KIRKLAND – Proving that he’s willing to try just about anything to cure his team’s road woes, Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren changed practice times this week. Instead of the typical afternoon practices Wednesday and today, the Seahawks scheduled 11:15 a.m. sessions.
“We were looking for ways to change the routine for the away games, and one of things we could do was move up practice to be a little bit closer to when we actually play a game,” Holmgren said, referring to Sunday’s 10 a.m. PST start time for a game against the St. Louis Rams. “Now, it might be a little bit like what color pants we are wearing.”
Mired in a two-game road losing streak earlier this season, the Seahawks turned to white pants in an effort to change their luck. The two-game trial basis produced similar results, so Holmgren went back to blue pants for Sunday’s game at Minnesota.
Now the road losing streak is up to five games, and the coach is grasping for anything to change the karma.
“We’re hoping this is part of the answer to us getting a win this week,” middle linebacker Randall Godfrey said. “You never know. You just keep trying things until you find the answer.”
Holmgren said that he considered flying the team to St. Louis on Saturday, one day later than usual, but opted to stick with the Friday departure so the players could adjust to the time change.
Springs back in lineup: Following a poor performance from cornerback Ken Lucas on Sunday, Shawn Springs looks like he is likely to return to the starting lineup this week.
Springs, who got benched two weeks ago, replaced Lucas with the No. 1 defense at Wednesday’s practice.
Lucas was in coverage on three long touchdown receptions in Sunday’s 34-7 loss to Minnesota, including two to Randy Moss.
“Last week I probably had the worst game of my NFL career, and I want to come back and put that game behind me and show people that I can bounce back from that game,” Lucas said Wednesday. “That’s an embarrassment. I hope I never have a game like that again.
“… I’ve got to put it behind me, continue to play and help my team win these last three games.”
A real Looker: The Rams boast one of the best receiving duos in the NFL, meaning their No. 3 guy often gets overlooked.
But St. Louis head coach Mike Martz has certainly noticed the performance of Dane Looker, a University of Washington product who has 38 receptions this season.
“He gives us three big plays, at least three, every week in some phase of the game,” Martz said. “As a receiver, he is our holder on the PAT and field goals, he threw the pass on the fake (field goal), he returned a short punt down to the 1-yard line against Baltimore, he is our flyer on kickoffs. I’m not sure, but he might even pump the ball up before games.”
Looker is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game due to a knee injury he suffered in a Monday night win over Cleveland, but Martz said he expects the 27-year-old to play against the Seahawks.
The Bulger factor: Figure this one out.
Rams quarterback Marc Bulger has a 16-3 record as a starter, yet has lost his last two starts against the Seahawks. He is 1-2 overall against Seattle.
Bulger started a December game last year, but had to come out after four offensive plays due to an injury. The Rams eventually lost.
He had a decent game at Seahawks Stadium earlier this season, but a late Seattle comeback left him with another loss.
“I’m going to give them credit,” Bulger said as to why the Seahawks have had success against him. “They are a good team, and they have been playing well this year.”
Reeves on his mind: Holmgren said he called Dan Reeves on Wednesday morning, shortly after hearing that the Atlanta Falcons’ coach had been fired.
“He is a really good man,” Holmgren said. “This time of the year, we all have to take a look at our own mortality, I suppose.”
Quick slants: The Seahawks’ injury list includes three starters who are listed as questionable: safety Reggie Tongue (hamstring), middle linebacker Randall Godfrey (ribs) and outside linebacker Anthony Simmons (neck). None of them practiced Wednesday. … The Rams will be without starting middle linebacker Robert Thomas, who is expected to miss four weeks with a torn groin muscle. Thomas is the Rams’ leading tackler this season.
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