Chemistry ‘a very good mixture’

Published 11:05 pm Thursday, August 9, 2007

KIRKLAND – With a franchise-record 13 wins, an 11-game winning streak, and a first-ever trip to the Super Bowl, the 2005 Seattle Seahawks were the standard by which all other Seahawks teams will be measured.

The way running back Shaun Alexander tells it, this year’s Seahawks already have an advantage over that team.

“The chemistry of this whole team is much better than the chemistry of the 2005 team, from top to bottom,” Alexander said.

Those are pretty strong words when drawing the comparison to a 2005 team that was known for its chemistry, but Alexander said it’s no exaggeration.

“You can just feel it,” he said. “You see the new guys who came in, and they’re hanging with everybody. You see guys leaving here to go get in their car, and it’s a quarterback with a defensive end or a DB (defensive back) with a running back. It’s just a very good mixture.

“In 2005, it was getting like that, but it was after we were winning. When you’re winning, everybody’s getting along. But we already see that now.”

Veteran newcomers like Patrick Kerney, Deon Grant, Brian Russell and Marcus Pollard have fit in quickly, while younger players like D.J. Hackett and Kelly Jennings have allowed their personalities to come out more.

“It feels like we’ve all been together for a couple seasons now,” wide receiver Bobby Engram said. “That’s odd. I’d never been in a locker room where everybody’s jelled like that. Everybody just gets along real well.”

Chemistry is one of the most important intangibles in sports, but it’s also difficult to measure.

“I think it’s going to carry on,” Alexander said. “When your chemistry is very strong, it’s hard to beat a team.”

Who’s the coach? For one day, offensive coordinator Gil Haskell took the reins of the team while Mike Holmgren was out of town.

Holmgren was attending funeral services for Bill Walsh in the Bay Area on Thursday, along with Seahawks assistants Ray Rhodes and Dwaine Board. All three coaches were former San Francisco assistants under Walsh, who passed away last week after a battle with leukemia.

Holmgren and the other assistants were expected to be back in town Thursday night and should be on the field today as the team resumes preparations for Sunday’s preseason opener at San Diego.

While the players could have tried to take advantage of the one-day substitute, Engram said they were just as focused as ever for Thursday’s practices.

“This is a team that’s very professional,” he said. “We know when to work hard, and we know when to have fun.”

Hands aren’t just for catching: On Thursday, the Seahawks brought in martial arts expert George Chung to work with the linemen on hand techniques. A bit envious that some teammates were getting extra attention, Engram tracked down Chung for some tips of his own.

During the afternoon practice, Chung was seen showing Engram and fellow receiver Deion Branch a few tricks to help them shake free of defenders.

“Receivers and defensive linemen have very similar skill sets,” said Chung, a Los Angeles-based television producer and is a black belt in five disciplines who spent 15 years teaching martial arts-related handwork to San Francisco 49ers players. “The first move you have is to get by someone.

“Bobby is trying to develop skills to break off the line against opposing defensive backs. By having a quick initial move that can get you off the line quickly, that can be the half second that makes the difference between making a play and not making a play.”

Asked whether he had any martial arts experience, Engram quipped: “No, but I got in a few fights when I was little.”

Hill’s back: Starting outside linebacker Leroy Hill returned to the practice field Thursday, albeit on a limited basis. He had been out since Saturday’s intrasquad scrimmage, when he hurt his hamstring trying to block on a 99-yard interception return by teammate Kelly Jennings.

Running back A.J. Harris, who was pursuing the play, “picked it up a notch, and I had to turn it up to another gear,” Hill said. “But it’s nothing serious. It’s not a pull; it’s a strain.”

Hill said that he has not heard if he’ll play in Sunday’s preseason opener, but he doesn’t expect the injury to limit him at all during the regular season.

Snip-snip: Cornerback Marcus Trufant was sporting a massive afro at the cafeteria, and he wore it in a long ponytail at the afternoon practice, but the look quickly changed.

As of late Thursday afternoon, Trufant’s teammates were trimming his hair in preparation for a more clean-cut look.

Quick slants: Among the invited attendees at practices this week has been former NFL tight end Don Hasselbeck, who has been paying special attention to the Seahawks’ quarterback. Hasselbeck’s son, of course, is Matt Hasselbeck. … Hill was not the only Seahawks linebacker to return to the practice field. Niko Koutouvides (chest contusion) participated for the first half of the morning practice before taking off his pads. … Defensive tackle Chartric Darby, tight end Will Heller and defensive end Eric Taylor were not at Thursday’s afternoon practice, but no injury information was available because of Holmgren’s absence.