KIRKLAND – When addressing some of his team’s concerns Monday, Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren was quick to point toward a need for more consistent special teams play.
That may be difficult, seeing as how the Seahawks are running out of people to play special teams.
By the end of Sunday’s 23-17 win over Carolina, the Seahawks were down a punter, a holder, a punt returner, a kickoff returner and – perhaps most devastating of all – a Pro Bowl cover man. Captain and Pro Bowler Alex Bannister broke his collarbone Sunday and is expected to be out for the season.
“Unfortunately, that’s a part of the game – especially on special teams,” reserve tight end Ryan Hannam said. “You get some real physical plays out there, where guys go down.
“Al was our leader on special teams. He really sets the example and sets a tone as far as what we need to do. Some teams lose their quarterback, and the next guy has to step up. Now we’ve got a handful of guys (on special teams) that have to pick up the slack and make up for Al that way.”
Punter Tom Rouen was placed on injured reserve with a pulled hamstring last Friday, and Bannister could join him this week following Sunday’s injury. Bannister played the important role of “gunner” on punts, with two kicks downed inside the 5-yard line this year.
As the injuries pile up – six players were hurt in Sunday’s win – no unit has been as directly affected as Seattle’s special teams.
“We’ve had to shuffle players in, but that’s the name of the game,” said cornerback Kris Richard, a special teamer who got pressed into duty as a punt returner Sunday. “Guys just have to focus in on being prepared to play when they’re called upon.”
The rotating special teams personnel has already proved costly:
* Rookie Donnie Jones, who took over for Rouen three weeks ago, had a key punt blocked in the loss to Arizona.
* Hasselbeck took over for Rouen as the holder and mishandled a snap in Sunday’s game, thwarting a chance for a field goal late in the game.
* Due to Bobby Engram’s ankle injury and a concussion suffered by Maurice Morris, the Seahawks were down to their third punter return man (Richard) and a backup kickoff returner (Kerry Carter). That resulted in 17.7 yards per kickoff return and two fair catches on three Carolina punts.
* During one punt return Sunday, the Seahawks had just 10 men on the field. While the mishap was due mainly to miscommunication, it might as well have been because only 10 healthy bodies were available to play.
Injuries have been a major factor in the Seahawks ranking among the bottom half of the NFL in punt return average, kickoff coverage and opponents’ net punt yardage.
“It’s not forgiving, so you can sit and cry about it or you can make adjustments,” special teams coach Mark Michaels said of the injury bug. “That’s basically where we’re at right now, and that’s what we’ve got to do.”
The status of several other key players is also up in the air because of injury. Starting left guard Steve Hutchinson and wide receiver Darrell Jackson were on crutches Monday, while Jerry Rice was walking gingerly after all three suffered ankle injuries the previous day. Holmgren is holding out hope that they will be available later in the week.
He is also crossing his fingers that someone among the group of Engram (ankle), Anthony Simmons (shoulder) and Chris Terry (shoulder) will return after missing the past two games.
“I don’t know where exactly we are,” Holmgren said of the injuries. “It’s a little bit of guesswork right now.”
Hutchinson and Jackson said the next two days will be pivotal in terms of how much their injuries heal. Simmons, who underwent shoulder surgery 12 days ago, said that he has been lobbying to play but hasn’t been cleared by team doctors.
The most devastated position has been wide receiver, where only Koren Robinson is 100 percent healthy. The status of Jackson, Engram and Rice are in question this week, while even rookie D.J. Hackett has been fighting a nagging hip injury. If Bannister is placed on IR, someone from the practice squad trio of Jerheme Urban, Taco Wallace and Jason Willis might get signed to the roster.
“It’s all hands on deck,” quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said. “With (third-string quarterback) Seneca Wallace, Trent (Dilfer) and I were joking, ‘Hey, man, you might have to run some routes this week.’”
Most of those injuries will be evaluated later in the week, and the official injury report comes out Wednesday.
Notes: After his 100-yard rushing performance Sunday, Shaun Alexander is now tied for second in the NFC with 719 rushing yards. He shares that total with Green Bay’s Ahman Green, although Alexander has 12 fewer carries. Tiki Barber of the New York Giants leads the NFC with 748 yards. … Since going down to a hamstring injury three weeks ago, Rouen has moved from sixth to fourth in the NFC in net average. Rouen, who was placed on injured reserve Friday, averages 37.8 net yards and 42.0 gross yards per punt. … The Seahawks play back-to-back road games, beginning Sunday in San Francisco, then play five of their final seven at Qwest Field.
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