week, the highest single-game total in the NFL over the last 15 seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information.”
Here at Seahawks.com, we’re got a look at the day’s activities in “Friday in Hawkville,” including John Carlson being selected the team’s Man of the Year. Said Carlson: “Obviously, it’s just a tremendous honor, and not something that I expected. I accept it on behalf of all the guys on this team that do things in the community, because it’s not just me. Just like every year it’s not just the guy who wins Man of the Year. There are a lot of people on the team that contribute.”
There’s also a look ahead to Military Appreciation Day at CenturyLink Field tomorrow, as well as Tony Ventrella’s video report from Friday.
For a look at the rest of the league in Week 10 there’s Clark Judge’s “Peek at the Week” at CBSSports.com; Peter King’s “Game Plan” at SI.com; and John Clayton’s “First and 10” at ESPN.com, which includes this look at how the NFC West is affecting battles for other division titles: “The Seahawks, Cardinals and Rams are 1-7 against NFC East teams. They are 0-6 against the AFC North. If that trend continues, it affects playoff races in both conferences. The Ravens travel cross-country to face the Seahawks, who, if they lose, could match the Rams at 0-4 against the AFC North. The Ravens and Steelers are each 2-0 against the NFC West and are counting on the four-game boost from this division. The Eagles hope to keep their playoff hopes alive when they play the 2-6 Cardinals. They are counting on winning three games against the Seahawks, Rams and Cardinals. At 3-5, the Browns aren’t thinking playoffs but the next two weeks could get them back to .500. They host the 1-7 Rams and the 2-6 Jaguars over the next two weeks.”
Friday in Hawkville
A recap of the activities at Virginia Mason Athletic Center for 11-11-11:
FOCUS ON
John Carlson. The fourth-year tight end is on injured reserve after having surgery to repair a torn labrum. But not being able to play hasn’t stopped Carlson from being able to give back.
Today, he was named the Seahawks’ Man of the Year for his work in the community.
“Obviously, it’s just a tremendous honor, and not something that I expected,” Carlson said. “I accept it on behalf of all the guys on this team that do things in the community, because it’s not just me. Just like every year it’s not just the guy who wins Man of the Year. There are a lot of people on the team that contribute.”
His picture will now he added to a hallway at Virginia Mason Athletic Center that includes those of past winners – a who’s who of franchise history that features four-time winner Eugene Robinson and three-time winner Mike Tice as well as Jim Zorn, Dave Brown, Steve Largent, Jacob Green, Matt Hasselbeck, Mack Strong, Shaun Alexander, Marcus Trufant and Roy Lewis (last year’s winner who also was a finalist this year).
“It’s very humbling just to look at the guys who have won it,” Carlson said. “It’s truly an honor.”
Carlson also stressed the contributions of Sandy Gregory, the team’s director of community outreach.
“Sandy gives the opportunities, and she works very hard to make sure that we’re doing those things,” Carlson said.
“Obviously, it’s very important to do community outreach stuff because that’s the way we can make a difference. What we’re doing on the field is great, and we love what we do – it’s fun, it’s a blast. But we’re not making a difference by playing football. But it’s a platform by which we can make a difference.”
INJURY REPORT
The official end-of-the-week status report:
Out
LB David Vobora (concussion)
Questionable
TE Cameron Morrah (toe/knee)
Probable
WR Sidney Rice (foot)
QB Tarvaris Jackson (pectoral)
Jackson, Rice and Morrah all participated fully in today’s 85-minute practice that was held in the indoor practice facility. Coach Pete Carroll said that Rice and Jackson are ready to go in Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens at CenturyLink Field, but that the decision on Morrah’s status will be made on game day.
Jackson took more snaps today than he did on Thursday, when he got more work than he did on Wednesday. But the key with him remains how his throwing shoulder feels the day after the increased activity.
“We’re trying to manage it as we learn how to handle it,” Carroll said of Jackson’s shoulder. “And he has a lot of input on that. But he made it through. You look at tomorrow with a good rest day, he should be OK. But he still has to go out and throw on Sunday and get warmed up. So we’ll have to wait and see.
“He’s been great about it. He has no doubt in his mind he’s playing.”
For the Ravens:
Out
RB Anthony Allen (thigh)
Doubtful
LB Dannell Ellerbe (thigh)
WR Lee Evans (ankle)
Questionable
LB Brandon Ayandadejo (head)
Probable
C Matt Birk (neck)
S Ed Reed (shoulder)
LB Terrell Suggs (knee)
TE Kris Wilson (calf)
Reed and Suggs participated fully in practice before the Ravens flew to Seattle for Sunday’s game. They sat out on Thursday.
STAT DU JOUR
The Seahawks did as good a job as any team has in limiting the impact of Cowboys Pro Bowl linebacker DeMarcus Ware last week. Now comes Ray Lewis, the 12-time Pro Bowl linebacker for the Ravens – not to mention a two-time NFL defensive player of the year. Here’s a look at the game-by-game production for each:
Ray Lewis
Opponent Tackles Big plays
Steelers 7 Interception
Titans 8 Pass defensed
Rams 10 Sack, forced fumble
Jets 5 Pass defensed
Texans 12 Sack
Jaguars 8 Pass defensed
Cardinals 5 Pass defensed
Steelers 5 Pass defensed
DeMacus Ware
Opponent Tackles Big plays
Jets 4 Two sacks
49ers 6 Two sacks
Redskins 4 Sack
Lions 3 Tackle for loss
Patriots 5 Two sacks
Rams 3 Sack, forced fumble
Eagles 11 Four sacks, forced fumble
Seahawks 3 Tackle for loss
UP NEXT
The players will have a walk-thru on Saturday morning and then meetings that night at the team hotel.
Tickets remain for Sunday’s game and can be purchased here.
YOU DON’T SAY
“Well, it’s like trying to move a tractor. It’s hard to get that thing going. When they have a direction they’re going in, they pretty much consistently get there. It’s going to take a couple guys on those guys. We’ve got to try to get them moving and get away from them and use their momentum. They’re very, very football players and very effective in how they do it.” – Carroll on the Ravens’ defensive line of 330-pound tackle Haloti Ngata, 349-pound nose tackle Terrence Cody and 298-pound end Cory Redding
Wednesday in Hawkville
A recap of the day’s events at Virginia Mason Athletic Center on the first Wednesday of the regular season:
FOCUS ON
Breno Giacomini. After the Seahawks signed the 6-foot-7, 318-pound tackle off the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad last season, it was difficult to tell how well he could play because he never got to play. Giacomini was inactive for six games and did not play in the one game when he was on the active roster.
But he has answered any and all questions the past two weeks while splitting time at right tackle with first-round draft choice James Carpenter, and Giacomini could make his first NFL start in Sunday’s regular-season opener against the 49ers in San Francisco because left guard Robert Gallery has yet to practice this week after spraining a knee in the preseason finale against the Raiders on Friday night.
Left guard? Right tackle? How does that work? Carpenter has moved over to Gallery’s spot in practice, putting Giacomini on the right side with the starters.
“Late in the season, when Breno had been around with us, it was clear that he had grown a lot,” coach Pete Carroll said, referring to Giacomini’s development as a player not in stature.
“We liked him because he was a tough guy; he’s a monster of guy, size-wise. But we weren’t sure. We weren’t sure about his overall ability and playing. Could he be a starting tackle? Late in the season, after we had seen him compete against our guys on the big days of competition in practice with all the pass-rush reps, it really looked good.”
Working on the scout team against the Seahawks’ defense is one thing. Working with the starters against other teams’ No. 1 defense in games is sometime completely different. But Giacomini also passed that test in the last two preseason games.
“Coming back to camp, he was ready,” Carroll said. “He was in great shape – fit, strong, smart quick with his mind and his decision-making and all of that. And then he played a beautiful preseason. So we really feel great about that.”
Good enough to move Carpenter over to replace Gallery, if needed.
“The freedom to move James and take a look at this left tackle thing is because Breno has done so well,” Carroll said. “It’s all over the film. So we’re really happy about that.”
PLAYER WATCH
Marshawn Lynch. The team’s leading rusher had not practiced since spraining an ankle in the second preseason game. He made up for the lost time today during the two-hour practice in full pads.
“He’s got fresh legs,” Carroll said. “He’s ready to go.”
And Lynch did. Go, that is. On his first carry in a full-team drill, he broke a long run after sliding through a crease in the line. On another, he started, stopped and then went after setting up his blocks – and effort that prompted line coach Tom Cable to offer, “That’s it 24. That’s it.”
Is Carroll concerned about how the prolonged inactivity might affect Lynch? To the contrary.
“I think it’s good for him,” Carroll said. “He hasn’t taken very many hits, but he’s been in on all the practice sessions and all of the prep time, so he knows what’s going on. He knows his calls, his pickups and all that stuff. He knows what’s happening.”
That’s because Lynch has been leaning into the huddle even when sidelined to get those calls and assignments that Carroll spoke of.
“We feel very good about the fact that here we are at the opening game and he feels great right now,” Carroll said. “He’s going to get the ball a lot. He’s going to have to withstand a lot, so I think the fact he hasn’t logged a bunch of hits up to this time in the first four (preseason) games is going to help us in the long haul.”
IN AND OUT
In addition to Lynch, middle linebacker David Hawthorne also returned to practice after being sidelined since injuring a knee in the second preseason game against the Vikings. But his reps were limited and most came with the No. 2 defense as rookie K.J. Wright continued to fill the spot with the starting unit.
Wide receiver Sidney Rice (shoulder) and just-acquired tackle Jarriel King (ankle) were sidelined, along with Gallery. On Rice and Gallery, Carroll said, “Both those guys are making good progress and we’ll just go day to day and figure out what that means at the end of the week.”
Ben Obomanu worked in Rice’s spot with the No. 1 offense.
CARLSON SURGERY
Tight end John Carlson has had the scheduled surgery to repair the labrum he tore in practice last month, an injury that forced the club to put him on injured reserve when the roster was cut to 53 players on Saturday.
The successful procedure was performed on Monday by team doctor Ed Khalfayan at Seattle Surgery Center. Carlson will miss the season while recovering from the surgery.
NUMBER, PLEASE
Five players have changed numbers: Cornerback Brandon Browner, who was No. 37, is now No. 39; safety Jeron Johnson, who was No. 35, is now No. 32; wide receiver Kris Durham, who was No. 84, is now No. 16; quarterback Josh Porter, who was No. 13, is now No. 2; and practice-squad wide receiver Ricardo Lockette, who was No. 2, is now No. 83.
STAT DU JOUR
Number of the day: Two. As in the number of players who will start on offense for the Seahawks against the 49ers who also started last season’s opener against the 49ers in Seattle. Those players? Wide receiver Mike Williams and Max Unger, who started at right guard last year but will be at center on Sunday.
Here’s a look at the then and now lineups:
WR – Deion Branch, 2010; Rice or Obomanu, 2011
LT – Tyler Polumbus, 2010; Russell Okung, 2011
LG – Mike Gibson, 2010; Gallery or Carpenter, 2011
C – Chris Spencer, 2010; Unger, 2011
RG – Unger, 2010; John Moffitt, 2011
TE – John Carlson, 2010; Zach Miller, 2011
WR – Williams
QB – Matt Hasselbeck, 2010; Tarvaris Jackson, 2011
RB – Justin Forsett, 2010; Lynch, 2011
FB/TE – Chris Baker, 2010; Michael Robinson, 2011
UP NEXT
The players will practice on Thursday afternoon, as they continue their preparation for the 49ers.
Steve Largent, the Seahawks’ Hall of Fame wide receiver, will help salute Washington’s military men and women at Kickoff Rallies in Spokane (Friday) and Tacoma (Saturday). The Spokane event takes place at Clock Tower Meadow in Riverfront Park from 4:30-6 p.m. The Tacoma event will be at Cheney Stadium from 2-3:3 p.m.
The events also will launch the new Hometown Heroes Raffle from Washington’s Lottery. Fans attending will be able to sign Seahawks’ “12” flags that will be flown outside the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena and at the Washington National Guard Camp at Camp Murray in Tacoma.
YOU DON’T SAY
“You know, it’s different in the sense that it’s a new head coach, new staff, new regime coming in. So obviously an entirely different feel, different atmosphere. Then the big change with no offseason. Obviously the lockout and all that stuff made this year unique in its own right. So yeah, a lot of new things.” – 49ers QB Alex Smith, during a conference-call interview with reporters who cover the Seahawks
Surgery for Carlson
Tight end John Carlson has had the scheduled surgery to repair the labrum he tore in practice last month, an injury that forced the club to put him on injured reserve when the roster was cut to 53 players on Saturday.
The successful procedure was performed on Monday by team doctor Ed Khalfayan at Seattle Surgery Center. Carlson will miss the season while recovering from the surgery.
Cyber surfing: Thursday
Good morning. Here’s what’s “out there” about the Seahawks for today, Sept. 1:
Mike Sando of ESPN.com was at practice Wednesday and offers some observations. Says Sando: “(Leon) Washington has embraced the way assistant head coach/offensive line Tom Cable instructs running backs to read their keys, which includes making cuts properly in relation to defenders’ alignment. It’s pretty clear Washington will command additional touches on offense this season. He’s healthier and more confident.”
Also from ESPN.com, John Clayton rates the quarterbacks in the league. He puts Tarvaris Jackson at No. 30, in the hit-or-miss category, offering: “Jackson was beaten out by Gus Frerotte and Brett Favre during his five seasons with the Vikings. Unless Dave Krieg comes out of retirement, he should beat out Charlie Whitehurst for the starting job.”
Chris Burke at SI.com previews the four teams in the NFC West. He predicts a 7-9 record and second-place finish behind the Rams for the Seahawks, offering: “This felt like a really solid offseason for the Seahawks. They added some terrific pieces, like (Zach) Miller and (Sidney) Rice, that should have pushed a defending division champ over the top. Instead, Seattle will enter the regular season praying its offensive line can hold it together and banking on its defense to improve despite not making any real upgrades. It feels like this team will be better in 2012 than it will in 2011.”
Danny O’Neil at the Seattle Times writes that the starters will play more than usual in Friday’s preseason finale against the Raiders at CenturyLink Field. Offers O’Neil: “The Seahawks, however, aren’t just sweating the final pieces of their 53-man roster this week. The offensive line remains very much a work in progress to the point that Seattle will deviate from standard-operating procedure of resting veterans for the exhibition finale. Seattle’s starters will play on Friday night against Oakland at CenturyLink Field. Coach Pete Carroll wouldn’t say how much, but he implied the first unit is going to play. In fact, he was already fairly certain of that after Saturday’s loss in Denver when he watched starting quarterback Tarvaris Jackson get sacked five times.”
Dave Boling of the News Tribune has the story on one of the more entertaining aspects of practice: The chirping that goes on between wide receiver Mike Williams and free safety Earl Thomas. Says Boling: “This time of the NFL exhibition season, a common question arises from fans: Where are the best battles on the practice field? For the Seahawks, the best competition has nothing to do with the depth chart. Hands-down, the fiercest battle is the nonstop verbal jousting between receiver Mike Williams and safety Earl Thomas during practices. To clarify, nobody in the franchise wields a sharper needle than linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr., whose comments between plays can buckle the knees of a strong man at 50 paces. Be they comical, constructive or critical, Norton is the all-time heavyweight champion of the spontaneous remark. But for intramural mockery, scorn and feigned contempt, Williams and Thomas may be the best tandem the Seahawks have had in a long time.”
Just in case you can’t get enough about Doug Baldwin, John Boyle of the Everett Herald has another story – and angle – on the rookie free agent wide receiver who has been the talk of the preseason. Says Boyle: “If not for a newspaper publisher in Pensacola, Fla., and a former head coach of the Buffalo Bills, there’s a good chance that Doug Baldwin wouldn’t be battling for a shot to make the Seahawks roster. And if that doesn’t make any sense, well just bear with us for a moment.”
At PI.com, Christian Caple has notes and news from another busy day for the Seahawks.
Here at Seahawks.com, we check in with Cable to see how he’s handling the growing pains of his offensive line. Of the No. 1 units, he says, “Probably playing that group more than you normally would. But we need to do it. And I think Saturday was a perfect example of how much they need to continue to play and continue to grow. We have to do it now. We’re all in it together. We know we’ll have some bumps in the road. But we what to minimize it. Saturday, we didn’t do a good job of it.”
There’s also the daily Hawkville report, which focuses on John Carlson and the decision to have season-ending surgery on his shoulder: “The decision was kind of made by my shoulder,” Carlson said. Talk about body language. But that was the case. Initially, Carlson was going to rehab the shoulder and try to play with it. “It kind of resolved itself by not coming along as far as we wanted it to,” he said. “That’s where my shoulder is. I need to get it fixed and start the rehab process.” We also have Tony Ventrella’s daily video recap, as well as written and video reports from the unveiling of a statue of Walter Jones at the new Seahawks 12 Club at Sea-Tac.
Wednesday in Hawkville
A recap of the day’s activities at Virginia Mason Athletic Center:
FOCUS ON
John Carlson. Tuesday, it was announced that the team’s incumbent starter at tight end would need season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum. Today, Carlson talked about the injury and the decision to have surgery.
“The decision was kind of made by my shoulder,” Carlson said.
Talk about body language. But that was the case. Initially, Carlson was going to rehab the shoulder and try to play with it.
“It kind of resolved itself by not coming along as far as we wanted it to,” he said. “That’s where my shoulder is. I need to get it fixed and start the rehab process.”
Carlson injured the shoulder diving for a pass in practice on Aug. 13. He then aggravated it later in practice while blocking.
“I’m disappointed, obviously,” Carlson said. “I felt like I had a great offseason of training. Our offseasons are normally devoted to OTAs and minicamps, and those things are great for developing offenses. But the individual training sometimes is lacking and I felt like I had a great offseason in that respect.
“So it’s really disappointing to have to miss this year.”
ROOKIE WATCH
Kris Durham. The wide receiver, and fourth-round draft choice, has had back-to-back impressive practices. And right on cue, with the preseason finale on Friday night and the roster cut to 53 players on Saturday.
Tuesday, the 6-foot-6 Durham went up and over cornerback Kennard Cox along the sideline to catch a pass from Tarvaris Jackson; made a nice catch of a pass from Charlie Whitehurst despite being held by the defensive back; and adjusted his route on a roll out by Whitehurst to get open, and get a hand slap from coach Pete Carroll for the effort.
Today, Durham caught a half dozen balls, including one where he went over Cox to grab a TD pass from Whitehurst on the final play of the two-hour practice.
“I’m working back into it,” said Durham, who missed the preseason opener because of a sore hamstring but has six receptions in the past two games. “It’s a grind. Some of the guys got banged up, unfortunately, so we were a little shorthanded. But a lot of guys came in and stepped up – (Ricardo) Lockette, Doug (Baldwin), Golden (Tate).
“Everybody was just out there making plays.”
Including the one he didn’t mention: Durham.
“I’m just trying to compete and get better,” he said.
PLAYS OF THE DAY
Both involved Lockette, the ridiculously fast rookie free agent. On the first – the offensive play of the day – Lockette somehow made a reaching, one-handed grab of a pass from rookie QB Josh Portis in the end zone despite free safety Earl Thomas being all over him.
“Actually, I didn’t even see him coming,” Thomas said. “I’m looking at the ball and all of sudden he was just there. Boom. It was a great catch.”
When Portis went to Lockette again a few plays later, it produced the defensive play of the day as rookie cornerback Richard Sherman matched the speedy receiver step for step as he locked in on the ball. Sherman then went up in front of Lockette to intercept the pass.
IN AND OUT
Wide receivers Patrick Williams and Chris Carter, who were released Monday, were re-signed today. The club needed their hands because Sidney Rice (shoulder), Ben Obomanu (head) and Isaiah Stanback (hamstring) did not practice, Mike Williams (foot) was limited to individual drills and Deon Butler (leg) remains on the physically unable to perform list.
Each receiver celebrated his return with a nice catch. Williams turned and jumped in one smooth motion to catch a Portis pass along the sideline against cornerback Brandon Browner. Carter ran a nice route and made an even better catch of a pass from Jackson while running toward the opposite sideline, an effort that earned a hand slap from Carroll as Carter returned to the huddle.
Defensive ends Chris Clemons and Dexter Davis and Leroy Hill returned after sitting out Tuesday, while strong safety Kam Chancellor was limited.
But eight others sat out, including running back Marshawn Lynch (ankle) and middle linebacker David Hawthorne (knee). Leon Washington got the first reps with the No. 1 offense for Lynch, while rookie K.J. Wright continued to fill in for Hawthorne. Atari Bigby worked for Chancellor with the No. 1 defense.
Also out: safety Josh Pinkard (knee), defensive end Pierre Allen (hamstring) and Carlson, in addition to the other three players who are PUP – tight end Cameron Morrah (foot), defensive tackle Colin Cole (ankle) and cornerback Roy Lewis (knee).
RETURN REPLAY
Just how good was Baldwin’s 105-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in Saturday night’s game against the Broncos in Denver? We decided to ask Washington, who had scoring returns of 101, 99 and 92 last year in his first season with the Seahawks.
“Doug does a good job of practicing it, he hits it hard in practice,” Washington said. “So I wasn’t surprised in the game for him to finish the way he did. That was impressive.”
Washington saw the same thing that Baldwin mentioned after the game: Great blocking that allowed Baldwin to run untouched until he eluded one would-be tackle at the 20-yard line.
“We had a bounce set up, where he’s going to sell it to the middle of the field and then bounce it to the left,” Washington said. “The wedge did a good job, and Doug did a good job of selling it. Once he broke it to the left, there was nobody over there. So he did a good job.”
UP NEXT
The players have a morning practice on Thursday, their final full session before Friday night’s preseason finale against the Oakland Raiders at CenturyLink Field. They will then have Saturday and Sunday off.
The 80-man roster must be trimmed to 53 players on Saturday.
YOU DON’T SAY
“It’ll be fun to see those guys, I know them so well. So it will definitely be fun to go out there and play against my old team.” – tight end Zach Miller, who played the last four seasons for the Raiders
