Seahawks prepare for exhibition opener

The Seattle Seahawks held a mock game during practice on Saturday as the team prepares for the preseason opener against the Denver Broncos. Coach Pete Carroll put his team through a full scrimmage, complete with a 10-minute halftime, to ramp up the intensity for their first preseason game Thursday night in Denver. “We wanted to play hard, run hard today and get a lot of good work in preparation for Thursday’s ballgame coming up,” Carroll said. “This was the last big day to get that done and I think we accomplished that.” The team was able to simulate various situations, including two-minute drills, the offense being backed up to its own goal line and red zone opportunities. “Coach Carroll wants to put us in a situation where it’s like a game-like atmosphere to be able to act under pressure,” defensive end Michael Bennett said. Russell Wilson tried to thread a pass to Jermaine Kearse in the end zone with time winding down in the first half. The ball deflected off Kearse’s back. Wilson and several defenders chased the ball with Wilson diving into a pile as the ball was intercepted by safety Terrance Parks. “I was going to catch it,” Wilson said. “I had it. I was going to catch it and then Terrance Parks made a great play. He dove for it so I turned my body so I wouldn’t get hit.” While Carroll wanted to create a realistic game simulation, he still wasn’t thrilled at the notion of his starting quarterback putting himself in harm’s way in a practice setting. “He’s competing,” Carroll said with a wry smile. “We’ll talk about it later.” Tackle Michael Bowie was waived by the team on Saturday as he will require surgery to repair his shoulder. “He’s going to have to get some work on his shoulder. It’s just coming out today,” Carroll said. “He has a significant shoulder injury that’s going to come up, so we’re going to miss him.” Bowie – who started eight games as a rookie for Seattle – is expected to miss 4 to 6 months due to the injury. He will revert to the team’s injured reserve list if he clears waivers. The Seahawks claimed tackle Cory Brandon off waivers from Arizona to fill Bowie’s spot on their 90-man roster. Bowie entered training camp as the favorite to earn the starting job at right tackle, but injured his shoulder on the first day. Second-round rookie Justin Britt and veteran Eric Winston will compete for the starting job.