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Friday, November 30th, 2007
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 04:42:25 pm
Here are Mike Holmgren's quotes from Friday's practice: (On who will start at running back and how the practice week went…) “(Shaun) Alexander will start at running back and we had a good practice. He had a good practice. I thought the team was focused. We had some work to do because we got banged around a little bit last week and I was not happy with how we played offensive football in the first half of that game but they responded well. They’re listening and they’re try-hard guys. I was pleased with how practice went.”
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 10:43:23 am
I am flying for most of the day. In the meantime, I wanted to share an interview I did with Ryan Plackemeier: Can you evaluate your season? I think this year I am doing a lot more to help out the team. Last year the stats looked better, but I think this year, I am putting the ball inside the 20, keeping the ball away from Devin Hester, and Dante Hall for the most part except one last week. That was my best punt last week, 55 yards, and he returned it 56. What Bruce (DeHaven) and I are really trying to work on is becoming an NFL punter and really trying to help out the team. You can’t really look at your stats. You have to ask did I do what I want to do. And for the most part, I think I have hit more punts this year than I did last year.
Categories: Quotes
• 5 comments
Thursday, November 29th, 2007
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 04:15:29 pm
SEAHAWKS OUT DID NOT PRACTICE FULL PARTICIPATION EAGLES LIMITED PARTICIPATION FULL PARTICIPATION
Categories: Injuries
• 7 comments
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 03:33:53 pm
Both Shaun Alexander and Mo Morris practiced, both looking fairly good. I would say at this point I don't see a reason both won't play (excuse the double negative). Craig Terrill also practiced, though Rocky Bernard, Lofa Tatupu, Mike Green and Will Herring all did not practice. Lofa is wearing one of those stim machines on his sore ribs.
Categories: Notes from practice
• 24 comments
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 01:18:15 pm
I spoke with special teams coach Bruce DeHaven yesterday about punter Ryan Plackemeier. DeHaven said even though his numbers are down, 2.2 yards per punt, he said he thinks Plack is having a good year, and that his numbers are skewed immediately because two punts earlier in the year were tipped, which were not his fault. Also, he is among the league leaders in putting the ball inside the 20, which skews the numbers even further. (From a coaching perspective, DeHaven said he doesn't like to look at gross punting yards. He would rather have a guy punt 40 yards with a long hang time rather than 55 yards with no hang time because the net punting is probably going to be better because of coverage.) Interestingly, DeHaven said he thinks that young punters generally show marked improvement in the second half of their second seasons, which is where Plackemeier currently is. The first year, DeHaven said, rookies are just trying to figure out how to get the punts off without getting blocked. Midway through the second season is when they should start feeling comfortable. DeHaven said he didn't feel like Plackemeier has had any booming games, but he thinks he has been pretty good overall.
Categories: Miscellaneous
• 12 comments
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 10:30:46 am
Mike Holmgren was asked on Wednesday about his thoughts on the field condition in Pittsburgh on Monday night, which is relevant because the Eagles apparently are resodding their field as well. Here was Holmgren's response: “There's nothing you can do about it. Sometimes they do a good job of that. Sometimes, it's not so good. Again, one quick story. When we played in Green Bay, we played Carolina for the NFC Championship Game in 1996. We had played, I want to say maybe San Francisco. I don't remember exactly. We played somebody the week before and Lambeau Field, there was no grass left, and it was just wiped out. Now you have the championship game and they came in and did that field in five days and it was eerie because in the night, it would be 3 in the morning, there were just trucks, it was just like something was going. It was like 'Close Encounters of the Something' and you had this thing going on in the stadium and the lights were on and it was a great field. At the time, I remember Bill Polian was the president in Carolina, and he was stunned that it was so good because that day it was really cold, it was below zero. So we had a good surface. The other night, it rained so hard that it was probably a little bit like our San Francisco game a year ago, but we have the FieldTurf. If we had grass, regular grass, that night, it might have looked like the same thing. I don't know. It was just so much water that they couldn't get rid of it.”
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 08:14:09 am
Wednesday, November 28th, 2007
Posted by Darrin Beene @ 06:24:50 pm
Here are some quotes from Shaun Alexander's post-practice press conference: On resuming practice: “Today was exciting. I’m blessed I could have Christmas a little bit earlier than everybody else because I got to do something I love to do which is play football.” On if he feels fresh: “Yeah, I definitely feel fresh. This was a good day.” On how it felt missing practice time: “It’s one of those things. We’ve been playing our whole lives so it’s always a weird feeling when you’re gone but to come back, it felt good.” On if his injuries are healed: “No. Nothing’s healed. This is football. It’s definitely something I can play with and I’ll just try to go out there and play hard.” On the new pass-first offense: “We’re 3-0 the last three games so whatever we’re doing is working so we’re just going to keep on rolling .... We’re going to do the same thing we’ve been doing and hopefully we can keep on winning. I love it. I think we needed to do it and obviously we’ve been winning so I’m definitely all for it.” On what his role will be in upcoming games: “It’s the same as always; go out there and make plays and play hard and that’s what I’m going to do.” On Maurice Morris continuing to get playing times: “Mo has always played a little bit. Mo and I, we have a great relationship just like when I was the backup for Ricky (Watters). We let the coaches decide what’s going to happen and we just play, and we always, I’m not the guy that holds on the secret to this. Mo did a lot of great things while I was gone, and he’s going to continue to do them. Whatever it takes for us to keep winning, that’s what we’re going to shoot for.” On his knee: “I won’t be surprised if I’m a little sore, but it feels really good right now. I kept on asking if I looked normal, if it looked OK, and everyone said I looked fresh. That’s a good thing.”
Posted by Darrin Beene @ 04:19:43 pm
SEAHAWKS OUT DID NOT PRACTICE LIMITED PARTICIPATION FULL PARTICIPATION Note: Hasselbeck told reporters after practice his has a sore quad and he's trying to be careful with it. EAGLES LIMITED PARTICIPATION FULL PARTICIPATION
Categories: Answers to your questions
• 7 comments
Posted by Darrin Beene @ 04:07:30 pm
The highlights from Wednesday's practice, non-Alexander division: * RB Mo Morris, who suffered a sprained ankle late vs. St. Louis, was able to practice. Holmgren thought Morris might have to sit out the early sessions this week but Morris managed to gut it out. * The offensive line, at least in the early portion, featured several different combinations. Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack practiced at both guard spots; Chris Gray, who is listed as the team's backup center, actually took a few snaps at center; and Ray Willis worked in at the right guard spot, too. * Field goal practice, especially the snaps, drew special attention from Holmgren. * DE Darryl Tapp continues to wear the red, non-contact jersey but was able to practice. * With DTs Rocky Bernard and Craig Terrill not practicing, Ellis Wyms worked with the first-team.
Categories: Notes from practice
• 3 comments
Posted by Darrin Beene @ 03:40:31 pm
Wednesday practice just finished up. Shaun Alexander flashed some speed and "fresh legs," according to RB coach Stump Mitchell in his return to practice. Alexander said the wrist injury and the sprained knee aren't healed, but good enough to play through and that he "should" play this Sunday vs. the Philadelphia Eagles. "Today was exciting," Alexander said. "Christmas came a little early." Alexander said he expects to be a little sore tomorrow but otherwise felt good. He said he's good with the team's new offensive approach of passing more, noting that the team has won its last three games. "I love it," he said. "I think we needed to do it."
Categories: Shaun Alexander
• 11 comments
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 01:08:51 pm
Holmgren said that one of the points of focus this week was pass protection, spurred because of the issues they had against the Rams. He said he installed an extra practice session this week specifically to address the issue.
Categories: Mike Holmgren press conferences
• 13 comments
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 01:00:18 pm
Mike Holmgren said in his weekly news conference that running back Shaun Alexander will practice today, and depending on how he does he could play Sunday at Philadelphia. Specifics on how exactly he will be used were more vague, Holmgren not really willing to address the topic. I will have exact quotes later, but Holmgren basically said he is going to throw guys out there and he expects them to execute the play if they are on the field. At the same time, Mo Morris will not practice until Friday because he suffered a sprained ankle toward the end of the win in St. Louis. Holmgren said he does expect Morris to play, and he said he spoke with Shaun to let Shaun know that Morris is going to continue to be a part of the offense. Mostly, Holmgren said let's wait and see how Shaun does in practice this week before determining exactly how healthy he is and how he can be used. After he sees him in practice, he will have a better idea.
Categories: Mike Holmgren press conferences
• 30 comments
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 11:35:12 am
On the Eagles QB situation: "I'll tell you what I told our media. It's very similar to last week. Donovan will not practice today, but he'll continue to rehab and do football-related workouts. We will just take it day-by-day and see how he does as the week goes on."
Categories: Opponents
• 5 comments
Tuesday, November 27th, 2007
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 04:30:56 pm
Kenny Albert
Categories: Programming Note
• 38 comments
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 03:37:14 pm
The route on which Matt threw an interception at the end of the first half was intended for Nate Burleson. Both Nate and Matt said they miscommunicated, and that the play was intended for Nate to run a corner route. He flattened it out, where Hasselbeck thought he was going hard to the flag. Take a look at the stats. Anybody have a sense of why one of the better offenses in the NFL, 12th in scoring, has more punts than all but six teams, and those six teams -- San Francisco, Carolina, Kansas City, Minnesota, Atlanta, Chicago -- are among the worst offensively? Seems like a statistical anomaly to me. The best explanation I can come up with is that the Seahawks convert only 35 percent of their third downs, which is tied for fifth-worst in the NFL.
Categories: Answers to your questions
• 43 comments
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 03:16:26 pm
Categories: Statistics
• 8 comments
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 10:16:56 am
NFL Network will replay New England’s close home victory over Philadelphia on Wednesday, November 28, at 5:00 PM. At 7:30 PM, the Seahawks’ road win over the Rams will be re-broadcast in the fast-paced, 90-minute format.
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 06:45:54 am
-- Nate Burleson set a club record for most punt returns in a season (42). Will Lewis had 41 in 1980. -- It was the first time Seattle has had two kickoff return TDs in a season. -- Maurice Morris's 46-yard run was the Seahawks' longest run of the season and second-longest of his career. -- Teams are 18-3 in games that Deion Branch scores a TD. -- The Seahawks outscored the Rams 40-3 in the second half this season, 73-19 in the second half over the last four games. -- Matt Hasselbeck is on pace for 585 attempts, which would be a club record (532 – Krieg, 1985) -- Hasselbeck is on pace for 366 completion, which would be a club record (313 – Moon, 1997 and Hasselbeck, 2003) -- Hasselbeck is on pace for 4,199 yards, which would be a club record (3,841 – Hasselbeck, 2003)
Categories: Stats, etc.
• 22 comments
Monday, November 26th, 2007
Posted by Darrin Beene @ 08:01:33 pm
Matt Hasselbeck, despite the players getting a portion of Monday off, came in and spoke with the reporters. Here are a few highlights: On how he feels: “I feel pretty good. Not too bad actually; a lot better than I felt last Monday.” On practicing this week: “Yeah, I would hope so. It was a physical game but my ribs definitely feel good so that’s not really that big of an issue. I think everybody’s a little sore. It was a tough game.” On the Rams blitzing throwing the team off: “No, they had a good plan but some of the stuff was just bad luck on our part. They played most of the game with three D-linemen in the game but played a four-man line scheme. Will Witherspoon is a great pass rusher. He’s having a great year. Common sense would say he’s the other defensive end. Well they used 54, (Brandon) Chillar as the defensive end most of the day but they went back and forth and made it hard to recognize. Other times they’d have three DBs playing safety-slash-linebacker situations .... We didn’t identify that very quickly, very well."
Categories: Matt Hasselbeck
• 15 comments
Posted by Darrin Beene @ 03:38:52 pm
Holmgren had praise for the defense and expressed concern over the offense's first half. He said outside of Steven Jackson's 53-yard TD rn in the first quarter, the unit played good and was "up to the task." He singled out Deon Grant, Marcus Trufant, Kelly Jennings and Patrick Kerney for having solid games. He said Jennings had his best game of the season. Offense was another matter. He said he thought the unit was "out of sync" until it went into their 2-minute package. He said the Rams showed lots of looks that they had not seen before, and that the Rams did a good job of switching formations late on Hasselbeck. He was very concerned about the line's protection of Hasselbeck, saying "It is very, very important that he doesn't get hit like that." What he liked about the offense was the halftime adjustments that allowed the Seahawks to better handle the Rams pressure and how Hasselbeck played a "courageous game." Special teams weren't so special, Holmgren said. He had stern words for the snapping of Boone Stutz, saying at this point in the season the snapping has to be automatic and that the Seahawks are too much of an adventure right now. Yes, Holmgren used the word adventure. He said there will be an emphasis on snapping this week and that while teams don't need to make a change just to make a change, if there's someone who helps make the team better the Seahawks have not hesitated to make a move... He noted that Ryan Plackemeier did an excellent job of getting a high snap down on Josh Brown's 52 yard miss late in the game. He said he does not think Brown's the problem. On penalties, Holmgren was not happy about the flag thrown on Deon Grant late in the game. He said he thought the PI that was called was one of those that "could have been left alone" and that "Isaac Bruce (Rams WR) did a good job of calling that play." The other issue was a play when Rob Simms had his helmet ripped off and thrown 20 yards down the field ... yet no flag. He said the team is sending tape of the play to the league to review.
Categories: Answers to your questions
• 23 comments
Posted by Darrin Beene @ 03:23:48 pm
Coach Mike Holmgren just finished his Monday press conference. Let's start with the injury situation. * D.J. Hackett: Holmgren said Hackett re-injured the same ankle that cost him six games earlier this season. The best guess is that Hackett is out at least 2 games. * Matt Hasselbeck: The Seahawks QB, who was playing with sore ribs, was so spent after Sunday's game he was heaving. Holmgren said he expects Hasselbeck to be able to practice Wednesday. On another note, I asked him the question Frank posed earlier – Should he sit Hasselbeck out to rest up, given the 2-game lead – and he said if he's healthy, Hasselbeck will play and that it's too early in the season to be thinking that way. * Lofa Tatupu: Holmgren said he thought Tatupu has a rib injury although it could be an oblique, given the rash of those injuries lately – ha ha. He said he expects Tatupu to rest during practices this week sort of like what Patrick Kerney did a few weeks ago after he injured his oblique. I'll get some more stuff up here ASAP.
Categories: Mike Holmgren
• 10 comments
Posted by Ryan Divish @ 03:05:54 pm
 Wow, what can you say about that game or the finish. I was absolutely stunned when Gus Frerotte fumbled that snap. Sorry, about the lateness of the links, but we had an internet training lecture today. Lots of fun..... like a spinal tap. Anyway let's get to the newspaper for the South Sound, The News Tribune. Let's see how the paper in St. Louis covered the games .... From the St. Louis Post Dispatch, the game story by Jim Thomas. According to this story, the Rams rattled Matt Hasselbeck early. here's the game notebook which starts with running back Steven Jackson asking that the game music be changed. Columnist Bernie Miklasz blames head coach Scott Linehan for the fumble, while fellow columnist Jeff Gordon believes that fumbled snap is the best example to define the Scott Linehan's tenure with the Rams.
Categories: Answers to your questions
• 4 comments
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 06:28:15 am
One of the things that sometimes happens in our business is that there is so much stuff that happens in a game that you can't get everything in a game story. This, I am finding, is especially true with a football game. If you read my game story, you would notice that I couldn't really even get into the second-half events much beyond the final drive and final play, which I felt for obvious reasons held great importance and chose to focus a great deal of the gamer on that aspect. I usually write about 900 words for a game story, which is about 22 column inches, give or take. I was over 1,000 words for this game story (not sure how many actually got in the newspaper) and I still wasn't able to touch on many aspects of the game. Sunday, November 25th, 2007
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 07:31:19 pm
(On the Seattle defensive turnaound)
Categories: Game Coverage
• 3 comments
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 06:40:04 pm
"I stumbled a little bit. I got a little tired. But when the blockers do a great job like that, I could probably stumble a lot of not have to do much work. It was a long, long play." "We had a little bit of confusion. It was better that both of us were there rather than nobody was there. I didn’t hear Nate until the last second, and then once I caught it I looked back at him and he was like, ‘Go.’ So I took off like Forrest Gump."
Categories: Answers to your questions
• 2 comments
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 06:15:42 pm
(On his play and the defense) (On the fourth-down play) (On his three sack-performance)
Categories: Game Coverage
• 7 comments
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 05:45:43 pm
(On the comeback against the Rams) (On being surprised by the Rams’ defensive scheme) (On his touchdown)
Categories: Game Coverage
• 2 comments
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 05:21:53 pm
This is the unedited version of my game story that will appear in tomorrow's News Tribune: By Frank Hughes ST. LOUIS – The Seattle Seahawks were one yard from having their season begin to crumble in on them, one yard from doubt and consternation becoming a constant companion over the final five games.
Categories: Game Coverage
• 2 comments
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 04:29:29 pm
(On the outcome of the fourth down play)
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 04:02:10 pm
(On the Rams last offensive play of the game)
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 03:09:47 pm
Well, it was an interesting postgame locker room, beyond just the relief felt from winning the game. After almost everybody had cleared out of the locker room, Matt Hasselbeck was back in the bathroom retching. Not once. Not twice. But three times. When he met with the media in front of his locker, he said, "I'm just exhausted." He did not look good. Glassy-eyed. Beat up. Lofa was very complimentary about how tough Matt is -- then took it back when he heard him start retching. Matt basically said the adjustments they made in the second half were to try to stop guessing what St. Louis was doing and just snap the ball because they kept guessing wrong in the first half and he was getting killed. He said he still doesn't know what St. Louis was doing to have such a successful pass rush, but in the second half instead of outhinking the Rams they just played football.
Categories: Game Coverage
• 18 comments
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 01:20:30 pm
On fourth and goal from the 1 with 30 seconds left, Gus Frerotte fumbled the snap and Darryl Tapp chased him down from behind to allow the Seahawks to win their third in a row. Whew!
Categories: Game Coverage
• 57 comments
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 12:50:56 pm
The Seahawks put together a nice drive that mixed in the run with the pass and scored on a four-yard dive play by Leonard Weaver. That is three consecutive games where they have scored a rushing touchdown. They are keeping St. Louis's pressure off-balance by calling draw plays, screens and rollouts for Hasselbeck. Now the defense needs to hold. It has done a good job in the second half to give the offense a chance to catch up.
Categories: Game Coverage
• 15 comments
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 12:38:06 pm
Jackson took a blow to the head and is being evaluated. However, he is on the sideline with his helmet off and does not look as if he is coming back.
Categories: Game Coverage
• 6 comments
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 12:24:34 pm
Thanks to a 46-yard run by Maurice Morris that sprung open an offensive drive, the Seahawks scored on a nine-yard touchdown pass from Matt Hasselbeck to Deion Branch. Now it's a game, and the Rams have to be feeling the pressure. Hasselbeck had an odd reaction after the pass. He usually celebrates, jumping around with teammates. On this on, he simply walked to the sideline.
Categories: Game Coverage
• 5 comments
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 12:13:38 pm
Hackett's return is questionable.
Categories: Game Coverage
• 6 comments
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 11:37:14 am
What an odd game. And a great deal of the Seahawks' 19-7 deficit has to do with Nate Burleson. He allowed a punt to drop that pushed the Seahawks back to the 2, which led to a safety. He fumbled on a punt return in his own territory that led to a Rams touchdown. He dropped a deep pass. And he ran the wrong route on Hasselbeck's interception just before the half that cost the Seahawks some points. He is not the only one, of course. Josh Brown missed a field goal. Deion Branch dropped a pass. A third-and-one play once again was unable to be converted on a Mo Morris run to the left side. Hasselbeck has been sacked three times. But Burleson's mistakes have been glaring and costly. The Seahawks look like they are asleep, the time change seeming to affect them. They better wake up in the second half if they want to come back in this game. The hurry-up offense was employed successfully in that drive that ended in an interception, and they may want to keep going with that to keep St. Louis's pressure off them. Hasselbeck has very little time to throw the ball. Will Witherspoon has been all over the field. Still, the game is not out of reach. It'll be interesting to see if Mike Holmgren makes any halftime adjustments.
Categories: Game Coverage
• 9 comments
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 11:18:17 am
He recovered quickly. Give the guy credit, he came back from another injury a few weeks ago during the game.
Categories: Game Coverage
• 1 comment
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 11:04:26 am
Jennings' return is questionable.
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 10:59:55 am
Rams QB Marc Bulger went from back soreness to a concussion. Not sure how that happened. The bottom line though is he is out of the game.
Categories: Game Coverage
• 3 comments
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 10:55:49 am
The Seahawks have yet to get a first down. Mike Holmgren's playcalling at this point is lacking any type of rhythm. Not sure why he keeps going with the run when it obviously is not working. Hasselbeck's passes are off today, it may have something to do with the ribs. Deion Branch, who dropped two passes in Friday's practice, has a dropped pass that would have helped them, and Will Heller has been unable to catch two poor passes by Hasselbeck. They have been sacked twice and there does not seem to be any flow.
Categories: Game Coverage
• 12 comments
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 10:49:44 am
Romberg has been replaced by Andy McCollum. As the press box announcer said, Romberg's return is "problematical."
Categories: Game Coverage
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 10:46:38 am
There has been a safety, a 53-yard touchdown run, an 89-yard kickoff return, three fumbles, an interception and now a 15-yard touchdown pass to Isaac Bruce that gives St. Louis a 16-7 lead. And we are not even out of the first quarter.
Categories: Game Coverage
• 4 comments
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 10:37:49 am
Marc Bulger is being examined in the locker room. No word yet on his return.
Categories: Game Coverage
• 3 comments
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 10:35:20 am
Rams QB Marc Bulger just went into the locker room escorted by somebody. Not sure what is going on there.
Categories: Game Coverage
• 8 comments
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 10:27:37 am
Well, that certainly helps out. I don't think Wilson was even supposed to take that kickoff, it looked like he stole it from Nate Burleson, but he found a hole, accelerated and went 89 yards for the score. He had a nice cutback at about the 25 to avoid several tacklers. Rams lead, 9-7.
Categories: Game Coverage
• 1 comment
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