Branch may miss next two games

KIRKLAND — On the same day that one of the Seattle Seahawks’ most durable players retired, one of their most productive veterans was also shelved because of an injury.

Wide receiver Deion Branch joined fullback Mack Strong on the sidelines during Sunday’s 21-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and on Monday coach Mike Holmgren said that Branch could miss the next two games.

“I believe we’ll have him back after the (Oct. 28) bye,” Holmgren said. “He’ll miss the next two ball games, we’ll have the bye, and we’ll have him back after the bye.”

Branch sprained his right foot in the first half of the Pittsburgh game and did not return. He hasn’t missed a game due to injury since Nov. 2004, when he was sidelined with a sore knee.

Branch is leading the Seahawks with 22 receptions for 343 yards this season. He moved to flanker this year after spending most of 2006 at split end.

Holmgren said Monday that the coaching staff is considering veteran slot receiver Bobby Engram as a replacement, but it’s also possible that second-year player Ben Obomanu could make his first start this weekend. Rookie Courtney Taylor will also be part of the rotation, along with starting split end Nate Burleson.

Holmgren added that opening-day starter D.J. Hackett could return to action as soon as the Oct. 21 game against St. Louis. Hackett has missed the past four games with a high ankle sprain but appears unlikely to be ready for Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints.

The Seahawks haven’t had all six of their receivers healthy for a single game this season.

With Branch and Hackett sidelined Sunday, Seattle has just four healthy wideouts but could continue to use backup quarterback Seneca Wallace as a part-time receiver.

More Morris: Holmgren said that he hopes to give backup running back Maurice Morris more carries, but not necessarily because he’s dissatisfied with Shaun Alexander’s production.

“He hasn’t had many carries,” Holmgren said, referring to Morris’s eight rushing attempts in the three games in which he has played. “In any single year prior to this, he has carried the ball more. Even when Shaun gained all those yards (1,880) a couple years ago, Mo carried the ball. So I’m not doing anything different.”

Earlier in his Monday press conference, Holmgren expressed frustration with his team’s running game. The Seahawks ranked 23rd in the NFL in rushing yards per game (91.2) and 26th in yards per carry (3.4) heading into Monday night’s game.

“We’ve got to get it going,” Holmgren said. “We’re committed to it. We’re going to keep working at it: try and come up with some answers, challenge the players, challenge coaches, challenge myself.”

Alexander had just 25 yards on 11 carries Sunday. It marked the first time in 69 games that he failed to have a run of 10 yards or longer. His former streak of 68 in a row is an NFL record.

Second-guessing: Holmgren admitted that his emotions got the best of him during the Seahawks’ final drive of the first half Sunday.

Holmgren said he did not call a timeout when quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was sacked with 40 seconds remaining because “I got seeing-red mad, so I just kind of flamed out for a second.”

The Seahawks allowed 23 seconds to run off the clock before the next play, and eventually came up empty when Hasselbeck’s throw into the end zone was intercepted on the final play of the half.

“I messed up right there,” Holmgren said on Monday.

Line of the day: Short runs and time management weren’t the only issues the Seahawks had on Sunday.

The 21-0 loss to Pittsburgh was so frustrating that Holmgren didn’t want to watch the game film. He did, and summed it up properly.

“Straight to video,” he said of the film Monday.

Slump busters: The Seahawks’ next two opponents — New Orleans and St. Louis — are a combined 0-9 and looking for their first victory of the season.

The Saints (0-4) have just two fewer losses than they did during the entire 2006 season.

The Rams, who have played without Pro Bowl tackle Orlando Pace, running back Steven Jackson and quarterback Marc Bulger at times this season, are off to an 0-5 start for only the second time since 1963.

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