KIRKLAND – While the Seattle Seahawks had a rather routine practice session on Wednesday morning, they did spend a little extra time addressing one of their biggest weaknesses of the preseason.
Coach Mike Holmgren stood by, occasionally adding a few choice words of, um, encouragement, as the running backs worked on their blitz protection.
“It’s an area that I’ve not been very pleased with, to be honest,” Holmgren said afterward. “It’s something we can do better, so we have to practice those things.
“The things that have bothered me — not just off the one game, but so far in camp — we had better practice those more.”
The Seahawks saw several unexpected blitzes in Saturday’s preseason game, and the seven sacks allowed were a pretty good indication of how the running backs fared. Backup fullback Leonard Weaver was beaten on at least two occasions.
Weaver acknowledged that he can get better in pass protection.
“I think I can improve dramatically,” Weaver said Wednesday. “Any player can. But I just need to come out, focus more, and be even more determined to do what I need to do.”
Said Holmgren: “Leonard wasn’t a lone ranger in the game. Let’s not pick on Leonard. I expect him to play better; that’s real. No one really distinguished themselves in that area.”
If last weekend’s game was any indication, the Seahawks have a lot of work to do in terms of picking up the blitz.
“Obviously, the Green Bay game wasn’t a good game,” Weaver said. “But that’s something you can correct.
“It’s the preseason, so we’re still 0-0. That’s something we needed to work on, and that’s something we did today.”
Running back Shaun Alexander pointed out that most of Saturday’s problems in blitz pickup came when the first offense came out of the game.
“We picked up the blitz,” he said, referring to the starting unit. “Our second group, and third group, and fourth group didn’t. That happens sometimes. It’s preseason.”
:Healing up: Three players returned from injuries on Wednesday.
:The most notable returning player was starting linebacker Leroy Hill, who took part in limited drills after missing the previous 12 days with a hamstring injury. Holmgren appears to be getting impatient with Hill’s inactivity.
“You have to practice and you have to play,” Holmgren said when asked to give an assessment of his linebacking corps. “You can’t spend your life in the training room.”
Wide receiver Courtney Taylor saw his first action since the Aug. 4 preseason scrimmage. He has been hobbled by a knee injury.
Defensive tackle Marcus Green also returned to the practice field after missing the previous day with an undisclosed injury.
Among the players still sidelined are left tackle Walter Jones (sore shoulder), safety Jordan Babineaux (knee) and linebacker Julian Peterson (knee).
Holmgren said that Peterson is unlikely to play in Saturday’s preseason game but added that he expects the linebacker to return to practice next week.
Injury an “accident”: While quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is still miffed about the injury that caused him to miss four games last season, Holmgren refuses to blame Minnesota linebacker E.J. Henderson for anything that happened in a game last October.
“Sometimes accidents happen,” Holmgren said of a play that involved Henderson running into Hasselbeck’s knee and knocking the quarterback out for four games. “I don’t that kid tried to hurt Matt.”
A day earlier, Hasselbeck said he did not necessarily place blame on Henderson but that the injury could have been avoided.
Regular rotation: Holmgren said that Hasselbeck was unlikely to sit out a second consecutive game on Saturday.
:While the quarterback rested in last Saturday’s loss to Green Bay, Hasselbeck is expected to see extensive playing time this Saturday against Minnesota.
Most of the starters could play until early in the third quarter, Holmgren said.
Quick slants: Defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs (knee) should make his preseason debut on Saturday. … Undrafted rookie David Devine continues to work ahead of David Greene with the third-team offense and is expected to see playing time in Saturday’s game.
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