Robinson returns to action

One of the more entertaining matchups at Seahawks training camp is the highly competitive drills between defensive backs and receivers in various scrimmage situations.

It got even better Sunday with the return of receiver Koren Robinson, who made an immediate impact with several receptions in his camp debut.

“It felt good to be back out there with the team, get my helmet and pads on and start getting the chemistry right with the quarterback,” said Robinson, who had been out with a sore hip. “I felt good, but I was a little rusty.”

Robinson joins Darrell Jackson and Bobby Engram to give Seattle a standout trio, not to mention another handful of receivers who have had their moments on the practice fields at Eastern Washington University.

As a spectator, Robinson had a different vantage point on the first week of practice. He pointed out the play of tight end Jerramy Stevens, receiver Jerheme Urban and cornerbacks Marcus Trufant and Ken Lucas, both of whom have been stellar throughout camp.

Sunday’s morning practice was packed with quality plays on both sides of the ball.

Lucas intercepted one pass and tipped away another at the last second from Jason Willis. In between, Lucas rocked Robinson, interrupting his route near the line of scrimmage.

But the offense struck back as Urban snagged a pass that had been deflected by safety Ken Hamlin.

Later, 6-foot-5 Alex Bannister soared over Trufant for a long gain and quarterback Matt Hasselbeck threaded a pass to Urban, who slid to create an opening from Lucas.

Robinson’s production slipped in 2003 (65 catches, 896 total yards) compared to 2002 (78-1,240), but he believes an off-season of minicamps, film study and extra hours of catching passes will pay off in a big season.

“He wasn’t as consistent as you’d hope he would be,” coach Mike Holmgren said. “But he did some really great things.

“He essentially won the San Francisco game with a great catch in the end zone and his catch beat the Rams. But all great receivers must develop that consistency and he’d be the first one to tell you that.”

Part of the problem was dropped passes, but Robinson was hardly alone in that category.

“That’s over with, it’s in the past,” he said. “Everybody took it upon themselves in the off-season to get better. It’s really a concentration issue, just trying to move before you’ve caught the ball and thinking too much. Just let it happen, just react.”

Robinson’s reaction to the NFL cracking down on choreographed celebrations involving two or more players _ which could put a crimp in the receivers’ post-touchdown “sprinkler” _ was to develop an alternative strategy.

“We can get to the sideline and we can give it to the crowd there,” he said. “As long as we’re not in the end zone they can’t fine us.”

Foot notes

It was a play more up linebacker Chad Brown’s alley than kicker Josh Brown’s. The latter tackled Maurice Morris on a kick return during Saturday’s scrimmage in Portland. One problem: tackling was prohibited on the play.

“Apparently I was the only one who didn’t know we weren’t supposed to be tackling,” said Brown, who was quickly reminded of that fact by Holmgren. “So that was my bonehead play of the year.”

Brown has earned some slack after his solid rookie season in 2003. He made 15 of 16 field goals from inside the 40-yard line and 7 of 14 from beyond 40.

“I was pleased with the field goals, the percentage and the distance the coaches felt comfortable trying from,” Brown said. “They pushed confidence from the way they talked to me and that makes me feel confident about what I’m capable of doing.”

Brown nailed a franchise-record 58-yarder in an October loss to Green Bay.

“That was a chance of a lifetime for a rookie,” he said. “Hitting the ball I wasn’t even sure it was going to stay up long enough, but it was a great celebration.”

Brown hopes to boost his field-goal accuracy and become more effective on kickoffs.

“I’ve worked on trying to master my steps and my leg swing, but I still have work to do,” he said. “On most kickoffs, we want to kick angles and hit corners. That allows our coverage guys to pick gaps and take the other team out of their element.”

Hurtin’ Huard

Brock Huard stepped gingerly onto the practice field midway through the morning practice, still clearly bothered by a back injury that developed earlier in camp. The timing of the injury isn’t good for Huard, who is competing with Seneca Wallace for the No. 3 quarterback.

“We’re going to send him back to Seattle to have some work done,” said Holmgren, explaining that the former University of Washington quarterback might receive an injection to expedite his recovery. “It’s a tough break for Brock… . I hope they can give him some relief and he can get back to practice.”

Wallace was among several offensive players to shine in Saturday’s scrimmage, according to Holmgren. Others cited by Holmgren were former receiver Jason Willis, center Dennis Norman and running backs Maurice Morris and Kerry Carter.

Notes

Safety Michael Boulware (ankle) and cornerback Kris Richard (ankle) sat out practice. Several offensive linemen, including guard-tackle Floyd ‘Pork Chop’ Womack, tackle Wayne Hunter and possibly center Robbie Tobeck, might return this week. … Defensive end Antonio Cochran dropped into coverage on one play and nearly made an interception… . At the conclusion of the morning practice, one spectator decked out in a Seahawks hard hat, shouted, “Win a playoff game; it’s been 22 years.” Close, but the Seahawks’ last playoff win came on Dec. 22, 1984, a 13-7 win over the Raiders.