KIRKLAND – The biggest day of his NFL career was followed by a little lecture from his head coach.
Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald
Seattle Seahawks kicker Josh Brown did almost everything right when he nailed the game-winning, 50-yard field goal in a 13-10 victory over Dallas on Sunday. The one mistake he made came immediately afterward, when Brown removed his helmet and threw it across the field in celebration.
That’s the part that led coach Mike Holmgren to give him some light-hearted advice on Monday.
“Some team lost a game a couple of years ago because a guy took his helmet off,” Holmgren told the media after talking to Brown. “There are rules against that.”
The play to which Holmgren referred happened in 2002, when Cleveland Browns linebacker Dwayne Rudd threw his helmet in celebration after making what he thought was the game-ending tackle. What Rudd didn’t realize was that the player he tackled, Kansas City quarterback Trent Green, had lateraled the ball to a teammate, meaning the play was still alive.
Rudd was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, and Kansas City kicker Morten Andersen was given a chance to hit the game-winning, 30-yard field goal in a 40-39 Chiefs victory.
Asked Monday about that game, Brown said he vaguely recollected it.
“I didn’t think about that at the moment,” Brown said of his post-game celebration. “Coach Holmgren mentioned that to me (Monday). He asked me why I took it off. He was making jokes. He asked me to keep it on next time.
“I took it off for a reason. Apparently, it’s a crazy thing for a kicker to take his helmet off after a field goal.”
Brown’s reason was that he once got buried under a pile of teammates after hitting a game-winning field goal at the University of Nebraska.
“I got piled on, and that is not where you want to be in that situation,” he said. “So I took my helmet off (Sunday) in hopes that (teammates) would just kind of ease up a little bit. It’s fine, let’s celebrate the moment, but I didn’t want to come out without any bruises or scars.”
So did it help Sunday?
“Not really,” Brown said. “I still got smacked around quite a bit. I should probably keep it on next time.”
Healing time: The bye week will allow some Seahawks time to get physically better.
Holmgren said that wide receiver Bobby Engram, who has missed three consecutive games due to cracked ribs, could be available for the Nov. 6 game at Arizona.
Cornerback Andre Dyson is also expected back from a hamstring injury, while several players who suffered minor injuries in Sunday’s game will benefit from the time away.
“We’re a little bit sore,” Holmgren said, “and physically we need the time.”
Quick slants: The Seahawks’ defense is now ranked 10th in the league in yards allowed per game (298.7). Seattle’s offense remains No. 1, averaging 390.3 yards per contest. The last time the Seahawks ranked among the top 10 in both categories was Week 11 of last season (seventh in offense, eighth in defense). … Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck fell from second to sixth in the NFC in passer rating (89.6). His passer rating of 62.2 on third downs ranks 13th in the NFC, ahead of only Chicago’s Kyle Orton (46.4).
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