Seahawks work through bye week

RENTON, Wash. – They can blame the schedule. They can blame their injuries and mostly poor play.

Wherever the Seahawks point their fingers during this bye week, it won’t be toward their cherished vacation spots of the past three years.

Coach Mike Holmgren is having the Seahawks (1-2) practice today, Wednesday and Thursday mornings before he gives them this weekend off – and he said most players are going to stay in town then, too. The previous three seasons, he gave the players the entire bye week off.

“The bye is early. You know, we haven’t gotten off to the best start,” Holmgren said Monday. “A couple of days’ work can help.”

He said the number of inexperienced fill-ins playing for injured starters makes extra practices necessary.

When they return, they’ll visit the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants (3-0), who are off this week, too.

Seattle is 2-1 in games following bye weeks.

The Seahawks anticipate the return of key players whose injuries are finally starting to heal.

Holmgren said receivers Bobby Engram, Deion Branch and Koren Robinson will apparently make their season debuts against the Giants. Running back Maurice Morris will be available for the first time since spraining his knee in the season-opening loss at Buffalo. Right tackle Sean Locklear also is ready after playing some behind Ray Willis on Sunday, his first game since injuring a knee five weeks ago.

The only new injury is to Floyd Womack, who hurt his hamstring in the second half Sunday, but said after the game he was OK and should be ready for New York.