Sprained ankle will end Wunsch’s Ironman streak

Published 9:00 pm Monday, December 1, 2003

KIRKLAND – One of the more impressive streaks on the Seattle Seahawks will come to an end this week.

Reserve offensive lineman Jerry Wunsch, who has never missed a practice at any level, isn’t expected to be available when the team takes the field Wednesday. Wunsch, 29, suffered a severely sprained right ankle during the final minutes of Sunday’s win over the Cleveland Browns and probably won’t play this weekend at Minnesota.

“He’s a corn-fed Wisconsin boy. They grow them big and strong up there,” teammate Robbie Tobeck said of Wunsch’s injury-less streak. “But it’s kind of disappointing for him. I know that’s a streak that he’s proud of.”

While knocking on wood, Wunsch boasted earlier this season that he been at every practice of his playing career – from high school to college to the NFL.

“That shows the mental toughness that the guy has,” offensive line coach Tom Lovat said Monday.

The 6-foot-6, 339-pound Wunsch hasn’t had as many opportunities to get hurt during his days as a Seahawk, as he hasn’t started a game since the end of the 2002 season. He got into Sunday’s game during garbage time, spraining his ankle on Seattle’s final drive.

“It’s hard to conceive of his body getting hurt,” coach Mike Holmgren said. “I don’t know where you would hurt him. But he is sore. They did X-rays and scanned it (Sunday) night, and he didn’t break anything. But he sprained his ankle pretty good.”

Injury update: Wunsch’s injury appears to be the most serious among players who got hurt in the win.

Fullback Mack Strong also suffered an ankle injury that could force him to miss practices, but he appears to have a chance of playing against Minnesota this Sunday.

Itula Mili suffered a concussion and will undergo further tests before his status is revealed.

“I think he is going to be OK,” Holmgren said of Mili.

Two starters who missed Sunday’s game due to injury could be back at practice this week: defensive end Brandon Mitchell (strained calf) and middle linebacker Randall Godfrey (bruised sternum).

The official injury report comes out Wednesday.

Mr. Reliable: After going through a frustrating stretch in which he unofficially dropped 14 passes over the first nine games, receiver Darrell Jackson has been nails lately.

Jackson has caught a team-high 15 passes for 248 yards and four touchdowns over the past two weeks. Just as important, he hasn’t dropped any balls.

Holmgren opted to stick with Jackson through all the struggles, hoping that the receiver would eventually come out of his funk.

“He has done a lot for this organization, and he just went through a little bit of a tough stretch,” Holmgren said. “I thought it would have been real foolish to make any (lineup) changes. You just work with him, and I really believe in him, so you stay with someone you believe in.”

Brothers in arms: What does an NFL player do to celebrate a victory?

In Matt Hasselbeck’s case, he watches more football.

The Seahawks’ quarterback went home Sunday night and watched a replay of the Washington-New Orleans game so that he could see his brother’s first NFL start.

Tim Hasselbeck started at quarterback for the Redskins, completing 22 of 42 passes for 231 yards and an interception in a 24-20 loss to the Saints.

“He was bummed about the game, but then I watched, and I thought he played great,” Matt Hasselbeck said. “He missed two throws that could have helped his team win the game and really would have helped him get more yards. But I thought he did great.”

The Hasselbecks became the second set of sibling quarterbacks to start an NFL game on the same day, joining former University of Washington stars Brock and Damon Huard. Parents Don and Betsy Hasselbeck watched both games on side-by-side televisions from their living room.

“I’m just glad I have Tivo,” Matt Hasselbeck said, “so I got to see his game.”

Quick slants: Hasselbeck still ranks second in the NFC in passer rating, but he’s closing in on leader Daunte Culpepper. Minnesota’s Culpepper has a 94.6 rating, 0.4 better than that of Hasselbeck. … Hasselbeck’s recent success, which dates back more than a year, coincided with a decision for Holmgren to send in plays through the quarterback’s headset. Quarterbacks coach Jim Zorn did it until the end of last season, when Holmgren began taking a more hands-on approach. “You get the direct communication from him telling you exactly what he’s looking for,” Hasselbeck said. “Or after the play, you get exactly what he wasn’t looking for.”