KIRKLAND – Contrary to popular opinion, there were no lemons or wiener dogs involved, nor was the Curse of Madden Football floating around the Seattle Seahawks’ practice complex like a ghost.
But the Seahawks received some black-cat-crosses-the-path kind of bad news on Monday when X-rays revealed a cracked bone in the left foot of Pro Bowl running back and league MVP Shaun Alexander.
Coach Mike Holmgren threw out a preliminary estimate of “at least a couple weeks” for recovery, adding: “I don’t think it will be real lengthy.”
But he later said that he did not want to estimate when Alexander might return.
“This type of injury takes a certain amount of time to heal,” Holmgren said. “For some guys, it goes faster.
“It is what it is. We’re looking at a few weeks, let’s put it that way.”
What is known for certain is that Alexander will miss Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears. The following weekend is Seattle’s bye, and after that his availability is still unknown.
“You lose the MVP for a while, it’s a hit,” Holmgren said. “But other teams deal with (injuries). We’ve had to deal with it before when players have gone down.
“Because he’s the most valuable player in the league, it will get noticed. But as a team, you only have one way to handle it, and that’s to just keep going.”
Alexander originally suffered a bruised foot in the season opener, but the injury worsened with each successive game. It was sore enough after Sunday’s win over the New York Giants that the team scheduled an MRI
Holmgren called the injury “a small crack in his foot,” adding that he would have more information later in the week. It is a non-displaced injury, meaning that the bone did not separate.
Without Alexander, the Seahawks will turn to Maurice Morris as the starter in Sunday’s game against Chicago. Morris had a career-high 288 rushing yards last season and matched his career high of 15 carries in Sunday’s win over the Giants.
Neither Morris nor Alexander was made available to the media on Monday because the players were given the day off. Holmgren said he has faith that Morris can fill in admirably.
“He popped a run to help us beat Detroit. He did some nice things to help us beat Arizona when given the chance. He’s a good pass receiver,” Holmgren said. “You know how I feel about Mo Morris. Now it’s his turn.”
Morris struggled in the win Sunday, rushing for just 18 yards on 15 carries, but Holmgren said that had to do mostly with the big lead and the Giants’ stack-the-box run defense in the fourth quarter.
“He’s fine,” Holmgren said of Morris. “I could have attempted to throw a few more interceptions, but I chose to win the ball instead. It was kind of stacked up in there, and that’s tough duty.”
Alexander has not missed a game in his seven-year NFL career. He’s started 40 consecutive games, including the playoffs, and played in 99 games in a row.
Last season, Alexander rushed for a franchise-record 1,880 yards and scored an NFL-record 28 touchdowns. He went on to earn league MVP honors.
Alexander has struggled this season, perhaps due in part to the soreness in his foot. He ranks 18th in the league with 187 rushing yards and averages just 2.9 yards per carry.
The timing of the injury is coincidental because Alexander is currently appearing in an ESPN commercial that accounted a fictional incident in which he slipped in his kitchen and was reported to have suffered an injury “involving a lemon and a wiener dog.” Alexander also appeared on the cover of Madden Football, which has developed a reputation for cursing players (see graphic).
The good news for the Seahawks is that Alexander will probably be back at some point this season, thereby allowing himself a chance to break the so-called curse.
But for now, the Seahawks are looking pretty cursed.
“Let’s face facts: he is the MVP. We’re not going to sugarcoat that,” Holmgren said. “But I do have faith in Mo Morris. … I hope to not change things too much.”
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