Good day, bad day for Branch

Published 10:33 pm Sunday, September 16, 2007

GLENDALE, Ariz. — One of these weeks, Deion Branch will be able to celebrate without a hitch.

Week 1’s victory over Tampa Bay was good enough for the Seattle Seahawks’ starting flanker, but it could have been even sweeter if he’d caught a single pass. And Sunday’s game against Arizona was the most productive of his Seattle career, but it didn’t result in a victory.

“It’s no good,” Branch said after catching seven passes for a personal-Seahawks-best 122 yards in a 23-20 loss to the Cardinals on Sunday. “I can get 20 balls, but if we lose the game it doesn’t make a difference.

“It’s a Catch-.22. I’d rather win the game and not catch any balls than catch 20 balls and lose. It defeats the purpose.”

In the season opener, Branch saw his streak of 55 consecutive games with a catch come to an end. Coach Mike Holmgren took part of the blame, saying that his game plan did not have enough plays that targeted Branch.

Against the Cardinals, Holmgren obviously made an adjustment.

“We should get him more touches; that is what should happen,” Holmgren said Sunday. “Arizona played a different style of defense than we saw in the first week. You put those things together, and an effort on my part to make sure he does get those touches.

“He had a good day. I thought Deion played a good game.”

Branch did drop one pass, which was a fairly common occurrence for Seattle on Sunday. Tight end Marcus Pollard and sure-handed veteran Bobby Engram also dropped passes in the loss.

Running them down: Cardinals running back Edgerrin James rushed for 128 yards Sunday, marking the most the Seahawks have allowed since San Francisco’s Frank Gore put up 144 on them in Week 15 of the 2006 season.

James was particularly effective on Arizona’s final drive, gaining 22 yards on four consecutive carries to set up the game-winning field goal.

“You’re never going to see Edgerrin bust a big 40- or 50-yard run,” Seahawks linebacker Julian Peterson said. “But Edgerrin will get you a good 5 or 6, maybe 9. He’s a grinder, and that last drive showed that.”

The 128 yards marked James’ highest total since midway through the 2005 season.

“The running game is so important to this offense because it is going to free up (receivers) on the outside,” Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart said. “They put eight (defenders) in the box, and we still ran the ball effectively.”

Yac attack: During the Seahawks’ season-opening win over Tampa Bay, the passing game was effective if not spectacular. Receivers had just 57 yards after the catch in the game.

On Sunday, Seattle’s receivers were much more effective running with the ball. Their total yards-after-the-catch (YAC) was 115 yards, with Nate Burleson’s 13 yards at the end of a 24-yard touchdown reception and Branch’s 25 yards at the end of another reception serving as the highlights.

“That’s the key, getting the ball in their hands,” quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said. “To keep the ball out of their hands would be a mistake.”

12th Man, Southwest: Not that long ago, the Seahawks would play road games against Arizona in near privacy. But since the Cardinals moved out of Arizona State’s Sun Devil Stadium and into their indoor facility in Glendale, the fans have really started coming out.

The crowd also was a factor on the Seahawks’ final offensive play, which saw running back Shaun Alexander run the wrong way because he thought he heard an audible.

No returns: Thanks in part to two of the NFL’s strongest legs, the kickoff portion of Sunday’s game was a complete bore.

Arizona’s Neil Rackers kicked into the end zone on four of his six kickoffs, resulting in touchbacks. Seattle’s Josh Brown added two touchbacks.

The only missed field goal among their combined six attempts came when Rackers bounced a 53-yard attempt off the left upright at the end of the first half.

Quick slants: Middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu led the team in tackles for the second consecutive week, with a game-high 12. Tatupu also had an interception to set up a third-quarter touchdown. … Seattle added a new wrinkle in its defensive game plan Sunday, using defensive end Darryl Tapp as a linebacker on a handful of plays … The Seahawks’ inactive list included two starters, wide receiver D.J. Hackett (ankle) and linebacker Leroy Hill (foot). Burleson, who had a touchdown and another reception, started in Hackett’s place. Kevin Bentley took Hill’s starting spot and finished with four tackles.