Names have changed

SEATTLE – Jerry Rice won’t be catching eight passes for 145 yards today.

Terreal Bierria won’t be giving up any momentum-turning touchdowns.

Barring a miraculous healing method, Julius Jones probably won’t be breaking out for 198 yards or three touchdowns. And even if he does, he won’t be doing it on the same Seattle Seahawks defenders.

When the Seahawks (4-2) and Dallas Cowboys (4-2) do battle this afternoon at Qwest Field, many of the names will have changed.

Last year’s 43-39 Cowboys victory on Monday Night Football was one of the most memorable games in recent memory. Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren can’t forget – no matter how hard he’s tried.

“It was awful,” Holmgren said last week of a game that saw Dallas come back from a 10-point deficit in the final 1:45. “That was about as tough as it gets. That probably was as tough as it got, ever, for me.”

The good news for Holmgren is that many of the faces have changed. Today’s game could include as many as 23 of the 44 different starters from last year’s game.

Twelve of the Seahawks’ 22 starters have changed since the Dec. 6, 2004, meeting. Eight of those are on defense, where only defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs, defensive end Grant Wistrom and cornerback Marcus Trufant are expected to start again today.

Five players who started for the Seahawks in last year’s game – Rice, Bierria, offensive lineman Chris Terry, defensive tackle Cedric Woodard and linebacker Solomon Bates – are no longer in football.

Seattle’s revamped defense has given up 302.7 yards per game this season, good for 13th in the NFL. The Seahawks ranked 26th in the NFL last season, allowing 351.3 yards per game.

Dallas piled up 405 yards on Seattle’s defense in last year’s victory, including 121 in the final 2:46.

“Last year’s defense was built just fine for Dallas’s offense; it’s just that we didn’t go out and execute,” Wistrom said. “What’s different this year is that we go out and execute and everybody does their jobs.”

In addition to the roster turnover, the Seahawks will also be missing three injured starters who played last year: safety Ken Hamlin and wide receivers Darrell Jackson and Bobby Engram.

Dallas has a few changes of its own, most notably with Drew Bledsoe now starting at quarterback and Torrin Tucker moving over to left tackle to replace injured Pro Bowler Flozell Adams.

The biggest question is whether the star of last year’s game will play. The Cowboys’ Jones had a breakout game in the nationally-televised contest, but it’s unclear whether he’ll be available for the rematch.

“I’d personally like to play him again for a little retribution,” Wistrom said. “But it doesn’t really matter. They’re going to run the same offense and hand whoever the ball.”

Jones’ main backup is Anthony Thomas, a five-year NFL veteran who signed with Dallas during the spring after being courted by the Seahawks.

Thomas could be one of 11 Dallas starters who are different from last December’s meeting.

Bledsoe, a Washington State University product, has come in and provided immediate stability. Bledsoe, who was released by the Buffalo Bills after the 2004 season, is currently leading the NFC with a 100.4 passer rating.

“I have always had confidence in” Bledsoe, said Cowboys coach Bill Parcells, who also coached him for four seasons in New England. “Drew has a little chip on his shoulder. He has something to prove. He is working hard at it. I think he has done a pretty good job.”

Last year’s starter, Vinny Testaverde, struggled for most of the December contest with the Seahawks before throwing a 34-yard touchdown pass to Keyshawn Johnson late in the game to spark the Cowboys’ comeback.

Not many of the names will be the same, but the first regular-season rematch brings Seattle hopes of a different finish.

“It doesn’t have anything to do with the players,” offensive lineman Walter Jones said. “It has to do with both teams doing well, so it’s going to be a great game. The object is to get the win, and they know they can win in our stadium.”