Seahawks don’t see ‘the look’

KIRKLAND, Wash. – Steve Hutchinson used his speed and agility to plow big running lanes for Shaun Alexander during his five seasons in Seattle.

He and fellow All-Pro neighbor Walter Jones used freakish strength each week to repel pass rushers. A comfortable Matt Hasselbeck became a Pro Bowl and Super Bowl quarterback behind them.

But through their first four games without the Pro Bowl left guard, now in Minnesota, the Seahawks (3-1) miss more than Hutchinson’s manhandling of opponents.

They miss “the look.”

Hasselbeck has said that in recent seasons, his linemen would look at a defense’s alignment. They then would simply nod their heads to each other to signal blocking assignments immediately before the snap.

“That comes from our group being a little bit more of a veteran group, and guys not having to make the technical term calls at the time of scrimmage,” Hasselbeck said of a line on which Hutchinson made it four starters who played together for at least three years. “You hear (center Robbie) Tobeck and (guard) Chris Gray at the line of scrimmage and they’ll say something like, ‘Here it is’ – and we run the play, go. That’s all we say.

“We just recognize ‘the look.’ “

Without Hutchinson, that look has often been one of frustration.

Aside from a 42-30 win over the New York Giants in which two interceptions gift-wrapped two early touchdowns, Seattle’s offense has struggled.

The team that led the NFL in scoring at more than 28 points per game last season is 14th entering its bye week, averaging 19.5 points. The Seahawks have been held without an offensive touchdown in two of four games, blasphemous for offensive guru Mike Holmgren.

Seattle is coming off a 37-6 loss at Chicago that was the worst since Holmgren arrived to coach Seattle in 1999. It was the Seahawks’ lowest-scoring output since a 14-3 defeat to Washington on Nov. 3, 2002.

“This is the most pressure I think Matt has felt in a while,” Holmgren said of Chicago.

The Bears sacked Hasselbeck five times. They seemed to confuse his offensive line, whose excellence last year was the largest reason Alexander became the league’s MVP and Seattle reached its first Super Bowl.

Even tackle Jones, considered the sport’s best lineman, was beaten for two sacks.

“We just have to roll our sleeves up and get ready for the next opponent,” Jones said, knowing that is St. Louis next Sunday. The Rams and Seattle are tied atop the NFC West.