Officiating crew riles Mora

RENTON — Opposing quarterbacks beware. Jim Mora is out for blood. Or, to be more precise, he’s out for air.

Put a forearm in the throat of quarterback Matt Hasselbeck? The Seahawks coach wants to see his team do the same.

Asked about a second-quarter sack in Sunday’s loss in Arizona during which Cardinals’ defensive tackle Darnell Dockett gave Hasselbeck a little extra curricular activity following a sack, Mora said that, if officials aren’t going to make a call on that play, his team will have to do the same.

“I don’t like it when it’s our quarterback, but if they aren’t going to call it, then I’d like to see our guys do it to their quarterback,” Mora said. “… I don’t know what the rule is. I haven’t heard back yet, so I don’t know what they’re seeing there, but if that’s not going to be called, then we should be doing it.”

Mora felt a penalty should have been called.

When a reporter suggested a coach couldn’t advocate his defense taking extra liberties with opposing quarterbacks, Mora said, “If it’s legal I can.

“If it’s illegal then it would be called. If it’s legal, then we should be doing it. If it’s legal. I would never advocate us doing anything that’s illegal, nor would I ever advocated us doing anything that would harm, intentionally harm, another player.

“But if that’s legal, if the league is not going to call that, then we should be doing it, because it has an effect on the quarterback when he can’t breathe. I’m not saying what anyone else wouldn’t say.”

That play was one of several – 17 to be exact – that Mora had a problem with from Sunday’s game. That’s the number of plays he sent to the league for review, more than he ever has as a head coach, he said.

Mora may have had positive things to say about the way his team played despite a loss, but he had no problem voicing his displeasure with referee Walt Coleman’s officiating crew.

Jones likely out

Running back Julius Jones has a bruised lung and is not likely to play Sunday against Minnesota.

Jones left the game in the first quarter with what was initially called a rib injury. He spent Sunday night in the hospital, and was to fly back to Seattle Monday.

Mora said, “after the game I said it was a cracked rib that was the problem, but in fact it was a bruised lung and potentially, possibly a cracked rib.

“He’s OK. … They just took the proper precautions of not having him travel (Sunday) with that injury,” Mora added.

“At this point I would say it is unlikely that he will be cleared to play on Sunday.”