First half a real bummer for Seahawks

RENTON, Wash. – Given a chance to praise all that has gone right during the tumultuous first half of the 2008 season, Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren didn’t bite.

“I don’t think there’s a lot to get real excited about in the first part of the season,” Holmgren said Monday afternoon.

Truth be told, the highlights have been few and far between. “It’s been a heck of a deal,” Holmgren said. “I feel bad about it. I feel bad for (the players). I feel bad for our fans. So … you just keep going.”

Mathematically, the season is still salvageable. But nothing about the first eight weeks gave much reason for optimism.

Among some of the highlights have been the play of rookie tight end John Carlson, the re-emergence of guard Floyd Womack, the boost Julius Jones gave to the run game early on, and second-year cornerback Josh Wilson has quietly established himself as a playmaker.

But the bigger picture shows a litany of holes.

The passing offense desperately misses Matt Hasselbeck and receivers Nate Burleson and Deion Branch. The ground game has been unable to overcome teams that stack eight and nine players in the box. The defense has underachieved in almost every aspect of its game.

If there is one area where the first half has been a huge disappointment, it’s injuries that have sidelined 14 starters and exposed Seattle’s lack of depth.