CHENEY – If the Seattle Seahawks were coming off a December victory, with only two full days of preparation before a huge NFC West matchup, they may have reason for concern.
But seeing as though they are in the midst of their preseason tune-up schedule, the Seahawks are taking things as they come.
“If you get too wrapped up in (complaining) about that, it can be a distraction,” coach Mike Holmgren said of his Seahawks’ short practice week. “I just choose not to. This is the schedule we have. We are going to do what we have to do, and then we’ll play the game.”
After a 21-3 win over the Green Bay Packers on Monday night, the Seahawks went back to work Wednesday morning. They will hold two more full practices today, a short walkthrough Friday morning, then will head to Seattle on Friday afternoon. The Seahawks and Denver Broncos play Saturday night at Qwest Field.
“The game plan for this game, we just aren’t going to add a bunch of stuff,” Holmgren said. “We don’t have time. The big thing I want to see is fixing the mistakes.”
Overall, Holmgren was pleased with Seattle’s performance in the preseason opener. The No. 1 offense went on a 14-play, 68-yard touchdown drive in the first quarter, and the defense kept Green Bay out of the end zone.
But there are still areas that need improvement.
Seattle’s patchwork offensive line, which was without three starters, struggled at times. Backup center Dennis Norman had an especially rough outing after playing well through the first quarter of play.
Norman got extensive playing time so that the coaching staff could get an extended look. He played all but the final series of Monday’s win.
“Anybody can go in there and play the whole game,” Holmgren said. “Playing the game properly, now, that’s a different deal. … I expect more from him, and I expect that he will be better in the next game.”
Another area where the Seahawks struggled was in the pass rush. Playing without prized free agent Grant Wistrom, Seattle’s No. 1 defensive line had trouble putting pressure on Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre. Rookie defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs got one sack in the first quarter, but the other five sacks came when the reserves were in.
There were more positives than negatives in Monday’s win. Seattle’s receivers generally hung on to the ball, which was a good sign for fans who tired of the constant dropped passes throughout 2003. And the No. 1 offense and defense had a lot of success during first-quarter appearances.
If there is any momentum to be gained from a 21-3 victory, the Seahawks will carry it into Saturday’s home game against Denver. But in a perfect world, they’d rather have a few more days to prepare.
“Everyone’s focused, and it will be good to see how everybody comes back and reacts,” cornerback Marcus Trufant said. “It’s the way it is. If we had more days, we’d like that. But we don’t.”
With just two full days of practices leading into their next preseason game, the Seahawks hope the quick turnaround keeps them going in the right direction.
“That’s what the preseason is all about,” fullback Mack Strong said. “You’ve got to be able to overcome those situations. If you can perform in tough situations like these, when the season comes, we’re going to be ready.”
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