KIRKLAND – The Seattle Seahawks fared just fine when defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes missed three weeks of practices, and now the St. Louis Rams will be faced with a similar situation on the other side of the ball.
Head coach Mike Martz, who has been fighting through fatigue and a sinus infection for most of the season, missed Wednesday’s practice and is not expected at practice today. But the Rams’ coach said Wednesday morning that he will be on the field for Sunday’s game against the Seahawks.
“I’m sure I will be,” Martz said in a conference call with the Seattle media Wednesday morning. “I just need to kind of really take it easy and let my energy come back.”
After numerous medical consultations, Martz found out Wednesday that he has a condition known as endocarditis, which is a bacterial infection in the heart valve.
“This is something that, if you let it go, obviously it would become a real issue,” Martz said. “But they caught it early. Just what it does is, it really wears you out. It’s hard.”
Despite the condition, Martz was in good spirits Wednesday. Before leaving the office, he participated in the conference call with Seattle reporters, at which time he publicly announced his condition for the first time. At one point, he was asked how the condition affects him.
“You just start making dumb decisions,” Martz quipped, “like I did in the game (a 44-24 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday).”
Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren, who calls Martz a friend, was also light-hearted about Martz’s absence from practices this week.
“I don’t know how you swing that,” Holmgren said, “but that’s a pretty good deal. Yeah, take a week off and show up at the game.”
Holmgren’s Seahawks went through a similar situation when Rhodes missed practices the first three weeks of this season following a minor stroke. Holmgren missed a minicamp practice in June because of tightness in his chest, although he returned the following day.
While Martz was away Wednesday, linebackers coach and one-time Seahawks assistant Joe Vitt ran Rams practice.
Rouen returns to Seattle: The Seahawks swapped one veteran punter for another Wednesday, when they cut slumping Leo Araguz and re-signed Tom Rouen.
Rouen, 37, was with the Seahawks in 2003 and part of 2004 before signing with the Carolina Panthers as a free agent last April.
The Panthers cut Rouen after training camp, and the Seahawks brought him in for a tryout Tuesday. Rouen impressed the coaches so much that they decided to release Araguz, whose 34.7 net average ranked 29th out of 32 punters this season.
“If (Rouen and the other punters brought in Tuesday) had come in and not kicked well or been just OK, then we probably would have been more reluctant to make the change,” Holmgren said. “But there was an opportunity, a player came in, grasped a hold of it, and we made the change.”
Araguz, 35, has now been cut six times in his NFL career. This season was his first trip back to the league since the Minnesota Vikings released him in 2002.
The punter Araguz beat out at training camp, rookie Chris Kluwe, is currently leading the NFL with a net average of 42.6 yards. Kluwe was picked up by Minnesota after the Seahawks cut him.
Big day for Alexander? With the Seahawks most likely down their two starting receivers, and Shaun Alexander’s history of big games against the Rams, this Sunday’s game has all the makings of another breakout from Seattle’s running back.
But Alexander isn’t expecting a 40-carry, put-the-team-on-his-back kind of afternoon.
“There’s no use fooling myself,” he said. “If (the Rams) give us a bunch of guys in the box, we’re going to air it out. That’s just how it is.”
In his past three regular season games against St. Louis, Alexander has run for 126, 150 and 176 yards. But he’s not making any boastful predictions.
And he’s not overly concerned about Seattle’s receiver situation.
“I wouldn’t be scared if there were two high school kids from Bellevue” playing receiver, Alexander said. “We have a good game plan every week because we have good coaches. That’s the way it is, and we’ll be ready to go.”
Holt concerned about Koren: When Torry Holt was a senior at North Carolina State, and Koren Robinson was a freshman, the pair of receivers grew into a brotherly bond. So Holt was understandably saddened by the news of Robinson’s drug and alcohol problems that eventually led the receiver to get cut by the Seahawks over the summer.
“That wasn’t a good situation on his part, or anybody’s part, to be released. But at the same time, it got his attention,” Holt said in a conference call with Seattle media members on Wednesday. “So … I think it was probably good for him.”
Holt and Robinson have remained close since their college days, taking part in offseason workouts together in North Carolina. Holt has continued to keep in contact with Robinson, now with the Vikings, since the well-publicized offseason incidents.
“From talking to him (last month), he seemed to be a young man that was humbled by the situation,” Holt said. “He seems to be a little bit more rededicated and focused on his job at hand.”
Quick slants: Offensive lineman Floyd Womack was at practice Wednesday but is not expected to start in Sunday’s game. Womack missed the first four games with a torn triceps. … The Seahawks signed defensive end Alain Kashama to their practice squad and released defensive end Quinn Dorsey. Kashama had been on the active roster but was released Tuesday to make room for wide receiver Jerheme Urban … The Rams’ injury report included three starters: wide receiver Isaac Bruce (doubtful, toe), tight end Brandon Manumaleuna (questionable, knee) and linebacker Dexter Coakley (probable, back).
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