RENTON — Yes the Seahawks got a big win Sunday, but a 41-0 victory over Jacksonville won’t satisfy anyone if they can’t back it up.
After all, the stated goal heading into last week’s game was to improve to 3-3 by the bye weekend, and beating the Jaguars only got Seattle part way to that goal.
“I want it to be more dire than it’s ever been,” Seahawks coach Jim Mora said of the attitude he wants his team to take this week. “A lot of times you walk in after a game like that and a coach says, ‘Hey, do it just like we did last week.’ I don’t want it to be just like it was last week, I want it to be better in terms of our attention to detail, sense of urgency, all those things. We’ve got elevate it every week.”
Mora emphasized that point when talking about how his team finished the game. He liked that his team didn’t get complacent and didn’t give up the shutout.
“We didn’t want it to be 41-7, I wanted it to be 41 to nuthin’” Mora said, slamming his hand on the table for emphasis.
But even if Mora isn’t satisfied, he acknowledged that things are looking a lot better now than they were last week. Not only did the Seahawks end their three-game losing streak in emphatic fashion, but division leading San Francisco also got blown out at home.
With those two results season outlook got a lot brighter for the Seahawks in a hurry. Of course a loss to Arizona this weekend will put the Seahawks right back in the hole they started to dig themselves out of with Sunday’s win.
“It’s only one game, but yeah, the cloud has lifted a little bit for us,” Mora said. “Not only that but we see good things on the horizon with some of the guys that we’re going to get back. We get through this game this week, have a heck of a week of preparation and play a real good game, have some success hopefully, get a week off, the bye week, where we’re look forward to getting some good players back on the field for us and who know what can happen? It’s a long season.”
Going against Arizona, last year’s NFC champions, Mora doesn’t think it will take much to get his team to put forth another strong effort.
“We’ve got to go out and we’ve got to back this thing up, what we did Sunday,” he said. “I don’t think it will be hard to get focused this week.”
Injury update
Matt Hasselbeck, who as it turns out has two fractured ribs, not one, came out of Sunday’s game fine, Mora said.
Tackle Brandon Frye, who left the game with a neck/shoulder injury, needs to undergo more tests before his status can be diagnosed, Mora said. Frye said the team will consider options such as signing another tackle, but that decision will have to wait until more is know about Frye’s status.
Reserve safety C.J. Williams suffered a hamstring strain, and could miss some time, Mora said. Other players injured in the game — tackle Kyle Williams (knee), Mansfield Wrotto (ankle) and CB Travis Fisher (hamstring/groin) — should be OK to play this week, Mora said. Two players who missed Sunday’s game are also expected back: defensive end Patrick Kerney and fullback Justin Griffith.
Linebacker Leroy Hill, who suffered a groin injury in the season opener that require surgery, could return to practice on a limited basis this week, but even if he does practice would not play in Sunday’s game. Hill is expected back for the Nov. 1 game at Dallas after the Seahawks’ bye week.
Seahawks lose Bennett
Rookie defensive tackle Michael Bennett, who the Seahawks waived to make room on the roster for Williams, was claimed by Tampa Bay. Bennett, an undrafted rookie from Texas A&M, made the Seahawks 53-man roster with an impressive preseason, but was not active for any of the first four games. Injuries on the offensive line forced the Seahawks into signing Williams off of the practice squad, and Bennett was let go to make room.
For more Seahawks coverage, check out the Seahawks blog at heraldnet.com/seahawksblog
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