Seattle will put it on line
TEMPE, Ariz. – A three-game winning streak and a 4-0 record at home have the Seattle Seahawks in solid command of the NFC West.
Now, after a week off, they escape the damp Northwest rain for the warmth of Arizona, where the game plan today seems certain to center on handing the ball to Shaun Alexander and letting him do his damage behind one of the NFL’s best offensive lines.
“I think those guys have done a great job all year,” Seattle coach Mike Holmgren said. “They don’t get talked about a great deal, but we have two Pro Bowlers on the left side and three other guys who are really good, too. The fact that we have been able to keep them together is huge because the offensive line is the one group that continuity means a lot.”
The Arizona offensive line offers a sad comparison. It has sputtered all year, especially in run blocking. It should help that Oliver Ross returns at right tackle after missing four games with a broken right hand. But the center will be Nick Leckey, who never has played a down at that position in a regular-season game. The usual center, Alex Stepanovich, moves to right guard in place of Elton Brown, out with a knee injury.
They will try to create some semblance of a running game to help Kurt Warner, back at starting quarterback.
Coach Dennis Green has benched Josh McCown in favor of Warner, who hasn’t started since going out with a groin injury in Arizona’s 37-12 loss at Seattle on Sept. 25.
“There are a couple of differences,” Holmgren said of Arizona’s quarterback switch. “Kurt obviously has a lot more experience and so he’s probably in a better position to handle changes that a defense might try. The other part of that is he is a little less mobile than Josh was, so you can be aware of that, too, defensively.”
With the offensive line breakdown in last Sunday’s 34-13 loss at Dallas, McCown was running for his life and took some vicious hits. He has sore ribs, but could have played this week. Warner acknowledged he can’t escape the rush like his young counterpart.
“I guess that is one of the limitations that you have,” Warner said. “There’s no question that he moves and runs better. But at the same time our success is not going to be dictated by how good the quarterback runs around. That’s not what we do. If you’re doing that on a normal basis and you’re basing your offense on that, you’re not in good shape.”
Warner will be without one of his chief weapons, wide receiver Anquan Boldin, out two to four weeks with a bruised right knee. Bryant Johnson, a first-round draft pick two years ago who has toiled in the shadow of Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, moves into the starting lineup.
“It’s just a chance to go out there and play football,” Johnson said. “The opportunities will be larger than they were before. I just have to step up to the plate.”
While Arizona (2-5) toils in offensive uncertainty, the Seahawks (5-2) come in with confidence bolstered by the return of wide receiver Bobby Engram, sidelined for three games with two broken ribs.
“I’ve said before, in a lot of ways Bobby Engram is the heart and soul of our offense,” Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said. “He’s just a great football player, probably a guy who has been overlooked his whole career, in terms of not being tall enough or fast enough or whatever enough.”
Engram’s return will be nice, but there’s no mistaking where Seattle’s big advantage lies. Alexander had 297 yards and seven touchdowns in his last two games against the Cardinals. Arizona gave up 202 yards on the ground against Dallas last weekend.