Blue-collar back

KIRKLAND — SportsCenter hasn’t led off with any highlights of Shaun Alexander breaking off long touchdown runs.

There have been no 266-yard rushing efforts, nor performances in which Alexander has five touchdowns by halftime.

This year, Alexander has been more of a blue-collar back, doing the dirty work without quite the pageantry.

"He’s doing everything possible to get all he can out of every play," running backs coach Stump Mitchell said. "He’s improved over last year."

The naked eye might not see much improvement in Alexander’s running. After all, the 26-year-old running back hasn’t had nearly the long runs Seattle Seahawks fans have grown accustomed to.

Four of Alexander’s runs last season went for 40 yards or longer, including a 58-yarder. He had four 120-yard rushing games, including three in the final six weeks.

This year, Alexander has just three carries that have resulted in more than 20 yards, with a long of 25. His single-game high has been 108 yards.

But Alexander’s overall numbers are better in terms of consistency. He has rushed for 725 yards on 176 carries, or an average of 4.1. At this point last season, Alexander averaged just 3.4 yards per carry while totaling 542 rushing yards.

The talk during training camp was that Alexander had changed his style, that he no longer sacrificed a possible short gain at an attempt to make the big play. Alexander appears to be running that way, as he has been tackled behind the line of scrimmage only 13 times. He was dragged down for losses on 35 carries in 16 games last year.

"Honestly," Alexander said, "I haven’t changed a single thing."

The changes in Alexander’s production come more from what the defense has been giving him. Mitchell said that opposing defenses are loading up outside in an effort to prevent Alexander from breaking a big run down the sideline.

"I think that’s smart," Alexander said. "If I get hot early, it’s going to be bad for a team."

Alexander has settled for the four or five yards available up the middle, something that he didn’t always do last season.

"If given a chance, he’s done what he needs to do to get back to the line of scrimmage and beyond," Mitchell said.

The adjustments of both Alexander and the defenses have cut down on his long runs. He didn’t have a 20-yard run until the sixth game of the season, when his 25-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter helped beat the Chicago Bears. Despite the lack of long runs, Alexander still ranks fifth in the NFC and has a respectable per-carry average.

"He hasn’t had as many big runs as he has had in the past," coach Mike Holmgren said. "And you need one or two of those, just one or two of those, and your average changes quite a bit. That doesn’t bother me."

Alexander’s average might look miniscule when compared to that of teammate Maurice Morris, who seems to break a big run nearly every time he carries the ball. Morris has averaged 8.5 yards on 22 carries this season, including a 43-yarder and three others that went farther than 15 yards.

Morris has given the team such a spark that Holmgren is toying with ways to get him in the lineup more.

"Down the stretch here, he might get some more touches," Holmgren said. "It’s a balancing act that you have to do sometimes when you have a couple good players at a position."

A nagging injury to Alexander’s left ankle could also be a factor in Morris seeing more playing time. The low-key Morris would appreciate more opportunities, but he’s not the type to lobby for them.

"When your number’s called, you go out there and perform," he said. "And when it’s not, you’re there to support your teammates. That’s the way I look at it."

If Morris continues to make big plays and Alexander continues to run consistently, the Seahawks won’t have many worries about their running game. Alexander continues to rank among the league leaders in touchdowns, so it doesn’t seem to matter if his jaunts to the end zone end up on SportsCenter.

And seeing as how five of his seven rushing touchdowns have been from the 1-yard line, Alexander hasn’t been quite as popular on highlight shows this year.

"A 50-yard touchdown is better than a 1-yard touchdown," Alexander said. "But a 1-yard touchdown is good compared to none."

Notes: The league officially lifted the television blackout for this weekend’s game Thursday, although a limited number of tickets are still available. … Hall of Fame wide receiver Steve Largent will be this week’s honorary flag bearer, meaning he’ll lift the "12th Man" flag at Seahawks Stadium prior to Sunday’s game against Detroit. … The Seahawks are hosting a Special Olympics football camp at the team’s Kirkland headquarters from noon to 1:15 p.m. Saturday.