Mebane gets 1st start
KIRKLAND, Wash. – Brandon Mebane doesn’t have a lot to show for his six-game career with the Seattle Seahawks — nine tackles and one sack. But the 6-foot-1, 315-pound rookie defensive tackle said he’s not someone to be overlooked.
“A lot of people look at it like I’m this rookie,” said Mebane, who will make his first career start Sunday against the St. Louis Rams (0-6). “I don’t worry about that. Hey, they can look at that all they want to. But don’t underestimate. That’s all I have to say.”
Mebane, a third-round draft pick out of California, will start in place of veteran Chuck Darby. Darby, a three-year starter, was placed on injured reserve Monday with a season-ending injury to the patella tendon in his right knee. He was injured in the first quarter of last Sunday’s game against New Orleans.
Darby is the second player among the struggling Seahawks (3-3) to sustain a season-ending injury in the past two weeks. Pro Bowl fullback Mack Strong was forced to retire because of a herniated disk in his neck that was pinching his spinal cord.
Mebane, who has been in the backup rotation for all six games, filled the middle for Darby for the rest of the Saints game.
“I think he’s proven himself,” coach Mike Holmgren said. “He’s played a lot more than some of the rookies and done reasonably well. I think I know how he’s going to play the game in there and what he does – a little bit more than the other guys.”
Mebane worked with the first-team defense all week, barking like a coyote after each play as sort of a sound reference point to gather his defensive teammates around him.
“Darby told me to do that,” Mebane said. “It gets everybody back into the huddle. It’s a little responsibility I’ve got to do.”
Mebane came into the NFL with a reputation as a run-stopper but in his limited playing time he also has shown he can be effective in passing situations.
“He’s always been counted on to be maybe a little more of a run stopper than a movement guy,” Holmgren said. “But as I’ve said all along, I’ve been pleasantly surprised with how he rushes the passer. If we let him.”
Holmgren, asked to contrast Darby and Mebane, said, “It’s hard to say at this point. His game is a little different than Chuck’s game. Chuck relied on his quickness, his intelligence, his experience to survive in there. Because he’s not the biggest guy in the world. But he played the game very, very hard. Now Mebane has a lot of the same characteristics, except he’s a little bit bigger.”
Mebane knows he has a lot to learn at this level.
“It’s a quicker game,” he said. “Guys are stronger; guys are smarter. There are things I’ve got to pick up on. Each game I get better.”
Notes
It’s still a game-day decision whether the Hawks will activate wide receiver D.J. Hackett. Hackett beat out Nate Burleson during the preseason for the starting nod but sustained a high ankle sprain in his right foot in the first quarter of the first game. He has not played since. He returned to practice this week. … Tight end Marcus Pollard (knee), who is listed as questionable, practiced and should play. Tackle Ray Willis (knee) and wide receiver Deion Branch (foot) have been ruled out for the Rams game. … Holmgren said he has tried to “condense” the offense this week to make it “a little less chaotic, a little less to learn in the hopes that we can be assignment-correct and do the right thing, most of the time.” … Shaun Alexander, who has rushed for a combined 60 yards the past two losing efforts, said this week that he needs to return to his previous running style.