The hurry on Curry
Aaron Curry kept the Seattle Seahawks waiting for more than a week before showing up at training camp. But the team isn’t going to delay the professional debut of the No. 4 overall pick.
On the day Seattle’s most tenured star, Walter Jones (back), returned to practice for the first time since July 31, coach Jim Mora said Thursday that Curry will see extensive playing time in Saturday’s exhibition opener against San Diego, perhaps the most of any prospective Seattle starter.
After first saying he wasn’t going to make public how long some of his starters would play, Mora said that Curry likely will play into the third quarter and be shifted all over the defense. Curry will be used at linebacker and line up at right end to give the Seahawks an opportunity to see his pass rush skills in action.
“You know, if there’s one thing that I would look for is watch Aaron Curry and see how he rushes as an end. We’re going to find out a little bit, you know? I’m excited to see it,” Mora said. “There’s no sense in waiting.”
Along with Curry’s first game, Saturday is the debut of some new faces that Seattle expects to play significant roles as they try to rebound from last year’s 4-12 swoon. It’s also Mora’s first game as a head coach since Dec. 31, 2006, right before he was fired after three seasons in Atlanta.
“It’s been good for me. I’m looking forward to the game, I’m looking forward to being back on the sideline in that role,” Mora said. “I think there will be an adjustment period throughout the game and probably throughout the preseason, but I’m excited where we are as a team and I’m comfortable going into this game with my role as well.”
On the field
Steelers 20, Cardinals 10: At Pittsburgh, Isaac Redman, an undrafted rookie from Bowie State playing long after the starters for both Super Bowl teams left the field, scored twice in the fourth quarter and the Steelers beat Arizona.
Neither team scored a touchdown until rookie Joe Burnett intercepted a pass by third-teamer Brian St. Pierre, a former Steelers backup, and returned it to the Arizona 3 to end the third quarter. Redman scored on the next play, and scored on a 5-yard run about 7 minutes later to end an 80-yard drive led by No. 3 quarterback Dennis Dixon.
Patriots 27, Eagles 25: At Philadelphia, Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes in his first game since tearing ligaments in his left knee in Week 1 last year, leading New England over the Eagles.
Brady ran well in the pocket and showed no lingering effects of his surgically repaired left knee. He threw two touchdown passes to tight end Chris Baker, one in the first quarter and another in the second.
Brady completed 10 of 15 passes for 100 yards with one interception.
Ravens 23, Redskins 0: At Baltimore, Joe Flacco led the Ravens to field goals on his only two series, Troy Smith threw a touchdown pass, and Baltimore beat Washington.
15 players caught passes for Baltimore, eight of them wideouts. Justin Harper led the charge with four catches for 57 yards and a touchdown.
Flacco was 9 for 15 for 103 yards and Smith completed 14 of 30 passes for 200 yards.
Raiders 31, Cowboys 10: At Oakland, Calif., Dallas’ Tony Romo threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Jason Witten to cap a brief but successful night before Oakland rallied for a victory.
Bruce Gradkowski led three touchdown drives against mostly backups on Dallas’ defense, throwing a 3-yard TD pass to Tony Stewart in the second quarter. Louis Rankin and Gary Russell added short TD runs in the third.