49ers Good Exam For Hawks Gray-Rice Matchup Featured Sideshow
For a change, tonight’s 7 o’clock Seattle Seahawks-San Francisco 49ers tune-up means something for Seattle.
For the past five years, the Seahawks used these exhibition finales to see how far their ability to compete against good teams had fallen. The 49ers went through the motions to win four of the past five against Seattle teams that finished 29-51 during the regular season.
This is different. In practices and at times during the exhibition season, the Seahawks have the look of a team aspiring to a playoff spot. Instead of testing bad parts, the Seahawks can try to tune up for the important first month of the season.
The biggest test will be in the Seahawks’ secondary. Carlton Gray, the Seahawks most experienced cornerback, faces wide receiver Jerry Rice, perhaps the greatest receiver in NFL history. And how’s this for a twist: the rest of the secondary, despite its youth, has more experience than the other members of the 49ers receiving corps - J.J. Stokes, rookie Terrell Owens and tight ends Ted Popson and rookie Sean Manuel. Veteran tight end Brent Jones is questionable.
“I think it’s a good test,” backup cornerback Selwyn Jones said. “You probably got the best receiver who’s every played. That’s always a challenge. They have a great quarterback. Their other receivers are definitely going to be good and they are pretty good now. It’s not like the run-andshoot where it’s totally different.”
Gray has the supreme challenge. Of all of the players in the NFL, Rice doesn’t believe in the preseason. Once he puts on a helmet and shoulder pads, whether it’s in July or August, Rice believes every play counts. And plays it that way.
Rice works himself to exhaustion and a cornerback to embarrassment. Too many times during the past 12 years Rice has turned Seahawks cornerbacks in August with his unstoppable crossing routes.
“No matter what preseason game he plays in he plays with the same intensity that he might if it were a championship game,” 49ers coach George Seifert said. “That’s why he’s such a great player.”
Since coming into the NFL four years ago, Gray hasn’t been burned too poorly by Rice. Last year, Rice turned him for a 14-yard touchdown, but in many ways, Rice hasn’t gotten the best of him - yet.
“One thing that makes Jerry Rice the player that he is is that he doesn’t get tired at the end of the game,” Gray said. “In the third and fourth quarters, that’s when he gets stronger while other guys tire. I haven’t played against him in moments like that.”
That’s because they are usually on the sidelines in the second half when the starters are rested.
This is an important year for Gray. He’s an unrestricted free agent after the season. Although the Seahawks will try to make it a priority to re-sign him, Gray, 25, and in his fourth year, will go against the NFL’s best receivers in a schedule that includes AFC West and NFC Central teams.
“I’m a lot more settled as a player,” Gray said. “I came in as a rookie and just seeing Rice come onto the field was a traumatic thing for a young cornerback. That’s tough because you don’t really want to be in awe of anybody. When I step onto the field, I’m more confident. I’m going against Brian Blades and Joey Galloway each day (in practice).”
Overall, the Seahawks coaches feel good about their secondary. Cornerbacks Gray, Corey Harris and Jones have had excellent summers. They feel confident in the play of their top three safeties - starters Robert Blackmon and Darryl Williams and backup Jay Bellamy.
Seifert, meanwhile, will want to test the development of Stokes, last year’s first-rounder, and Owens, a 6-foot-2, 213-pound third-round choice who has seven catches and a 21-yard average. Owen’s impact has eased some of the anxiety about John Taylor’s retirement during the off-season.
Seahawks notes
Coach Dennis Erickson plans to play the starters a half tonight. In the second half, he’ll be watching the play of the backup offensive line, which will include three rookies - guard Frank Beede and tackles Robert Barr and Grant Williams. By Sunday, the Seahawks need to release two offensive linemen. With Todd Norman ahead of Matt Joyce in the playing rotation tonight at guard, one of those spots on the roster appears to be Norman’s to win or lose… . Halfback Chris Warren will start but is expected to be relieved early by Lamar Smith. Backup halfback Steve Broussard, bothered by a tight back and sore hamstrings, hopes to play in the second half.
MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: TV Tonight’s game will be shown on Prime Sports at 8 (tape delay).