RENTON — In a season going nowhere on the field, a few Seattle Seahawks found a good way to stir up some off-the-field fuss this week.
Wide receivers Nate Burleson, Deion Branch and T.J. Houshmandzadeh were on Seattle radio station KJR on Tuesday night, and they openly and repeatedly criticized earlier comments from Seattle radio and TV football analyst Hugh Millen and KJR host Ian Furness.
Millen — a former University of Washington and longtime NFL quarterback — was contacted by the station and ended up going on the air to argue with the three by telephone.
On Wednesday, Millen showed up at practice and talked at length with Houshmandzadeh after the workout.
The squabble was brought about by comments made by Millen and Furness critical of the Seahawks’ offense. The remarks were, according to the three players, unwarranted and in some instances simply untrue. They also questioned how much Millen knows about football — absurd, really, since he was on NFL rosters for 11 seasons — and tried to belittle his insight by citing some of his less-than-stellar career statistics.
Millen defended his comments, both on the air and in his Wednesday discussion with Houshmandzadeh.
In remarks to reporters after Wednesday’s practice, and following his meeting with Millen, the always talkative Houshmandzadeh said he spoke up on the air because “that’s how I am. I don’t like bullies.”
He also said that he doesn’t dislike Millen “because I don’t know him (well enough) to dislike him.”
In their post-practice chat, which lasted about 20 minutes, “I saw his point and I told him my point. Period.
“I’m just defending my teammates on certain things that I didn’t think were factual or correct,” Houshmandzadeh said.
Meanwhile, Seahawks coach Jim Mora tried to stay away from the fray.
Asked about the on-air tiff, Mora said only: “I’m sure it was good radio.”
Double trouble
Running back Chris Johnson is not Tennessee’s only offensive threat. There is also quarterback Vince Young, who is blossoming in his fourth NFL season.
Young doesn’t have big passing statistics, in part because he missed four games with injuries and also because the Titans rush Johnson so often. “But the guy’s a super talent,” Mora said.
“He has great escape ability,” he added. “There’ll be times just because of sheer athleticism that he gets out (from the pass rush). And we have to minimize those times.”
“Vince Young is coming along as a quarterback,” added Seahawks linebacker Leroy Hill. “Which is scary because he already had the athleticism with his legs. He’s a good player and he’s coming into his own.”
Injury report
Seattle’s injury picture remained mostly unchanged Wednesday from earlier in the week. Burleson will miss this week’s game because of a high ankle sprain, linebacker Aaron Curry is doubtful with a hip pointer, running back Julius Jones is questionable with a rib injury, and cornerback Josh Wilson is questionable with a hip pointer.
Hill awoke Wednesday with swelling in his knee. He was held out of practice, but is expected to play Sunday. Also, wide receiver Ben Obomanu, who did not play against Green Bay due to a hamstring injury, is expected to return on Sunday.
Wide receiver Mike Hass, who suffered a dislocated shoulder on the opening kickoff of last Sunday’s game, was placed on injured reserve Wednesday. He will be replaced on the active roster by offensive lineman Trevor Canfield. Canfield was a 2009 seventh-round draft pick of the Arizona Cardinals, and had been on the team’s practice squad.
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