Seahawks feel the pain of trying to repeat

KIRKLAND – Tackle Walter Jones and running back Shaun Alexander were too sore to run. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck jogged but held his sore ribs as he did.

And safety Michael Boulware was gingerly favoring his left shoulder after meeting Detroit Lions fullback Cory Schlesinger head-on the previous day.

“When I hit most people, they give a little bit,” Boulware said Monday. “But hitting him was like hitting a brick wall. It was amazing.”

The Seattle Seahawks were feeling the effects of the season-opening win Monday one day after taking the Lions’ best shot.

“It was a really physical game,” Boulware said. “… It was a lot more physical than what I thought it was going to be.”

The Seahawks had better get used to it. As the defending NFC champions, they’re likely to get every team’s best shot this year.

“People are going to be gunning for us,” Boulware said. “They’re going to be hyped up. They’re going to know what we did last year. As long as we’re winning, they’re going to be pretty enthusiastic about coming out and playing us.”

Coach Mike Holmgren said the Seahawks have to be ready for challenges every week.

“If they weren’t aware of that before now, they certainly are now,” he said. “You have to play at a certain level. We’ve preached that around here forever. We set the bar, not the opponent.

“In that respect, I was a little disappointed (with Sunday’s performance).”

Clean bill of health

Despite the hard hits in Sunday’s game, Holmgren said he doesn’t expect anyone other than tight end Jerramy Stevens (out two more weeks following knee surgery) to miss Wednesday’s practice.

“Actually, we’re pretty good,” Holmgren said of the injuries. “The fellows that looked like they might never play again, they actually are OK.”

Hasselbeck took the most obvious hits in Sunday’s 9-6 win, getting knocked woozy on one play, hurting his neck on another and taking shots to the ribs along the way.

Although he was favoring the ribs during the weekly, Monday afternoon run, Hasselbeck claimed to be feeling just fine.

“We’re good,” he said. “I’m feeling great. I’m very good. I’m shocked. I made it a double this morning at the coffee shop, and I was ready to go.”

Wide receiver Darrell Jackson was also in good shape after seeing his first action since undergoing off-season knee surgery.

“I expected not to play that much,” said Jackson, who was on the field for about 60 plays, according to Holmgren’s count. “I expected to play 20 or 25. But running those long patterns allowed me to build up my conditioning.”

Long snapper Jean-Philippe Darche was on crutches Monday but is not expected to miss Sunday’s game against Arizona.

Trading places

After signing with the Seahawks in March, Burleson called former Vikings teammate Koren Robinson and joked about how they were essentially traded for each other.

Burleson made a similar call to Maurice Mann during the weekend when the former Seahawks practice squader was signed to Minnesota’s active roster.

“It’s good to see,” said Burleson, who also played with Mann at the University of Nevada. “I look at him like a brother. I just wish him the most success in his NFL career. And we’re going to keep in touch. It’s not the end of the Nate Burleson and Mo Mann connection.”

The inside scoop

Hasselbeck said he didn’t know much about new receiver Deion Branch, but he could call someone who did.

Hasselbeck’s father, Don, still lives near Foxboro, Mass

“My dad loves the Patriots,” Hasselbeck said.