SEAHAWKS NOTEBOOK

Published 11:37 pm Friday, September 12, 2008

RENTON — The injury bug keeps on biting the Seattle Seahawks, and not even the defense is immune.

On Friday, cornerback Marcus Trufant practiced with a club-like cast protecting a left hand that has what coach Mike Holmgren described as a cracked bone. Trufant is still expected to play in Sunday’s game against San Francisco, albeit with a less constrictive cast.

Trufant suffered the injury at Thursday’s practice, when he hit his hand on a teammate’s helmet.

“It’s just been one of those funny years,” Trufant said. “Guys are going down. But at the same time, you’ve got to play with (the injury) and make due.”

Trufant will join middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu in playing with a cast. The Pro Bowl linebacker suffered an undisclosed thumb injury in last Sunday’s opener and is wearing a small cast on his right hand.

The offense lost three starters to injury in the opener.

The good news for the Seahawks is that Trufant is not expected to miss any action on the field.

“We’re in the process of trying to evaluate what to put on his hand to protect it,” Holmgren said Friday afternoon, “to allow him some comfort but also to allow him to play.”

It won’t be the first time Trufant has played with a cast on his hand. He said that during his junior year at Washington State, he played two games with a broken right thumb.

“I’ve done it before,” Trufant said. “You just have to go out and play and pretend it’s not there.”

Both Trufant and Tatupu are listed as probable for Sunday’s game on the official injury report. Wide receiver Deion Branch (knee) is doubtful despite practicing all week, while right tackle Sean Locklear (knee) is also doubtful.

Wide receiver Bobby Engram (shoulder) and running back Maurice Morris (knee) will not play.

Payne, Taylor to start: While the Seahawks’ situation at wide receiver was still unsettled as of Friday afternoon, Holmgren did say that Courtney Taylor and Logan Payne are likely to start Sunday’s game.

Taylor started the season-opening loss at Buffalo and caught just two passes. Both he and Holmgren said that Taylor needs to have a better game.

Payne, a second-year player who spent most of 2007 on the Seahawks’ practice squad, is making his f irst NFL start.

“They’re the ones left standing,” Holmgren said, “so they’ve got to play.”

Also in the mix is Washington State rookie Michael Bumpus, whom Holmgren said could be called up from the practice squad today, and backup quarterback Seneca Wallace.

Veteran additions Billy McMullen and Samie Parker, who joined the team earlier this week, are still trying to learn the offense but could see limited action against the 49ers.

The position is in a state of flux after veteran Nate Burleson suffered a season-ending knee injury in the opener. Projected starters Branch and Engram are also hobbled, while third-year player Ben Obomanu is on injured reserve.

Familiar faces: While the 49ers have two new starting wide receivers this season, the new-look receiving corps won’t catch the Seahawks by surprise.

Former St. Louis Ram Isaac Bruce and ex-Arizona Cardinal Bryant Johnson have been in the NFC West for almost as long as Seattle.

“It helps from the standpoint that you know what you’re going to get from them,” said Trufant, who has waged many battles against both receivers over the years. “I’ve seen their A-game before, so I don’t expect anything different. As a secondary, and as a defense, we’ve got to match that.”

Bruce, 35, spent his first 14 seasons with the Rams. He has caught 61 passes for 813 yards and three touchdowns against the Seahawks over the years. Johnson played five seasons with the Cardinals, mostly in the shadow of Pro Bowl receivers Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. The two most productive games of Johnson’s career — in 2003 and 2004 — came against Seattle when he caught seven passes.

A rough ending: Seahawks defensive tackle Rocky Bernard said he feels bad for the way things turned out for 49ers quarterback Alex Smith.

The former No. 1 overall pick got placed on injured reserve this week, almost a year after Bernard delivered a hit that messed up Smith’s throwing shoulder.

“You always try to play aggressively, but you never want to see your opponent get hurt like that,” Bernard said. “We’re all in this for the same thing, for the love of the sport. And to see a guy go down like that, it’s hard.”

Shuttle is back: The Seahawks are offering shuttles from several Park &Ride locations, at a cost of $8 per round trip.

The shuttles originating from Northgate and South Kirkland Park &Rides are the most convenient for Snohomish County fans.

The service is scheduled to begin 50 minutes before kickoff and resume until 45 minutes after kickoff.

Return questions: The question about whom will return punts for the Seahawks in the wake of Burleson’s injury is a good one.

Holmgren refuses to make a definitive statement about which player will handle those duties, and the team closed the special-teams portion of practice to the media.

Wallace, Bumpus and Parker are the most likely candidates, especially now that Trufant has a hand injury.

Rookie Justin Forsett, who returned punts during the preseason, was released earlier this week and is now a member of the Indianapolis Colts.