Seahawks Have Gauze For Concern

Former Seahawks coach Chuck Knox, like a lot of NFL coaches, had the theory that the biggest, nastiest players should stomp off the team bus first before games. It tends to intimidate the onlooking opposition.

If that theory holds true, the Seahawks should introduce the defense for the critical AFC West matchup Sunday against the Oakland Raiders. Seeing the offense limp to the middle of the field may tend to make the Raiders feel compassion.

Real men wear extra tape and knee braces.

“Maybe they should introduce the offense and it will work to intimidate the other way,” said center Kevin Mawae, who is hobbled on a sprained medial collateral knee ligament. “It may intimidate them into thinking that all the guys are gimped up but are still out there playing, so they’ll think good thoughts.”

Mawae even suggests that the offensive line is banged up enough that they could qualify for handicapped parking spaces right next to the sideline.

“We could have our wives and kids sitting in the cars watching the games,” Mawae said.

Let’s introduce your aching Seattle Seahawks, the NFL’s eighth-ranked and most patched together offense:

The top three receivers are Joey Galloway, Mike Pritchard and Brian Blades. Galloway is playing with a sprained right foot, a sprained right ankle and a pulled groin. Pritchard’s right knee has been drained of more than 400cc of fluid in the past couple of weeks. Blades constantly aggravates a right-knee problem that grows sorer every time he crashes to the turf.

Running backs Chris Warren (hamstring) and Steve Broussard (knee) are reasonably close to 100 percent. Quarterback Warren Moon is amazingly fit for being 40 years old, but his body carries aches from two decades of pro football.

Take a couple of weeks ago when he injured his left shoulder on a hard hit at the end of the third quarter of a victory over Tennessee. Moon tried to raise his left arm to signal touchdown after a Steve Broussard score. The arm rebelled and Moon collapsed to the ground in pain.

The next day, the only thing doctors found on the X-rays were old fractures. Moon was fine.

Notes

With Graham and Pritchard questionable and not practicing, Erickson is leaning toward starting Frank Beede at right guard and James McKnight at wide receiver. … Quarterback John Friesz threw some scout team passes in skeleton drills but said that his broken right thumb will probably need another week to be right. Erickson was considering making Friesz the third quarterback Sunday. … Linebacker Jason Kyle, out for the season with a torn right rotator cuff, visited practice and said he’s on schedule to be able to return next season. … Cornerback Fred Thomas hurt his ankle early in the Thursday workout but was able to return.