KIRKLAND — When Seattle Seahawks receiver Deion Branch found out that he wasn’t going to be cleared to play in last Saturday’s playoff opener due to a calf injury, he had one request of his teammates.
“I asked the guys before the game to come out and give me another opportunity to play a game,” Branch said on Wednesday. “They did that, so now I have to play. No ifs, ands or buts — I have to.”
Branch took a step in that direction by taking part in his first practice in two weeks on Wednesday afternoon. Although he didn’t finish the session, Branch said his calf felt fine and added that he will definitely be on the field Saturday in Green Bay.
“There’s no doubt,” he said of playing against the Packers in a second-round playoff game. “I’ll be out there this week.”
The Seahawks’ receiving corps has done just fine without Branch, but his return would be a welcome addition.
Offensive coordinator Gil Haskell said he’s looking forward to seeing Branch back on the field for a game.
“He looked so good (at Wednesday’s practice) he teased me to death,” Haskell said. “He’s a quick bugger, with great hands, and he moves so fast. Then he’d miss four or five plays.
“We’ve got to bring him along slowly. But he teased me, which means he did good.”
While the Seahawks welcomed back Branch, they were still without defensive end Patrick Kerney and left tackle Walter Jones during Wednesday’s practice. Kerney is nursing a sore left knee, while Jones has taken plenty of practices off in recent weeks to rest sore shoulders.
Coach Mike Holmgren said he expects both players to be available for Saturday’s game. The same goes for defensive tackle Rocky Bernard (groin) and backup linebacker Niko Koutouvides (knee), both of whom were also held out of Wednesday’s practice.
The new Favre? Holmgren has been asked dozen of times over the years to compare quarterbacks Matt Hasselbeck and Brett Favre. Wednesday marked the first time he actually made a comparison.
Asked during his Wednesday press conference which is the better quarterback, Holmgren paused for several seconds before answering.
“I think when it comes to natural ability, I think it would be hard to find anybody as talented as Brett, honest to goodness,” Holmgren said. “His natural ability, God-given ability is pretty unique. I will say this: as important as Brett is to the Packers, that’s how important Matt is to us.”
Holmgren added that Hasselbeck’s ascension into a Pro Bowl player has been more impressive because of where he started. While Favre was a second-round pick who had plenty of early success, Hasselbeck was a sixth-round pick that took a little more time to find his groove.
Lambeau eat: In the Packers’ last playoff game, then-Minnesota receiver Randy Moss pretended to drop his pants and moon the Lambeau Field crowd.
Seahawks safety Deon Grant might do him one better.
When asked Wednesday about Green Bay’s so-called Cheeseheads, Grant said: “There are going to be a lot of them. I might eat some of them.”
The eight-year veteran doesn’t seem to be intimidated by Lambeau, the Packers or Favre.
“I’m going to try and get as many interceptions as I can from him,” he said of the Packers’ record-setting quarterback. “He’s a great quarterback, and he’s got a lot of passing records, but at the same time he’s broken the interception record too.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for the guy, but when I put my chinstrap on Saturday, all that goes out the window.”
When asked about playing at Lambeau, he offered: “It’s not our field. This is our field here. We’re going out there to play ball, get the victory and come back here to celebrate with our fans.”
Pack and blue: The Packers have some injury concerns of their own, starting with cornerback Charles Woodson. He missed Wednesday’s practice due to toe and knee injuries, although Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy does not expect Woodson to miss the game.
“He’ll be fine,” McCarthy told reporters in Green Bay. “We know Charles will be ready to go.”
Wide receivers Greg Jennings (groin) and James Jones (hamstring) did not finish the practice after aggravating injuries.
The official injury report doesn’t come out until Friday afternoon.
Wardrobe experts: Holmgren and Hasselbeck spent a good part of their Wednesday press conferences talking about, of all things, clothes.
Hasselbeck recalled a memory from the 2004 playoff game in Green Bay, during which Holmgren told the sleeveless quarterback, in Hasselbeck’s words: “‘Hey, John Wayne, put some sleeves on.’”
Holmgren said he didn’t remember that exchange, but he did tease Hasselbeck about his wardrobe at Wednesday’s morning workout, which included one black stocking to cover a left leg that was still sore from a charley horse he suffered in Saturday’s win over Washington.
“The other leg, it was very pale, very bruised and he’s wearing black shoes,” Holmgren said. “Bad look for him.”
Holmgren was also asked about a battery-powered heater that kicker Josh Brown puts in his sweatpants to keep his kicking leg warm before games.
“I’ll tell you what,” Holmgren said, “if my biggest challenge preparing this team is to get a sock on Hasselbeck and batteries on Josh Brown, then we’re in good shape.”
Cold? What cold? Forecasts in Green Bay call for a high of 30 degrees and snow flurries this weekend.
But when asked about the conditions, Holmgren was succinct in his concerns.
“Weather,” he said, “will not be an issue.”
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