Hawks gladly play their last at Mile High

By SCOTT M. JOHNSON

Herald Writer

KIRKLAND – The Seattle Seahawks’ chances of winning at Denver next year will increase dramatically. Call it addition by subtraction.

This weekend, the Seahawks will play their final game at Mile High Stadium, a facility where Seattle has won just three times in 20 games.

“When you go in there as the opponent, it’s a tough place to play,” Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said. “Will I be sad? Will I have horrible feelings that they’ve torn it down and built a new one? No.”

And Holmgren is one of the lucky ones. Last year was the first time he ever went there as a head coach. Keeping with tradition, the Seahawks lost.

But Seattle isn’t the only team that struggles at Mile High. The Broncos have an all-time winning percentage of .634 at home, the sixth-best mark in the NFL.

“We have a lot of blue-collared fans who love football and it is very important to them,” Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. “I think that gives you a big advantage. Football is very important in this town, kind of like a college atmosphere that helps as well.”

A new stadium is being built alongside Mile High, making the Broncos’ move a bit more smooth than the one Seattle is planning in 2002.

Watters misses practice: Running back Ricky Watters did not practice Wednesday, but he isn’t expected to miss Sunday’s game.

A toe injury that Watters suffered more than a month ago acted up before practice, so he was held out as a precaution. But he was not listed on the injury report and should play Sunday.

Watters has started 110 games, which is the NFL’s longest current streak for a running back.

Injury update: The only Seahawk listed on the injury report is quarterback Brock Huard, whose status is questionable because of a bruised kidney.

Holmgren said he hoped to suit up Huard as the No. 3 quarterback behind Jon Kitna and Travis Brown this weekend, but added, “I can’t say I’m tremendously optimistic at this point.”

Huard has not practiced or played since suffering the injury in the first half of a 38-31 loss to Denver 11 days ago.

As usual, the Broncos have a long injury list that includes 10 players. Three starters – cornerback Ray Crockett (hamstring), quarterback Brian Griese (shoulder) and running back Terrell Davis (lower leg) – will not play Sunday.

Running back Mike Anderson (knee), wide receiver Ed McCaffrey (calf/ankle), linebacker John Mobley (thumb) and defensive end Kavika Pittman (ankle) are among the players listed as probable.