Holmgren comes to defense of Alexander
Mike Holmgren told someone to stop the tape.
The image on the screen was all too familiar, and yet the Seattle Seahawks’ head coach still wanted to make a point while watching one of Shaun Alexander’s unsuccessful carries from Sunday’s loss to the Carolina Panthers.
“I looked at the film,” Holmgren said Wednesday afternoon, “and I told the coaches, ‘Let’s stop it right here. Where’s (the play) going? What does he have? Someone tell me what he has.’ There was nothing.”
While Alexander has been putting up the worst statistics of his career, and looking like the poster boy for running backs who decline after the age of 30, the Seahawks aren’t giving up on him yet.
During his Wednesday press conference, Holmgren continued to defend Alexander’s play. The coach said that wrist and knee injuries slowed down Alexander this season. As the tape of the Carolina game reminded Holmgren, Alexander just hasn’t had much running room at all.
“I think, physically, he can still do it,” Holmgren said. “I think that wrist, it bothered him more than he ever thought it might – or I ever thought it might. And then we got kind of a little bit of a loss of confidence. I’m not talking about him losing confidence; I’m talking about me losing confidence in calling certain things.
“But it’s not just him.”
At times this season, such as after gaining just 17 yards in Sunday’s loss to Carolina, Alexander has sounded perplexed by his lack of success. The eternal optimist has all but thrown up his hands when describing the team’s running game, relying on the oft-used line: “It is what it is.”
On Wednesday, Alexander was asked whether he still has the skills that once led to an MVP season. He tackled the question head-on.
“Of course, I still have it,” he said. “I think football is a physical sport, so breaking the foot last year, and breaking the (wrist) this year, they’ve just caused changes in the game for me.
“At the same time, there are some things that I can do for the next couple years to help us stay where we are. And that’s owning the (NFC West) and always being a team that’s going to be tough to beat in the playoffs – if not the Super Bowl.”
Around the league
The NFC East-champion Dallas Cowboys expect quarterback Tony Romo to start Saturday night at Carolina. The sore-thumbed Pro Bowler did everything he’d usually do in practice except take direct snaps. … The NFL upheld the one-game suspension of Dallas safety Roy Williams for his horse-collar tackle of Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb in Sunday’s 10-6 loss to the Eagles. … New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush returned to practice ahead of schedule after learning only two weeks ago he had a torn left knee ligament. Whether he will play Sunday against Philadelphia is not known yet. … Takeo Spikes needs surgery on a torn rotator cuff, and the Philadelphia Eagles said they will place the veteran linebacker on injured reserve. … Detroit Lions wide receiver Roy Williams wanted to play in the regular-season finale at Green Bay if something was at stake. Nothing will be on the line for the Lions, other than pride, thanks to their second-half collapse. So the team put Williams on injured reserve with a right knee injury.
From wire reports