CLEVELAND — Two weeks have passed since the Seattle Seahawks last played a game.
In a way, it seems like two years have gone by since the Seahawks’ offense played its last complete game.
Seattle’s struggling offense hopes to get untracked against the Cleveland Browns this afternoon, and there are reasons to think it just might happen.
With one starting receiver (D.J. Hackett) back in the lineup after missing six games due to an ankle injury, and another (Deion Branch) due to return either today or next week, the Seahawks seem to be getting most of their pieces back into place. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck had two weeks to heal from his strained oblique muscle, and running back Shaun Alexander has had plenty of recovery time for the bone he cracked in his left wrist in Week 1.
In some ways, Seattle’s offense is as healthy as it has been since the season opener.
“We need all our weapons to play the game,” offensive coordinator Gil Haskell said last week.
The Seahawks have also put added emphasis on the running game, which hasn’t done much all season. Coach Mike Holmgren tinkered with different combinations of offensive linemen last week in search of an answer.
With a healthy receiving corps, and the possibility of a better running attack, Seattle’s offense could be on the verge of returning to form.
“We’ve been working extremely hard, but for whatever reason things just haven’t been as smooth this year as they have in the past,” said wide receiver Bobby Engram, who has caught 15 passes in two games as a fill-in starter. “I think we just have to keep it loose, keep working hard, stay focused and keep our confidence. It’ll happen. It’ll come.”
Seattle’s offense showed flashes of consistency in the last game, a 33-6 win over St. Louis on Oct. 21. The same could be said for the 23-3 win over San Francisco and the season-opening victory over Tampa Bay.
But even in those games, there were plenty of things to bring out that familiar red flush in Holmgren’s face.
The running game has been at the top of that list of frustrations. Seattle ranks 22nd in the NFL in rushing yards per game (92.6), 26th in yards per carry (3.5) and hasn’t rushed for more than 102 yards as a team since Week 1.
“If we’re going to have the season we hope to have, our running game has to get going,” Holmgren said last week. “You can’t be crazy about it and force-feed it to the point where you’re making poor decisions on the plays you’re calling. … But it is a commitment we’ve made.
“We’re working very hard on it. I think it’s very important for us to be able to do this better than we’ve been doing it.”
Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck expects the running game to get going soon.
“Absolutely,” he said. “I think one big run could do it. For the most part, we all know that we’ve been working hard, we expect to get better, (and) hopefully we can get a lot better — quick.”
The passing game has had its share of impressive stretches, but it hasn’t had the consistency the Seahawks desire. The entire offense has been prone to lapses that kill momentum, drives and, eventually, chances of winning games.
“I believe we’re capable of playing more consistently — consistently good,” Holmgren said, referring to the consistency his running game has shown on the other end of the spectrum. “If you do it a little bit, why not do it a lot?”
That’s the big question for the 2007 Seahawks, who continue to fall short of their goals. While their 4-3 record is good enough for first place in the NFC West, they’re looking for more on the offensive side of the ball. And maybe this is the week that it all comes together.
“It’s the right time,” Haskell said.
While Engram and Nate Burleson have done yeomen’s work as replacement starters, the Seahawks know that they need their top receivers back. The additions of Hackett and — eventually — Branch will be welcomed with open arms.
“In order to do this, you have to have good backups,” Haskell said. “But the first guys have got to stay healthy.”
Hackett hasn’t played since the season opener, so he’s eager to get back on the field.
“You feel like that guy that doesn’t get picked up on the basketball floor,” he said. “(While sitting out) I felt like: I got next.”
Hackett isn’t the only one who’s endured a long wait. The Seahawks have had two weeks since their last game, so they might have an extra bounce in their steps today.
“Guys came back refreshed, renewed, (and with) good enthusiasm,” Holmgren said of the bye week. “That’s what I was hoping for.”
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