Seahawks likely to turn to Morris

KIRKLAND – By the time the Seattle Seahawks afternoon practice session concluded Wednesday, darkness seemed to come early.

NFL MVP Shaun Alexander, who had shown up for practice talking as though he would play Sunday, had undergone a second X-ray, and after team doctors confirmed that there was still a crack in his fourth metatarsal bone, the focus turned to Maurice Morris who will likely start in his place at Chicago on Sunday.

Morris has only started four games in his NFL career: three while lined up in the same backfield as Alexander, and another when Alexander was attending the birth of his first child. Morris’s combined statistics in those four games – 13 carries for 60 yards – would be considered an off-day by Alexander’s standards.

Holmgren had a one-on-one talk with Morris on Tuesday, just to gauge whether the 26-year-old was ready.

“I was just encouraging him,” Holmgren said. “He was very serious, and he’s ready to go.”

After Wednesday’s practice, Morris was sporting his typical lack of concern.

“There’s no pressure,” Morris said. “Just confidence in knowing what you have to do to help the team win.”

While Morris doesn’t have near the pedigree – his 872 rushing yards in five NFL seasons compute to less than half of the total Alexander gained in 16 regular-season games last year (1,880) – he’s got the confidence of his coaches and teammates.

“We know he’s good, honest,” offensive coordinator Gil Haskell said. “We know he’s a good player, and he’ll do fine. We won’t change anything, and he’ll do fine.”

There’s some game film to verify that, but not much. The only time Morris has carried the ball more than 15 times in a game was in last year’s playoff opener, when he had 49 yards on 18 carries while Alexander was sidelined with a concussion.

While that game didn’t exactly make the fans forget Alexander, Morris did enough to help the team advance to the NFC Championship game.

“When he gets a chance in games, you see him make plays,” Haskell said. “Against Washington, when Shaun got knocked out, we didn’t change a thing. And he did a great job.”

The last time Morris was a full-time starter was when he played at the University of Oregon, where he rushed for 2,227 yards in 23 games over two seasons. Before that, he rushed for 2,840 yards and 45 touchdowns in two years at Fresno City College.

He’s proven he can be a full-time starter, just not at the NFL level.

“We’ll be OK,” running backs coach Stump Mitchell said. “We think Maurice can get the job done.

“… Those guys (on the offensive line) know that Maurice just needs a crack, and he can make things happen. He doesn’t need a hole, he just needs a crack.”

Injury report

Three-fifths of the Seahawks’ starting offensive line missed practice on Wednesday. Yet Holmgren said he hopes to have right guard Chris Gray and right tackle Sean Locklear starting against the Bears, who are also 3-0.

Backup safety Jordan Babineaux is also questionable. He sustained a concussion during Seattle’s 42-30 win over the New York Giants on Sunday.

“My feeling is that Babineaux, Gray, Locklear will be ready to go,” Holmgren said.

Gray was tossing blocking pads to fellow linemen instead of practicing Wednesday. He is questionable with a sprained right knee, which was in a brace. Locklear was standing next to Gray, wearing a protective sleeve on his left knee. He is also questionable.

Left guard Floyd Womack remains out with a left knee injury sustained two weeks ago.

Safety Ken Hamlin, who had two interceptions in the win against the Giants, watched practice Wednesday with a shoulder injury. He is probable to play Sunday.