SEATTLE – Something that vaguely resembled the NFC champions was on display at Qwest Field on Saturday night, although it took a steady eye and a little imagination to recognize them.
The Seahawks did very little in their preseason opener to bring back any memories of the historic 2005 season, losing 13-3 to the Dallas Cowboys. Six Seattle starters were missing due to injury, while most of the others went to the sideline early in the second quarter.
“There are a lot of guys that are going to be playing that aren’t even dressed,” Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said. “But it gives us a chance to look at this (on film), and we can teach to it.”
Seattle (0-1) had just 235 yards of offense and never got within the Dallas 20-yard line in a game that featured a lot more of guys like Lance Laury and Gerard Ross than Lofa Tatupu or Marcus Trufant.
“There are a lot of people who weren’t surprised because we played kind of like we’ve been practicing,” said quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who played on two series before giving way to backup Seneca Wallace. “I know it’s always sloppy in the first preseason game, but that wasn’t us out there. We have to play better than that.”
The first-team units showed signs of rust in their limited action Saturday.
Hasselbeck had only three points to show for his two drives, while running back Shaun Alexander was held to 13 yards on six carries.
Defensively, the injury-riddled Seahawks – starters Grant Wistrom, Rocky Bernard and Michael Boulware were among the injured players who did not make the trip – struggled at times. The Cowboys picked on cornerback Kelly Herndon four times during a 15-play, 89-yard touchdown drive that culminated in a 9-yard touchdown pass from Tony Romo to Patrick Crayton. Dallas added a field goal against Seattle’s No. 2 defense for a 10-3 halftime lead.
Romo, who started in place of Drew Bledsoe so that the Dallas coaches could get a long look at him, continued to move the football on Seattle’s defense in the second half. He played the entire game and finished with 235 yards off 19 of 25 passing.
One of the few bright spots for Seattle was rookie punter Ryan Plackemeier, who averaged 46.6 yards on five kicks. He pinned one inside the 5-yard line and had two others that went inside the Dallas 20, with a long of 56 yards.
Also making an impression were backup quarterback Seneca Wallace (11-for-17 for 117 yards) and wide receiver Maurice Mann (four receptions, 49 yards).
But as far as the stars of 2005 went, there wasn’t much to take away from Saturday’s game. Really, the only reminder of that historic season was a banner commemorating the NFC Championship that went up in the Qwest Field rafters a few minutes before kickoff.
“Anytime you get a chance to play here, it’s fun,” Hasselbeck said. “I just wish we could have played better.”
Hasselbeck said he expects the coaching staff to turn up the heat this week in search of a better performance.
“The standard is going to be set a lot higher,” he said, “and we need to live up to it.”
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