RENTON — Opposing quarterbacks beware. Jim Mora is out for blood.
Or, to be more precise, he’s out for air.
Put a forearm in the throat of Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck? The Seahawks coach wants to see his team do the same.
Asked about a second-quarter sack in Sunday’s loss in Arizona during which Cardinals’ defensive tackle Darnell Dockett gave Hasselbeck a little extra curricular activity following a sack, Mora said that, if officials aren’t going to make a call on that play, his team will have to do the same.
“I don’t like it when it’s our quarterback, but if they aren’t going to call it, then I’d like to see our guys do it to their quarterback,” Mora said. “… I don’t know what the rule is. I haven’t heard back yet, so I don’t know what they’re seeing there, but if that’s not going to be called, then we should be doing it.”
Mora felt a penalty should have been called, “But if it’s not going to be, then we should be doing it.”
A reporter then suggested that a coach couldn’t advocate his defense taking extra liberties with opposing quarterbacks.
“If it’s legal I can,” he said. “If it’s illegal then it would be called. If it’s legal, then we should be doing it. If it’s legal. I would never advocate us doing anything that’s illegal, nor would I ever advocated us doing anything that would harm, intentionally harm, another player. But if that’s legal, if the league is not going to call that, then we should be doing it, because it has an effect on the quarterback when he can’t breathe. When Matt’s getting up (simulates gasping noise) and he can’t breathe, boy I’d like to see their quarterback doing that. It’s a vicious game, I’m not saying what anyone else wouldn’t say.”
That play was one of several — 17 to be exact — that Mora had a problem with from Sunday’s game. That’s the number of plays he sent to the league for review, more than he has ever sent as a head coach, he said.
Mora may have had positive things to say about the way his team played despite a loss, but he had no problem voicing his displeasure with referee Walt Coleman’s officiating crew.
At one point Monday, Mora was asked if Marcus Trufant, who was flagged for a pair of penalties and beaten for a touchdown, was showing some rust having only recently returned from an injury. Rather than talk about Trufant’s play, Mora used that as a chance to talk officiating.
“I turned in 17 plays to the National Football League officiating office today, which is probably three times as many as I have in any game,” Mora said. “So whether or not those were legitimate pass interference calls, I’m still waiting to hear back from league on.”
Asked if one was the pass interference call on the sideline when Trufant was guarding Larry Fitzgerald.
“The one where Fitzgerald grabbed him by the facemask and pulled his head down?” he asked rhetorically. “Yeah, I questioned that one. We’ll see what they say.”
Jones likely out this week
Running back Julius Jones has a bruised lung and is not likely going to play Sunday against Minnesota. Jones left the game in the first quarter with what as initially called a rib injury. He spent Sunday night in the hospital, and was scheduled to fly back to Seattle Monday.
“Yesterday after the game I said it was a cracked rib that was the problem, but in fact it was a bruised lung and potentially, possibly a cracked rib,” Mora said. “He’s OK … I talked to him this morning when he was at the airport and he was feeling better. They just took the proper precautions of not having him travel yesterday with that injury.
“At this point I would say it is unlikely that he will be cleared to play on Sunday.”
Assuming Jones doesn’t play, Justin Forsett, who rushed for 123 yards Sunday, would be the starting back, with Louis Rankin serving as the backup. The Seahawks will not look to add a back, Mora said, adding that fullback Justin Griffith could play running back in an emergency situation.
Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com. For more Seahawks coverage, check out the Seahawks blog at heraldnet.com/seahawksblog
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