CHENEY – The Seattle Seahawks appear to have come out of Monday’s preseason opener without any major injuries, but they don’t quite have a clean bill of health.
D.D. Lewis, the team’s top reserve linebacker last season, has a lingering shoulder problem that raised concerns this week. Lewis had offseason surgery on his shoulder, and he began to feel soreness late last week. He did not play Monday night.
“I wish I felt better about his situation,” coach Mike Holmgren said Wednesday morning. “Right now we’re holding him out of contact and getting him used to a new harness that he is going to have to wear.”
Among the minor injuries suffered in the game, offensive lineman Jerry Wunsch’s could be the most problematic. He suffered an ankle injury that sidelined him Wednesday, and his status is unknown.
Safety Ken Hamlin punctured a hole in his right elbow during a collision with teammate Michael Boulware, but the injury is not believed to be serious.
Wide receiver Koren Robinson, who injured his quadriceps late last week, also sat out Wednesday’s practice.
Guard Steve Hutchinson, who missed two days of practice last week due to a strained calf, recently was with his wife for the birth of their first baby. He did not play in the game and is not expected to re-join the team until it returns to Seattle for Saturday’s game against the Denver Broncos.
Cornerback Bobby Taylor took the day off, which has been the pattern of this camp.
In all, eleven players were sidelined by injuries Wednesday, including holdovers Grant Wistrom (heel), Brock Huard (back), Anton Palepoi (hamstring) and Kris Richard (ankle).
On the bright side, four players returned to the practice field. Quarterback Trent Dilfer (back), tight end Ryan Hannam (knee), wide receiver Taco Wallace (abdominal) and running back Clarence Farmer (knee) took part in Wednesday’s session.
Hannam, who had knee surgery last fall, passed his physical and practiced for the first time in 10 months.
Willis to start: Holmgren was so impressed with the play of second-year wideout Jason Willis against Green Bay that he plans to start him at Robinson’s split end position Saturday against Denver.
“He makes plays and does the right thing,” Holmgren said of Willis, who caught a 16-yard pass in Monday night’s game. “He catches the ball and makes things happen. There is not a lot not to like about him. I have to see now, when given the chance to play in the game more with our first group, what happens.”
Willis, a University of Oregon product, spent last season on injured reserve following a preseason thumb injury.
“It feels good to go out there and get a chance to start,” he said. “It’s an opportunity you definitely have to take advantage of.”
Jerheme Urban started in Robinson’s split end spot Saturday night. The Seahawks have plenty of depth at all three receiver positions, so they’ll probably give extended playing time to players like Willis, Urban, Taco Wallace and D.J. Hackett over the next two weeks.
Opening some eyes: While Wistrom continues to recover from a foot injury called plantar fasciitis, a pair of undrafted rookies have made impressions at the defensive end position.
Colorado’s Gabe Nyenhuis and USC product Omar Nazel have had strong camps while getting extended playing time due to injuries to Wistrom and Palepoi. Nyenhuis had two sacks Monday against Green Bay, while Nazel added a sack, a forced fumble and two batted passes.
“There have been a couple guys that, unfortunately, have been a little banged up,” Nyenhuis said. “But it’s let the young guys get a lot of reps in practice, and that’s helped us learn a lot.”
Nyenhuis got his sacks to open back-to-back series in the third quarter. He dropped Tim Couch for a five-yard loss midway through the third, then nearly had a safety when he brought down Doug Pederson near the goal line a few minutes later.
“It was great to get out and actually go against a different-colored team,” Nyenhuis said of his NFL debut.
Nazel’s sack came late in the first half, when he got around an offensive lineman in the Green Bay backfield and slapped Couch’s arm from behind, causing a fumble.
Like Nyenhuis, he’s trying to take advantage of any playing time he gets.
“I really don’t know what the situation is,” he said. “The only thing I know is that I feel in my heart that I can play football. Here’s an opportunity for me to showcase my abilities, and I’m just trying to make the most of it.”
Lesson learned: One of the few mistakes Seattle’s defense made Monday evening came during a fourth-and-6 on Green Bay’s opening drive.
Cornerback Marcus Trufant got his hands on receiver Javon Walker and was called for pass interference. The play was indicative of the league’s new emphasis on defensive backs making contact with receivers.
“That’s been a point of emphasis the whole camp,” Trufant said. “They’re going to call it a little closer, and I’ve got to get used to it and be able to play that way.”
Quick slants: Defensive tackle Rashad Moore was the recipient of the strangest interception of camp Wednesday morning. A Matt Hasselbeck pass got tipped by defensive lineman Antonio Cochran at the line of scrimmage, bounced between several linemen, then fell into the arms of Moore. The 324-pound defensive tackle threw stiff-arms at receiver Bobby Engram and running back Shaun Alexander as he cut toward the sideline on the return. … Alex Bannister and Jerramy Stevens each made nice catches in the end zone during Wednesday’s practice. … Temperatures were mild Wednesday, with a high of 88 degrees in the afternoon.
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