SEATTLE — For a rivalry that was once known for its high-caliber wide receivers, today’s installment of the Seattle Seahawks-St. Louis Rams feud is not what it once was.
The Seahawks could be without their two starting receivers for the second week in a row — Deion Branch is out with a sprained foot, while D.J. Hackett is questionable after missing five games with a high ankle sprain.
Rams stars Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce have also been hobbled by injuries this week, although both are expected to play. The Rams’ next two receivers — Drew Bennett and Dane Looker — are questionable, while receiver/return man Dante Hall is out with an ankle injury.
Throw in the departures of ex-Seahawk Darrell Jackson, and ex-Rams Shaun McDonald and Kevin Curtis, and this rivalry might look a bit different when the teams play at Qwest Field today.
The Seahawks could really use Hackett and Branch right now, even though they put up their best passing numbers of the season last week. Youngsters Ben Obomanu and Courtney Taylor are still learning on the job, and the coaches have expressed frustration with starting split end Nate Burleson.
Seattle has used different combinations of receivers in four of its six games. Backup quarterback Seneca Wallace, who made his season debut at receiver in Week 4, has seen action at that position in each of the past three games.
The one constant this year has been Bobby Engram. Not only is he Seattle’s leading receiver — his 28 receptions rank 10th in the NFC — but the veteran also matched his Seahawks-best with nine receptions as the starting flanker last week. It was the first time since the 2005 season that Engram started in anything other than three-receiver sets since the 2005 season.
“I feel like I could do that every week if given the opportunity,” Engram said last Thursday. “But I am a realist. I know we have other good receivers. We spread the ball around. That is the nature of the offense.
“But I feel like a starter. I view myself as a starter even when I don’t start.”
While the Seahawks are satisfied with Engram’s performance, coach Mike Holmgren admitted last week that he’s looking for more out of Burleson. Holmgren said that Burleson needs to “be a little more consistent,” especially in his route-running.
With the exception of Engram, the Seahawks’ receiving corps is still struggling to find its groove.
“They’re trying to do the right thing and trying to do it right,” Holmgren said. “Where it breaks down on occasion is the familiarity between the quarterback (Matt Hasselbeck) and the receivers because they haven’t played a lot.
“Our motto around here is that if a guy goes down the next guy steps up and keeps playing. So they’re doing the best they can.”
While Hasselbeck is looking for big things from whatever receivers are available this week, he doesn’t need to match the 362 passing yards he had in last Sunday’s loss to New Orleans.
“Usually when you’re down, the quarterback throws for a lot of yards,” Hasselbeck said. “Hopefully, I don’t throw for a lot of yards this week. “I think we all know that we can do that. We’re capable of doing that but we’re also capable of being balanced, and I think that’s what we’d like to do.”
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