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
Cyber surfing: Wednesday
Good morning. Here’s what’s “out there” about the Seahawks for today, Aug. 31:
Danny O’Neil at the Seattle Times offers his thoughts on the story of the day – John Carlson needing shoulder surgery, which will sideline the tight end for the season. Says O’Neil: “John Carlson caught more passes in his first two years as a Seahawk than any other tight end in franchise history. Now he can’t catch a break. Carlson is out for the year because of a shoulder injury, coach Pete Carroll said after Seattle’s practice Tuesday. He must undergo surgery to repair a torn labrum and is likely headed to injured reserve.”
Steve Kelley of the Times checks in with line coach Tom Cable, who calls this “ultimatum week” as his unit prepares for Friday night’s preseason finale against the Raiders at CenturyLink Field. Says Kelley: “Seahawks practice has a sense of urgency this week, a feeling that the offensive line is leaking, the pass protection is broken and the problem has to be fixed quickly. Friday night’s game against the Oakland Raiders feels more important than just a final audition before opening day. This game is a call for help.”
Eric Williams of the News Tribune has the same double coverage, with a notebook lead on Carlson and a story on the line problems. Says Williams, and Cable: “ ‘Excuse’ is not a part of Tom Cable’s vocabulary. So when the offensive line’s inexperience was cited as a reason for his group’s struggles in the Seattle Seahawks first three exhibition games, Cable wasn’t buying it. ‘We can all see where they’re at – they’re not there yet,’ Cable said about the offensive line’s youth, including two rookies in John Moffitt and James Carpenter starting on the right side of the line. ‘So how you handle the time crunch, we talked about it from day one. We didn’t have OTAs (organized team activities), minicamp – all those sorts of things. It can’t be an excuse. If you notice, we try to give them as many reps as we can. We’re probably playing that group more than you normally would. But we need to. And I think Saturday was a perfect example of how much they need to continue to play, and continue to grow.’ ”
Mike Sando at ESPN.com has a few things to consider on Golden Tate, prompted by a reader’s question about what has been obvious: rookie free agent Doug Baldwin has outplayed last year’s second-round draft choice in the preseason games. What would Sando do? “Keep Tate and put him on notice. It’s early to give up on a second-round pick who has flashed potential (52-yard catch at Denver last season). Tate has barely had one month in a new offense. Situations at quarterback and along the offensive line haven’t been ideal, either. A year ago, the Arizona Cardinals weren’t sure what to make of third-round rookie receiver Andre Roberts. Now, Roberts starts opposite Larry Fitzgerald.”
The Seahawks will face the four teams from the NFC North this season, and Don Banks at SI.com previews the division. Says Banks: “In the eight-division NFL alignment, no one matches the AFC North’s record of featuring two heavyweight teams that have remained dominant for the division’s entire existence. In the nine seasons since the AFC North started play in 2002, it has been the big bruisers from Pittsburgh and Baltimore staying far ahead of the struggling Ohio contingent (otherwise known as the Bengals and Browns).” The Seahawks play at Pittsburgh in Week 2, then host the Ravens on Nov. 13.
Here at Seahawks.com, we’ve also got coverage of Carlson’s season-ending injury and a recap of Tuesday’s practice that focuses on Breno Giacomini splitting time at right tackle with first-round draft choice James Carpenter. There’s also Tony Ventrella’s video recap from practice and Ben Malcolmson’s “From the Sidelines” report from the Denver game.
Tuesday in Hawkville
A recap of the day’s activities at Virginia Mason Athletic Center:
FOCUS ON
The offensive line, and especially rookie right tackle James Carpenter. This is no surprise after the Seahawks allowed QB Tarvaris Jackson to be sacked five times in Saturday night’s loss to the Broncos in Denver, and Carpenter yielded two of them.
During today’s full-pads practice, Breno Giacomini was rotating with Carpenter – with the first unit as well as the second.
“It’s a competition that we’re just continuing,” coach Pete Carroll said when asked about the situation. “ ‘Giac’ has done a nice job. He’s put together a really good preseason. He’s very solid. He hasn’t played against the same (level of competition as Carpenter) all the time, but he has had a very solid preseason.
“He’s a been around a little bit more. So we want to make sure that he has the opportunity to show and see if he can help. So we’ve decided to give him some opportunities with the first group.”
Carpenter has only been around since July 29, when the team’s first-round draft choice signed his contract. He would have benefited greatly from the offseason minicamps and OTA sessions that were erased by the 136-day lockout.
“Our guy has done a marvelous job in a bunch of areas now at right tackle,” Carroll said of Carpenter. “I’m fired up about him. But there’s still a lot to learn, and there’s a short time to learn it.
“His feet are in the fire, right from the first game in San Diego.”
Carpenter wasn’t the Seahawks’ only problem against the Broncos.
As line coach Tom Cable put it, pointing out that miscommunication was the culprit on three of the five sacks, “We don’t feel good about Saturday at all. Very disappointed. But we also can see what it is and have a chance to now go fix it and improve from here. And it will be like that for a little while, but not too much longer.”
PLAYS OF THE DAY
Offense: Rookie wide receiver Ricardo Lockette reaching out to snag a Josh Portis pass with one hand and then spinning around cornerback Brandon Browner in almost the same motion to head up the sideline.
Defense: Linebacker David Vobora starting to his right but then diving back to his left to tip a Portis pass incomplete.
JUST VISITING
Andre Gurode, the five-time Pro Bowl center released by the Dallas Cowboys this week, visited the Seahawks today. But it was just that, Carroll said.
“He’s kind of taking a tour right now and looking at some places,” Carroll said. “We were fortunate to get in on it and visit with him. He’s had a great career and it ended kind of abruptly for him. So he’s going to take a look around and see what’s out there.”
IN AND OUT
The big news, of course, was Carroll’s announcement that tight end John Carlson will need season-ending shoulder surgery to repair the labrum he tore while diving for a pass in practice 2½ weeks ago.
Thirteen other players also did not practice, including five starters – running back Marshawn Lynch (ankle), defensive end Chris Clemons (ankle), middle linebacker David Hawthorne (knee), outside linebacker Aaron Curry (knee) and strong safety Kam Chancellor (foot). Lynch and Hawthorne will not play against the Oakland Raiders in Friday night’s preseason finale at CenturyLink Field, Carroll said.
Justin Forsett and Leon Washington filled in for Lynch, while Raheem Brock worked at Clemons’ spot, K.J. Wright and David Vobora stepped in for Hawthorne and Curry and Atari Bigby replaced Chancellor.
Also out: wide receiver Isaiah Stanback (hamstring), defensive end Dexter Davis (hip), defensive lineman Pierre Allen (hamstring) and safety Josh Pinkard (knee), as well as the four players who remain on the physically unable to perform list – wide receiver Deon Butler (leg), tight end Cameron Morrah (toe), defensive tackle Colin Cole (ankle) and cornerback Roy Lewis (knee).
Wide receivers Sidney Rice (shoulder) and Ben Obomanu (head) started practice but did not finish.
Left tackle Russell Okung was limited to individual drills because of the ankle he sprained in the opener against the Chargers.
The club also completed the league-mandated roster trim to 80 players by releasing defensive Jay Alvord and safety Rickey Thenarse.
STAT DU JOUR
After making an unprecedented 284 transactions in their first year together, Carroll and general manager John Schneider have been making up for lost time following the lockout. From July 26 through today, they have made 95 roster moves – or an average of 2.6 per day.
UP NEXT
The players will practice Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning before playing their preseason finale on Friday night.
The 80-man roster must be reduced to 53 players on Saturday.
YOU DON’T SAY
“Obviously you never want to look like that. It was an embarrassment to all of us, especially as a group. But that’s life. And you’ve got to learn, and how everybody responds will be the key.” – left guard Robert Gallery, looking back at the performance against the Broncos with an eye to Friday night’s game against the Raiders
Tuesday in Hawkville
A recap of the day’s activities at Virginia Mason Athletic Center:
FOCUS ON
Charlie Whitehurst. The team’s backup quarterback is on a roll, but coach Pete Carroll remains committed to Tarvaris Jackson as the starter as the Seahawks prepare for Saturday night’s third preseason game against the Broncos in Denver as well as the Sept. 11 regular-season opener against the 49ers in San Francisco.
“I’m really pleased with his progress. Charlie has taken advantage of everything we’ve done out here,” Carroll said following this afternoon’s two-hour practice in full pads.
Whitehurst also has taken advantage of what the opposing defenses have given him in the first two preseason games. He was 14 of 20 for 115 yards in the opener against the Chargers in San Diego and 14 of 19 for 97 yards in Saturday night’s home opener against the Minnesota Vikings – although Carroll said it could have been a 17-of-19 outing if his receivers had not dropped some passes.
“You can see it, Charlie is functioning beautifully,” Carroll said. “You can’t ask him to do a whole lot more than that. I’m really, really fired up that he’s playing at the level he is right now.”
Even with that said, Carroll explained that it does not change his mind about Jackson continuing to be the starter – in part because the offensive line has not provided him with adequate protection.
“Tarvaris can function out there. He made good decisions. He moved well,” Carroll said. “The rush was much closer to him. He had guys around him. We weren’t as stout with the pass-pro as we would like.
“But he was very comfortable in the game (and had) a really good mentality to work with during the game – a very clear thinker, good communicator and all of that.”
And, Carroll added, it goes beyond statistics.
“We’re looking very subjectively at this,” he said. “You don’t just look at the numbers. You’ve got to look at what’s happening up front, and how the protection is holding up, and did we run the right route.”
POSITION WATCH
Linebacker. The defense practiced without its starters, as Aaron Curry, David Hawthorne and Leroy Hill sat out because of sore knees they got against the Vikings.
Carroll said he expects Curry and Hill to be ready for Saturday night’s game against the Broncos.
But this afternoon, the “starting” unit included rookie K.J. Wright in the middle for Hawthorne, rookie Malcolm Smith on the weakside for Hill and rookie Mike Morgan and just-signed David Vobora splitting time on the strongside for Curry.
“David is a savvy football player, a really good special teams guy, with flexibility and experience,” Carroll said of Vobora. “I think it’s a real nice add to us right now. He had a very good first day. I was anxious to see how he looked with our guys and he fit in very well.”
ROOKIE WATCH
K.J. Wright. With Hawthorne not expected to play against the Broncos, the fourth-round draft choice is being prepped to start.
“That’s what we’d do right now. We’d go head and go with K.J.,” Carroll said. “Which would be awesome. It would be great to see him in there playing with those guys (the starters). It will be a great experience for him and we’ll learn a lot about him.”
So far, the coaches have liked just about everything they’ve seen from the 6-foot-4 Wright, who was moved to middle linebacker after the release of incumbent starter Lofa Tatupu on July 31. Wright had a team-high eight tackles in the preseason opener against the Chargers and added two tackles plus a quarterback hit against the Vikings.
“He looks solid and he’s tackling well and he’s learning,” Carroll said. “But there are a million things for this Mike linebacker to learn. There’s so much going on, with all the responsibilities at that position. But he’s handling it admirably and this will be a great test.”
PLAYS OF THE DAY
Offense: Rookie wide receiver Kris Durham jostling with and then getting behind cornerback Kelly Jennings to catch a touchdown pass from Jackson in a 7-on-7 drill.
Defense: Let’s go with two, because they were similar and equally effective. On the first, linebacker Jameson Konz played off a lead block by fullback Michael Robinson to stop a running play before it could get started. On the second, cornerback Marcus Trufant turned fullback Dorson Boyce around with a solid jam to blow up the attempted block as well as the play.
Special teams: Pick one of the five field goals Jeff Reed hit during the special teams portion of practice, and make it the 38-yarder.
IN AND OUT
In addition to the starting linebackers, seven other players also sat out practice: tight end John Carlson (shoulder), left tackle Russell Okung (ankle), strong safety Kam Chancellor (foot), backup center Mike Gibson (undisclosed) and defensive linemen Dexter Davis, Pierre Allen and A.J. Schable (also undisclosed).
With Chancellor out, Josh Pinkard worked at strong safety with the No. 1 defense.
Cornerback Walter Thurmond practiced for the first time since early in training camp, and for the first time in full pads this summer. Carroll said he’s hopeful that Thurmond can play this week. Also back after sitting out the game against the Vikings were defensive end Chris Clemons and wide receiver Ben Obomanu.
Carroll said Carlson is “improving” after injuring his labrum while diving for a pass in practice last weekend. Carlson is aiming to play in the Sept. 2 preseason finale against the Raiders at CenturyLink Field. Okung also could play against the Raiders, Carroll said, although his targeted return is the opener against the 49ers.
UP NEXT
The players will practice Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning before flying to Denver on Friday for Saturday night’s game.
Carroll said the starters are expected to play into the third quarter against the Broncos, in what will be their longest stint of the preseason.
YOU DON’T SAY
“I hit it 2½ feet (from the pin), but I think his shot was better.” – Jay Don Blake, a member of the Senior PGA tour, on Whitehurst hitting the flag with his second shot in the now-annual close-to-the-pin competition after practice but still finishing second to Blake
Cyber surfing: Thursday
Good morning. Here’s what’s “out there” about the Seahawks for today, Aug. 18:
Joshua Mayers of the Seattle Times checks in with Leon Washington to get his thoughts about the new rule change that has teams kicking off from the 35-yard line, rather than the 30. Says Washington: “Honestly, not to be bragging, but we work hard at it, so we feel like if we bring it out 5 or 6 yards deep (in the end zone), we’re going to at least get by the 20-yard line. … We’re not worried about that. We’re going to do our thing.” Washington certainly did that in his first season with the Seahawks, returning three kickoffs for touchdowns.
Eric Williams of the New Tribune has the word from coach Pete Carroll that Tarvaris Jackson will play the first half in Saturday night’s preseason home opener against his old team – the Vikings – after getting only two series in the opener at San Diego last week. And also Jackson’s reaction: “It’s going to be just like practice,” Jackson joked about facing the Vikings. “I saw them a lot. I practiced against them for five years straight, and that was always fun because the guys always competed. I’m pretty sure guys are going to try and get a hit on me – especially guys on defense because I always had that red jersey on in practice. I’m going to be in a different color jersey, so I’m pretty sure they’ll try and get a couple licks on me.”
Christian Caple of PI.com looks at Atari Bigby’s first day as a Seahawk. The former Packers safety was signed on Tuesday. And he already knows his role: “From what I get from it, is special teams,” Bigby said. “Come in a little bit on defense, but they told me that they have their starters.”
John Boyle of the Everett Herald has a recap of the day’s activities, including an update on tight end John Carlson: “Pete Carroll said Carlson has ‘a shoulder that’s bothering him. He’s got a labrum issue that we’re working through.’ What exactly a ‘Labrum issue’ is remains to be seen, but it will certainly be something to monitor as training camp progresses.”
Here at Seahawks.com, we talk with linebacker Leroy Hill about his return – and almost rebirth – as the team’s weakside linebacker. Says Hill: “It’s definitely sweeter to be back after what I’ve been through. There was so much uncertainty. But when the uncertainty clears up, now I can just get back to focusing on what I love to do.”
We’ve also got a look at Wednesday’s practice in words, pictures and video. There’s also video of Jackson’s post-practice interview session.
