ESPN NFL

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The Seattle Times names John Carlson the Seahawks' player of the game.

Aaron Fentress of the Oregonian says the Seahawks showed signs of a potential return to prominence.

710ESPN Seattle provides audio links to interviews with Matt Hasselbeck, Julius Jones and T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

John Boyle of the Everett Herald offers a Seahawks report card with an "A" grade for the receivers and tight ends.

Brian McIntyre of scout.com says 2008 first-round choice Lawrence Jackson made a positive impact for the Seahawks against the Rams.

Art Thiel of seattlepi.com says the Seahawks might have reason for optimism in part because of what Aaron Curry brought to their defense.

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times says Curry made his presence felt from the beginning. O'Neil: "The first defensive play of Aaron Curry's NFL career ended with a shoving match against Rams running back Steven Jackson. The second play concluded with Curry depositing St. Louis guard Jacob Bell on his keister. Consider it a strong message from a strong man. Seattle's rookie linebacker is 254 pounds of bad intentions until the whistle blows."

Steve Kelley of the Seattle Times says Carlson was almost solely responsible for rescuing the Seahawks from a shaky start.

Percy Allen of the Seattle Times says Nate Burleson proved he's all the way back from knee surgery. Burleson: "At the very beginning of my recovery when I had the surgery, I couldn't bend my knee and I had doubts if I could make it back. It was like Day 2 or Day 3, and the doctors said this happens every time, but in your mind you're thinking, 'I can't bend my knee. How am I going to be able to run again? How am I going to be able to jump again? How am I going to be able to move and shake again?"

Jerry Brewer of the Seattle Times says a nasty defense marked Jim Mora's first game as the Seahawks' head coach. Brewer: "The Seahawks played with an edge, with nastiness. They played with charisma. They attacked the game, even when things weren't going their way. Their defense frustrated the Rams all afternoon. And when the offense found rhythm after three turnovers in the game's first 12 minutes, a rickety game turned into a rout."

Ryan Divish of the Tacoma News Tribune says injuries to Leroy Hill and Lofa Tatupu did not appear to be serious.

Also from Divish: Burleson bounces back.

More from Divish: assessing Curry's impact.

Joe Barrentine of the Tacoma News Tribune put together a Seahawks photo gallery for Week 1.

Don Ruiz of the Tacoma News Tribune quotes the Rams' Jackson as calling Curry a "natural rusher" for Seattle.

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune says the Seahawks showed progress toward mastering Greg Knapp's zone blocking scheme. Tackle Sean Locklear: "We'd rather run block than pass block any day. It’s good to know that we can help ourselves, and it's up to us now. If it keeps getting worse, you’ve got to pass the ball. But we kept getting runs here and there and it looking promising."

Also from Williams: Mora used the word "surreal" to describe his first regular-season game as Seahawks coach.