Linemen get no respect, I say, no respect

  • Todd Fredrickson / Herald Writer
  • Sunday, November 11, 2001 9:00pm
  • Sports

By Todd Fredrickson

Herald Writer

SEATTLE – There was a satisfied-looking glow coming from that part of Seattle’s dressing room wherein the offensive linemen were getting dressed after the Seahawks’ 34-27 victory over Oakland at Husky Stadium.

A team-record 319 rushing yards, one sack allowed, 34 minutes, 31 seconds in time of possession and a victory over a division-leading rival will do that to the big guys.

“You could be picky and say there were some plays (that didn’t work), but when you play a team like that that’s one of the best in the NFL you’ve got to look at what we did positive,” left guard Steve Hutchinson said. “When you rush for 300-some yards and pass protect fairly well you know you’ve had a pretty good day.”

None of the linemen’s names will go into the record book alongside running back Shaun Alexander’s after Alexander’s team-record 266 rushing yards, but that’s fine with Hutchinson.

“It makes you feel good. You know your part,” Hutchinson said of Alexander’s record. “Every time you hear the back’s name associated with the record you know you’re a part of that.”

Hutchinson didn’t shy away from the suggestion that the Seahawks offense dominated the Raiders.

“When you’re able to come off the ball and blow people up and get yards on the ground, maintain possession and keep your defense off the field it sets a tone for the game,” he said.

Leave him in: Left tackle Todd Weiner also had a rosy feeling after the game, and why not? The Seahawks improved to 4-1 in games he’s started while first-round draft choice Chris McIntosh battles a neck stinger and inconsistent performances. The Seahawks are 0-3 when McIntosh starts.

“I don’t know about that,” Weiner said when asked if he’s the key to Seattle playing well. “I’m happy for our line. It was a big challenge. Obviously, the Raiders are a good team. No doubt about it. They have a good defensive front and a great secondary. That was a great challenge for us.”

He said there wasn’t any magic potion that made the difference between Sunday’s victory and the Raiders’ 38-14 victory the first time the teams met this season.

“They pretty much dominated us when we were in Oakland,” he said. “They beat us up pretty good and that had a lot to do with pride today. We came in and said we’re going to have to be more aggressive. We’re going to have to come after them and not let them come after us. That was the one thing that changed. We were more of an aggressive team, I thought.”

Turnaround: Seattle wide receiver Darrell Jackson bounced back strongly on Sunday after turning in perhaps the worst performance of his two-year career last week against Washington.

Jackson dropped four passes and caught only one last week, but he came back Sunday with seven receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown, all in the first half.

The seven receptions were a career high, and the 102 yards marked the third time this season he’s topped 100 yards.

“It was a great boost,” Jackson said. “Last week I had some drops and stuff, but that’s football. It goes that way sometimes. I just picked my head up and forgot about it. That’s just a game. That’s not the rest of the season.”

You wouldn’t know it from watching: If you’re reading these glowing reports about the Seahawks and saying to yourself this couldn’t possibly be the same team you’ve seen on TV, well, you’re right.

It seems the Seahawks are a very different team when they’re televised in the Seattle area than they are in games blacked out at home.

Seattle is 1-3 in games televised live in the Puget Sound and has been outscored 98-40 in those games. In games that were blacked out locally, including Sunday’s, the Seahawks are 3-1 and have outscored their opponents 112-87.

Old records: Alexander’s touchdown run of 88 yards and game total of 266 rushing yards were both team records.

The 88-yard run broke the old club record of 86 yards set by wide receiver Joey Galloway on a reverse against Jacksonville in 1995, and the 266-yard total smashed the previous record of 207 yards in a game set by Curt Warner in 1983 against Kansas City.

Seattle’s team total of 319 rushing yards was also a franchise record, topping the previous record of 298 yards set against Denver in 1986.

No Randle: Seahawks defensive tackle John Randle’s streak of 183 consecutive games played came to an end. Randle did not play because of a sore left knee. Third-year player Antonio Cochran made his first career start as Randle’s replacement and posted the first solo sack of his career on the last play of the first half.

Raiders miss corner: Raiders cornerback Charles Woodson, the former Heisman Trophy winner and a three-time Pro Bowl selection, started the game despite a toe injury but was largely ineffective against Jackson. By the middle of the second quarter Woodson was playing only in nickel defense situations.

More Raiders owies: Three Raiders starters missed the game altogether because of injuries, running back Tyrone Wheatley (knee), linebacker Elijah Alexander (knee) and guard Mo Collins (leg).

Familiar face: Former Seahawks and Raiders coach Tom Flores was in the Raiders broadcast booth as he is for every Oakland game and said he loves the part-time job. “I get my football fix and then I go home,” Flores said before the game. Flores was Seattle’s coach from 1992-94 and general manager from 1989-94.

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