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Tarvaris Jackson had struggled against the Washington Redskins amid growing concerns over his torn pectoral muscle.

I wondered whether Jackson might be better off sitting out the remaining games to avoid suffering an injury serious enough to risk his 2012 season.

Retired Seahawks fullback Mack Strong raised a compelling counterpoint when we discussed the subject on a pregame radio show. Jackson, in his own mind, could not take for granted a roster spot next season. He had to keep playing. He did just that and played well against Philadelphia.

That exchange came to mind Wednesday upon reading reports suggesting the San Francisco 49ers' Braylon Edwards planned to return from injury this week. Last week, Edwards felt as though some down time might benefit his recovery from knee and shoulder injuries.

Strong showings from 49ers receivers Michael Crabtree and Kyle Williams in Edwards' absence raised the stakes for the veteran wideout. Edwards' future with the 49ers is not secured beyond this season. He can take nothing for granted, particularly with the other receivers playing so well. Crabtree and Williams each had scoring receptions longer than 50 yards against St. Louis.

Perhaps Edwards can help his cause and the 49ers' red zone production.

Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has this to say about Sam Bradford from the Rams' player-run practices: "He has grown quickly and confidently into the job, and now is well on his way to the same sort of franchise quarterback/quasi-assistant head coach status that only the elite star QBs like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady hold." Bradford said he has tapped into unnamed players familiar with new coordinator Josh McDaniels' offense. Bradford: "I feel pretty good with it. I spent quite a bit of time (studying) since I got (the playbook). Now it's just a matter of getting (repetitions). You can look at something on paper all day and it will make sense, but until you get on the field and actually run through it a couple of times, you don't actually know how it will play out and you don't know what the timing will be. So the more you work on it, the more you get the timing down."

Bill Coats of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Rams rookies Lance Kendricks and Greg Salas are staying at Bradford's house and soaking up as much as they can about the offense while attending practices Monday through Thursday. Salas: "It's great to get out here, get to know the guys, and get to know the offense and everything we're going to have to be learning. You can see the difference with the leadership and the maturity of the men out here. I haven't got to experience a full NFL practice yet, with the coaches and pads and everything. I'm looking forward to that as well."

Also from the Post-Dispatch: a photo gallery featuring shots from practice. The second one shows Bradford holding up a play card for Trips Right 64 Bundle Flare.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch provides an overview from Rams practice. He lists all 30 players in attendance and notes that several others either arrived later Monday or planned to arrive soon. Linemen were not asked to show up because there wouldn't be much for them to do given the non-contact nature of drills. However, five offensive linemen were already working out in the area, so they showed up. Linebacker James Laurinaitis: "We got some good work in. There was a lot of timing stuff for the 'O' (offense). And some refreshers on the calls and stuff for the defense. I was pleased with the turnout."

Tony Softli of 101ESPN St. Louis offers thoughts and details from Rams practice. Softli: "All players were sent through foot quickness drills (a circuit), ropes, short sprints run over and around dummies in individual drill work. While Bradford put his receivers through a fast paced route-tree session and followed that up with a group session, his timing and anticipation was very good, crisp and accurate. Before they ended the last segment because of the storm that rolled in quickly, a 7-on-7 drill with the defense shadowing was running very smoothly."

Howard Balzer of 101ESPN St. Louis says Bradford's work ethic and status as a gym rat give him a chance to excel.

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com sees parallels between former Seattle receiver Bobby Engram and current 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh. Engram, now on the 49ers' staff as an entry-level assistant, also hopes to advance through the ranks. Engram: "Jim is just a football junkie. The thing that I really appreciate is before I signed up here I talked to him on the phone for about half an hour and he basically walked the exact same path that I’m walking now. He got done playing, went to Oakland for a few years, went to San Diego and coached there, went to Stanford and now he’s back in the league. That gave me a lot of confidence, just kind of confirming what I was thinking. Having him actually go through it, he knows what I’m going through. So I can go talk to him if I have any questions. He’s walked the path, and it’s a good thing."

Also from Farnsworth: a look at differences between the 25th and 35th all-time teams for Seattle. Mack Strong over John L. Williams was a tough one. Strong was so valuable as a blocker for some of the Seahawks' best teams. Williams was so much more productive as a rusher and receiver. Each went to two Pro Bowls.

More from Farnsworth: Former Seahawks center Robbie Tobeck has no regrets after walking away from football when he had nothing left to give. Tobeck: "One thing I really cherish about playing here, when you’ve got to work for something -- and we did -- there are always those challenges in your path. It’s so rewarding when you work so hard and you finally overcome that mountain. Then there’s another one in your way. But it was fun. It was a fun experience."

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune checks in with Seahawks strength-and-conditioning coach Chris Carlisle, who would be much busier if the lockout wasn't preventing players from stepping foot inside NFL team facilities. Williams: "I hate not being around the athletes and not being able to work with them. But instead, I’ve spent time reading, researching and figuring out how to do it better at this level than it’s been done before. And that kind of carries on what Pete talks about."

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com says the 49ers would normally be finishing up 14 weeks of organized team activities in early June, but the lockout has prevented them from practicing at team headquarters all offseason. Maiocco: "The only time the new 49ers' staff has been able to provide on-field coaching was April 20, when 50 NFL hopefuls attended the local pro day for draft-eligible players. Currently, approximately 15 players are meeting four days a week to work out on their own in the South Bay. They get together to lift weights, condition, throw and catch some passes, and socialize. They must be careful not to push themselves too far and risk injury. If a player sustains an injury during these workouts, the team would not be liable to pay his 2011 base salary."

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree plans to join teammates, including Alex Smith, for workouts in the near future. Barrows: "Chemistry issues between the two early last season led to a number of critical interceptions and to 49ers losses. Crabtree, the No. 10 overall draft pick in 2009, has never appeared in a preseason game. He missed the exhibition season his rookie year due to a protracted contract dispute that also wiped away the first five games of the regular season."

Daniel Brown of the San Jose Mercury News quotes 49ers cornerback Nate Clements as saying he plans to return for the 2011 season, but there's no word on how much of a pay reduction Clements would accept to make that happen.

Eric Branch of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat says the 49ers' Colin Kaepernick will try to buck a trend of underwhelming second-round quarterbacks. More here.

Mike Sunnucks of the Phoenix Business Journal says the Cardinals and other Phoenix-area sports franchises are redoubling efforts to retain season-ticket holders. Sunnucks: "Part of that Cardinals effort is to have sales representatives reach out to ticket holders to answer questions about the lockout and the Arizona team’s prospects next season. The latest effort in that strategy was Cards ticket reps calling season-ticket holders and prospective buyers after the NFL draft in late April. The Cardinals missed the playoffs last season after two straight post-season appearances. Season-ticket holders have until June 1 to renew their seats with the Cards, though the team may allow some flexibility. The team is promising refunds with interest if the lockout results in missed games." The Cardinals have sold out every game at University of Phoenix Stadium, but their 5-11 record last season could conspire with the lockout to put that streak in jeopardy. Making an aggressive move for a quarterback would help.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo remains determined to focus only on the next game -- despite all the possible scenarios for the postseason. Spagnuolo: "I just know that until they tell us that we cannot make it to the playoffs, that's what we're still shooting for. They haven't said we're out of it yet, and right now we have to win this next game, and that's all I'm focused on. I'm not trying to avoid any questions. That's just how I am, and to me, that's where you have to put it for your football team to move forward. Can't do scenarios, can't worry about who they scheduled. You've got to go out and win a football game."

Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams' third-down offense has deteriorated over the last several games. Miklasz: "I'm not suggesting that the Rams should go full-time with the no-huddle attack. But I'm astounded that they don't utilize it more frequently. The Rams had some success mixing in a few no-huddle plays early against KC. Then the offense really bogged down; the energy drain was obvious during one of the most frustrating stretches after the season. After taking a 6-0 lead with field goals on their first two possessions, the Rams went to sleep for eight consecutive series. (I'm not counting the one-play series at the end of the first half.)"

Bill Coats of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams are closer to getting tight end Mike Hoomanawanui back from injury. Coats: "Should Hoomanawanui be cleared for game action, he could solve another problem for Spagnuolo and his staff. Brit Miller, a key special-teams contributor, had taken over the fullback duties from Mike Karney, who was among the team's inactives the last four Sundays. But Miller tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in Sunday's 27-13 loss to Kansas City and will have surgery in about a month. Before Hoomanawanui was hurt, he was lining up at times at fullback, giving the Rams increased options with their play-calling."

Jeff Gordon of stltoday.com says the Rams' most recent performance has raised several questions.

Nick Wagoner of stlouisrams.com passes along a few Rams notes, including this one: "Sam Bradford completed 21-of-43 passes for 181 yards to give him 3,065 on the season. Bradford is just the third rookie in NFL history to pass for 3,000 yards and he now has the third most passing yards by a rookie in NFL history, trailing only Peyton Manning (3,739) and Matt Ryan (3,440)."

Also from Wagoner: The Rams feel as though they are in a must-win situation.

Brian Stull of 101ESPN St. Louis offers a Rams injury update. Chris Long has a thigh bruise.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com offers his player-by-player review on the 49ers from their game against San Diego. On Travis LaBoy: "Entered at right outside linebacker on the Chargers' second drive. He got pressure on Rivers to disrupt play, resulting in pass to Hester for 8-yard loss. . . . Got past Chargers tight end Kory Sperry to stop Tolbert for no gain. But Sperry rolled up on LaBoy from behind on the play. . . . LaBoy sustained a left knee sprain that will not require surgery. But because the 49ers determined the ligament tear will take 6 to 8 weeks to recover, the 49ers placed him on injured reserve, thus ending his season."

Also from Maiocco: The 49ers think Troy Smith would be less effective without Frank Gore providing a threat in the running game. I agree completely. Smith's success came when opponents loaded up to stop Gore. Once teams paid more attention to Smith, the quarterback's production diminished.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee offers thoughts on the 49ers' playoff prospects. Barrows: "The 49ers have finished the last two seasons with a 3-1 record, which they would achieve again should they win their remaining games. They went 5-1 in the division last year with their lone loss coming in Seattle. They also would duplicate that feat by winning out. To win the division, however, the 49ers also would have to break two ugly trends -- losing on the road and dropping games that begin before noon on the West Coast. The team has just one win away from home -- Nov. 29 against Arizona -- and they've lost four of their five 10 a.m. (PST) starts. Their only a.m. victory came in London, a game in which the team had six days to acclimate to the new time zone."

Taylor Price of 49ers.com says there's no game bigger for the 49ers than their matchup with St. Louis.

Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News expects the 49ers to stick with Alex Smith at quarterback. Also: "If the 49ers get to 7-9 and win the West, they’d get home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs, possibly against the defending champion New Orleans Saints, who very well could be 12-4 at that point and are currently Sagarin’s No. 8 team. This eventuality does not seem fair, as you probably have heard on TV, radio and in bar rooms across the nation. There may be rules changes on this in the future–maybe to erase the automatic home-field edge to division winners. But this season, it’s locked in. It will be strange, but whoever wins the NFC West will host a playoff game against a very good wild-card team."

Daniel Brown of the San Jose Mercury News sizes up the 49ers' playoff prospects.

David White of the San Francisco Chronicle updates where the 49ers stand heading into Week 16. On the team's game against San Diego: "The 49ers dropped to 0-7 against teams with winning records, which is the main reason they won't finish as one of those teams with winning records this season. This time, they got whacked in San Diego, 34-7, lowlighted by a failed 4th-and-goal from the 6-inch line."

Eric Branch of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat says Mike Singletary's struggles as a head coach are overshadowing his great playing career. Branch relates a story about the time Singletary kept playing despite losing part of a finger. Branch: "On Dec. 11, 1983, Singletary lost the tip of the middle finger on his left hand, had it stitched back on and demanded to return to Chicago’s game at Minnesota. Adding to the legend, a half-crazed Singletary returned with a wrapped-up hand and began screaming at Vikings offensive lineman Dave Huffman, telling him the Vikings wouldn’t score. Minnesota didn’t score. The Bears won, 19-13."

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com says special-teams captain Roy Lewis is headed for injured reserve with a knee injury. Also, Chester Pitts and Mike Gibson will remain the starting guards.

Also from Farnsworth: Seattle is sticking with Matt Hasselbeck even after the quarterback committed eight turnovers leading to 37 points for the team's last two opponents.

More from Farnsworth: a look at the Seahawks' opening drive to a touchdown against Atlanta.

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times offers thoughts on Hasselbeck's recent struggles. O'Neil: "For eight years Hasselbeck played for one coach in Seattle, and he knew Mike Holmgren's offense as well as any quarterback ever has. Now, he's using his second different playbook in two seasons. He was intercepted 17 times last season, the most of any year in his career. He has been picked off 17 times this season, making it he simply doesn't have that governor that kept him from going overboard in terms of his risks. It's unrealistic to expect offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates and Hasselbeck to have the relationship Holmgren forged with the quarterback over eight years, but something has got to change." The biggest change, I think, is the obvious deterioration in the supporting cast around Hasselbeck. He's no longer working behind an offensive line featuring Walter Jones, Steve Hutchinson, Robbie Tobeck and Chris Gray. He's no longer watching Shaun Alexander run behind fullback Mack Strong and that line.

Also from O'Neil: A Seahawks fan is suing Jets player Shaun Ellis for allegedly throwing a piece of ice into the Qwest Field stands two seasons ago.

More from O'Neil: Coach Pete Carroll is asking Hasselbeck to change his ways, but not his role.

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune passes along Brian McIntyre's personnel breakdown from Seattle's game against Atlanta. Aaron Curry played more than 93 percent of the defensive snaps. Seattle was in its base defense nearly 70 percent of the time.

Dave Boling of the Tacoma News Tribune offers pros and cons behind the Seahawks' decision to stick with Hasselbeck. Boling: "Hasselbeck said after the game that he’s learning some lessons. We might note that he’s 35, and has started here most of the last 10 seasons, which generally is not considered learning-curve territory. Carroll and Hasselbeck both theorized that he presses too hard and makes shaky decisions when the team is behind. But the team has lost 31 games in the last three seasons, so he should have experience in these matters."

Doug Farrar of Sportspress Northwest looks at Michael Robinson's varied roles on the Seahawks.

Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic says the Cardinals could be without Joey Porter, Early Doucet and LaRod Stephens-Howling after all three suffered injuries Sunday. Porter might have suffered a serious triceps injury.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic offers thoughts on the Cardinals' performance against Carolina. Somers: "Most of the offensive problems Sunday (and this season) can be traced to poor quarterback play. Rookie John Skelton, making his second start, made poor decisions, bad reads and missed open receivers. When the offense struggles, people first want to blame the play-calling. But that's hard to justify when receivers are running open without getting the ball, or dropping it when they do get it."

Also from Somers: Whisenhunt has ceded some of the offensive play-calling duties, something he has done periodically over the years.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says Skelton will remain the Cardinals' starting quarterback. Also, Whisenhunt saw some mitigating factors regarding Tim Hightower's latest fumble. Whisenhunt: "That was a tough play. He was scrambling to get something and it was a big hit … it wasn’t a strip, the helmet hit the ball and it came out and fortunately Steve (Breaston) was there to pick it up. There wasn’t much you could say about it."

Also from Urban: Whisenhunt uses the word "painful" to describe the Cardinals' season.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt is scheduled to report for jury duty Thursday after receiving an extension for a June appearance that fell during his vacation. The same thing happened to me this June. I got an extension and reported last week, but was not asked to serve. The rest of the NFC West probably wouldn't mind if Whisenhunt wound up being sequestered for the next sixth months -- or seven, just to be safe.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com profiles five potential breakout players for the Cardinals, including potential starting right tackle Brandon Keith. Urban: "Coaches like how Keith has progressed in his first two seasons on the practice field and he hasn’t done anything to deter that thought this offseason. If he does become a steady performer, it bodes well for the thought process of taking an offensive lineman late in the draft (Keith was a seventh-rounder) and patiently letting him prepare to play."

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch takes a closer look at the Rams' new contract with safety Oshiomogho Atogwe. Thomas: "Even though Atogwe isn't due the $8 million until after the 2010 season, that money counts against this season's payroll. True, there is no salary cap this year. But if there is one in 2011, the Rams won't have to count that $8 million against the '11 cap, in theory freeing up more money to sign players. No matter how it's counted, the Rams still have to shell out $8 million in late February if they want to keep Atogwe. And that's a lot of money."

Kevin Lynch of Niner Insider explains why he thinks Shawntae Spencer should receive a new contract from the 49ers. Lynch: "If I'm the 49ers, I'd gleefully tear up the outdated extension and sign Spencer to a sparkling new contract. Consider that Spencer not only understands the team's defense, he embraces it, even though that often entails subjugating personal glory for the team concept. In today's era of the me-first athlete, this is a revelation." Spencer's current deal, renegotiated in 2006, runs through the 2012 season. It features base salaries of $2.85 million, $3.1 million and $3.2 million.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com takes a look at the Seahawks. Maiocco: "The Seahawks are a clear-cut No. 3 in the division. It'll take a while for the organization to improve its talent level. That will be one of the jobs entrusted to former 49ers general manager Scot McCloughan, whom the Seahawks hired this offseason as senior personnel executive."

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com says Pete Carroll's new book debuted at No. 7 on The New York Times' list of best-selling self-help books.

Also from Farnsworth: a profile on Seahawks assistant coach and former 49ers linebacker Jeff Ulbrich. Former Seahawks fullback Mack Strong had this to say: "Whenever we would play them and you’d get the scouting report, it always said you’d better bring your lunch pail because he’s going to be there all day long. He wasn’t one of those guys who was the biggest, or the fastest, or the strongest. But when you talk about consistency, he was in the right place at the right time. And he was always going to give you a run for your money. I always appreciated our battles, because he made me better."

Notable players: LT Walter Jones, LG Steve Hutchinson, C Robbie Tobeck, RB Shaun Alexander, QB Matt Hasselbeck, FB Mack Strong, MLB Lofa Tatupu, RCB Marcus Trufant, WR Bobby Engram, WR Darrell Jackson, WR Joe Jurevicius

Analysis: The 2005 Seattle Seahawks were the only team in franchise history to win more than 12 regular-season games. They were the only Seahawks team to appear in a Super Bowl, the only one to lead the NFL in points per game or to place more than two offensive linemen in a Pro Bowl.

This was the best team in franchise history by the critical measures. It had a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback, the best offensive line in the NFL, the league MVP at running back and a defense that played its best where it mattered -- in the red zone. Rookie middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu brought direction to a defense lacking leadership.

Coach Mike Holmgren always said he needed his best players to be at their best for a team to approach its potential. This team had that, but clutch contributions from role players sent the 2005 squad on its way.

Receiver Joe Jurevicius added toughness at receiver while catching 10 touchdown passes, offsetting injuries to Darrell Jackson and Bobby Engram.

On defense, backup cornerback Jordan Babineaux made a season-altering play by picking off Drew Bledsoe with 14 seconds remaining during a 13-10 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 7. Seattle had lost two of its first four games that season. Beating the Cowboys heading into the bye was important, but the matter in which Seattle won the game proved transforming.

"My hope is that every time you can win a game like this where it looked a little grim for a while but they you pull it out, it really helps you down the road," Holmgren said afterward. "It really helps your confidence. Organizations need to win games like this at some point."

The Seahawks had tied the score with 46 seconds remaining on Hasselbeck's 1-yard touchdown pass to backup tight end Ryan Hannam (after another backup, receiver Jerheme Urban, made a 22-yard reception at the 2-minute warning). Babineaux returned Bledsoe's pass 25 yards, getting out of bounds in time for Josh Brown to kick the winning field goal as time expired.

Most impressive win: The 2005 team was at its dominant best during a 34-14 victory over the Carolina Panthers in the NFC title game.

Advanced chemistry: Teams release injured backups regularly without repercussions, but veteran players protested when management released Urban instead of placing him on injured reserve following a foot injury in November. Urban had made an impression on teammates while catching seven passes for 151 yards. Management gave in to Seattle's veteran leadership, rescinding Urban's release and placing him on IR. The unusual move reflected the strength of the Seattle locker room during a special season.

Honorable mention

1984: This was the only team in franchise history to rank among the NFL's top five in points scored and points allowed. Kenny Easley was the NFL's defensive player of the year. Steve Largent and Daryl Turner combined for 22 touchdown receptions. Defensive ends Jeff Bryant and Jacob Green combined for 27.5 sacks.

1983: Other Seattle teams had better regular-season records, but the 1983 team recorded two playoff wins, including an upset shocker in Miami. The 2005 Seahawks were the only other Seattle team with more than one victory in the same postseason.

2007: Losing Hutchinson during the previous offseason hurt, but Hasselbeck set a career high with 28 touchdown passes.

The Seahawks' have put together a video highlight package commemorating Walter Jones' career as part of his official retirement announcement.


Some of the best highlights are near the end, including one featuring Jones driving his man 10-plus yards down the field, then driving him into the turf at Qwest Field.

The Seahawks have produced another video (updated link) with comments from former teammates Mack Strong, Steve Hutchinson, Robbie Tobeck and others. Strong recalls the play against Carolina shown on the video.

"It was a sight to behold," Strong said.

The team is retiring Jones' No. 71 jersey. Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire will declare Friday as "Walter Jones Day" in the state.

Earlier: An appreciation.

Scott from Roseville, Calif., writes: What is your gut on Tim Ruskell's status? My gut is no matter what others may think, if Ruskell is not given another year, Mike Holmgren is going to be given the keys. The 12th Man who understands this team, knows Mike did not have a fair shake the first time around as GM. Bob Whitsitt was the problem then. Tod Leiweke gets what Mike can bring. Looking back, he had average drafts on defense, but that 2005 offense was no mistake. That was their best defense, that offensive line.

Mike built the best offensive line, dominated time of possession, learned to dominate the NFC West, and had the QB to lead them to Super Bowl XL. Ruskell did help that year, but since then he has destroyed the line and has never replaced any of the offensive line studs he has lost. Ruskell has been offensive in that he has done nothing with the offense.

I say Mike waits the Seahawk situation out before going anywhere else. That is the job he wants. Mike learned a lot then, and if given the keys I think our team will come back to the top. If that happens the NFC West will by then be an elite division. Until then, the Niners and Cards are the future.

Mike Sando: My gut is that Jim Mora's status as a first-year coach could make it tough to bring aboard Holmgren in a leadership role right away. If the team did reach into its past that way, the Holmgren who emerged from losing his GM title would have more success than the Holmgren who had not yet been humbled by failures. I also think he could put together a better front office than coaching staff at this point.

As for that great offensive line Holmgren built, remember that he inherited Walter Jones. Take away Jones from that line and how great would it have been? Holmgren inherited Chris Gray as well. He basically signed Robbie Tobeck and drafted Steve Hutchinson. The team drafted Sean Locklear in 2004, well after Holmgren stepped down as general manager. Holmgren also inherited fullback Mack Strong, who helped the line succeed.

Some in the pro-Holmgren camp want it both ways. They want to blame Whitsitt for poor decisions made when Holmgren was GM. They also want to credit Holmgren for moves made when Bob Ferguson was the general manager by saying, "Well, everyone knows Holmgren was really the one in control."

The bottom line is that Holmgren had a mixed record as GM. I think he would be better given a second chance at the job. He would bring credibility to the organization. He would probably help identify the next franchise quarterback. But you still have to figure out whether the timing is right given Mora's situation.

(Read full post)

The Seahawks, seeking to salvage their season at Arizona in Week 10, last won a road game against the Cardinals on Nov. 6, 2005.

Shaun Alexander carried 23 times for 173 yards and two touchdowns during a 33-19 Seattle victory at Sun Devil Stadium. The Seahawks, headed to Super Bowl XL after that season, picked off Kurt Warner three times and sacked him four times.

A couple things about these teams have changed since that game. I had some fun sifting through those 2005 rosters.



Players no longer with Seattle

Offense (20): Bobby Engram, Steve Hutchinson, Robbie Tobeck, Chris Gray, Joe Jurevicius, Jerheme Urban, Mack Strong, Shaun Alexander, D.J. Hackett, Maurice Morris, Leonard Weaver, Floyd Womack, Ryan Hannam, Jerramy Stevens, Peter Warrick, David Greene, Wayne Hunter, Darrell Jackson, Itula Mili, Josh Scobey.

Defense (18): Bryce Fisher, Chuck Darby, Marcus Tubbs, Grant Wistrom, Jamie Sharper, Kelly Herndon, Michael Boulware, Marquand Manual, Jimmy Williams, John Howell, Niko Koutouvides, Kevin Bentley, Isaiah Kacyvenski, Joe Tafoya, Rocky Bernard, Etric Pruitt, Rodney Bailey, Andre Dyson.

Specialists (3): Josh Brown, Tom Rouen, J.P. Darche.

Players still with Seattle

Offense (6): Walter Jones (injured reserve), Sean Locklear, Matt Hasselbeck, Seneca Wallace, Chris Spencer, Ray Willis.

Defense (6): Jordan Babineaux, Craig Terrill, D.D. Lewis, Lofa Tatupu (IR), Leroy Hill, Marcus Trufant.

---

Players no longer with Arizona

Offense (23): Bryant Johnson, Leonard Davis, Nick Leckey, Alex Stepanovich, Oliver Ross, Eric Edwards, Marcel Shipp, Adam Bergen, J.J. Arrington, Josh McCown, John Navarre, Reggie Newhouse, LeRon McCoy, Fred Wakefield, James Jackson, Obafemi Ayanbadejo, Harold Morrow, Jarrod Baxter, Adam Haayer, J.J. Moses, Elton Brown, Teyo Johnson, Reggie Swinton.

Defense (16): Langston Moore, Ross Kolodziej, James Darling, Robert Tate, Robert Griffith, David Macklin, Antonio Cochran, Darryl Blackstock, Orlando Huff, Eric Green, Antonio Smith, Lamont Reid, Quentin Harris, Isaac Keys, Lance Mitchell, Aaron Francisco.

Specialists (2): Scott Player, Nathan Hodel.

Players still with Arizona

Offense (5): Reggie Wells, Larry Fitzgerald, Kurt Warner, Jeremy Bridges, Anquan Boldin.

Defense (6): Chike Okeafor, Darnell Dockett, Bernard Berry, Karlos Dansby, Adrian Wilson, Antrel Rolle.

Specialists (1): Neil Rackers.

Note: Thanks to spaumi10 for noticing that Aaron Francisco and Lance Mitchell were initially listed on offense. There was a little cutting and pasting involved with this entry. Missed those two. Thanks!

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Visits to the Cardinals and 49ers over the past six-plus days have ended. Seahawks camp is next, followed by a trip to see the Rams early next week.

I'll be transcribing interviews, going through my notes and sharing insights, information and anecdotes from these camps as they progress. A few other items to pass along:

• Seahawks coach Jim Mora joins Brock Huard and Mike Salk on 710ESPN Seattle.
• Seahawks receiver Deion Branch joins Dave Mahler of KJR radio in Seattle, with Jon Kitna also making an appearance. Mahler also spoke with center Steve Vallos. Here's a link to Mahler's interview with Mora, and another with Mack Strong.
• Ian Furness, also of KJR, spoke with Seahawks linebacker Leroy Hill.
• Mitch Levy, also of KJR, spoke with Seahawks receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh. He also spoke with defensive end Cory Redding.
• From Arizona, Darren Urban, Ron Wolfley and Paul Calvisi joke around some before getting into a discussion about the Cardinals. Deep thoughts on Anquan Boldin.
• Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat talks 49ers on KNBR.
• 101ESPN St. Louis offers video interviews with Rams defensive end Leonard Little (here), tackle Jason Smith (here) and quarterback Marc Bulger (here), from earlier in camp.
• Nick Wagoner of stlouisrams.com has a Rams-related mailbag posted.
  
• 49ers coach Mike Singletary was happy with practice Wednesday. He said the team has learned how to practice at a high level. Here's team-edited video from Singletary's media session. Note that Singletary was talking about Alex Smith in particular during the section about maturing.

That's it for now. Heading to the airport and catching a flight next.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Former Rams receivers Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce commanded spots on my NFC West all-decade team after leading one of the most-dynamic offenses in NFL history.

Larry Fitzgerald also seemed worthy after posting three 1,400-yard seasons and staking the Cardinals into a late lead with a dramatic 64-yard touchdown reception in Super Bowl XLIII.

With at least three worthy candidates for two spots -- and with receivers Anquan Boldin, Bobby Engram and Terrell Owens more deserving than any of the available tight ends -- something had to give.

"I'm hard pressed to come up with [a tight end] better than Vernon Davis," wrote regular blog contributor Mind of no mind. "But if there is nobody better, then maybe we should drop the TE from the team and go with 3 WR with Bruce."

Done deal.

Holt, Bruce and Fitzgerald became the receivers. That made more sense than adding Davis, Eric Johnson, Jerramy Stevens, Itula Mili or some other relatively unaccomplished tight end to the squad.

Such was the give and take as I sifted through nominations left on the blog and on my Facebook page. One request I couldn't quite accommodate: finding a spot for the legendary Kim Il Zong, a ka The Zonger.

A position-by position look at my NFC West all-decade team follows. Thanks to Adam from Mesa, Ariz., for getting the conversation started (download his suggested team here).

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Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

How convenient of me to skip out on vacation after filing all-decade packages to run in my absence. The all-decade defense entry has more than 1,200 comments. The all-decade teams entry has nearly 600. The most recent entry, ranking the top 25 players of the decade, has nearly 3,000 comments and counting.

In the interests of time, I'll have to assume every comment agreed with every aspect of every item. How gratifying. I'd like your help in the next endeavor: naming an all-decade team for the NFC West based on what we've seen from 2000 through last season.

Blog contributor Adam from Mesa, Ariz., has offered his version, which I'll include below. That should help get the discussion running. We can discuss the dilemmas on the blog. I'll put together my own choices in an item for Wednesday.

I've converted into PDF format and made available for download Adam's fully researched document, complete with charts. I'll summarize his choices below:

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Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat explains why he thinks Alex Smith has failed to realize his potential as the 49ers' starting quarterback. Maiocco: "Of the 49ers' past 32 games, Smith has missed 26 due to injuries to his throwing shoulder. Moreover, three of the six games in which Smith appeared he played with a separated shoulder. Anybody could tell he was in excruciating pain every time he was asked to throw the ball. There might be those that say this is just an excuse. The injuries are not excuses why Smith has not produced the past two seasons; the injuries are facts. Like most, I question just how effective Alex Smith would have been had he remained healthy. That is an entirely different argument."

Lowell Cohn of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat recently caught up with Smith for an interview. Smith: "I think I'm in a very different place mentally than where I was even last year."

John Ryan of the San Jose Mercury News cites CNBC's Darren Rovell in saying Michael Crabtree's jersey trails only Mark Sanchez's jersey in sales among NFL rookies.

Kevin Lynch of Niner Insider is warming to the 49ers' selection of Crabtree. The biggest concern, in his eyes, is whether the Texas Tech offense inflated Crabtree's production.

John Crumpacker of the San Francisco Chronicle says four of the 49ers' rookies, including third-round choice Glen Coffee, had off-field issues in college. Coffee faced a four-game suspension at Alabama for his role in a textbook scandal. Coach Mike Singletary: "None of these guys caught us by surprise. Some of them have their issues. They're good kids. They want to make better decisions. They want to make the right decisions."

VanRam of Turf Show Times says the Rams' lack of established receivers shouldn't automatically disqualify their offense from a successful season. The Dolphins' three leading receivers last season resemble the Rams' current wideouts, and new Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo was with the Eagles when Philadelphia won without great wideouts.

Steve Korte of the Belleville News-Democrat says learning new terminology is the biggest challenge facing Rams quarterback Marc Bulger. Bulger: "That's the toughest part, just words that carry over from year-to-year, when they mean one thing in one offense and then (something else in) another. Sometimes I'm on the same word with a third different meaning, so you just have to try to block out the past."

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch outlines what he thinks Bulger must do to succeed in 2009. Thomas: "Bulger must work the ball more to his backs and tight ends as the young wide receivers develop. He must cut down on mistakes, and get back in the habit of throwing the ball away when nothing's there. An incompletion is always better than a sack or an interception. Accuracy remains one of Bulger's biggest assets, so he needs to make the Rams' new West Coast scheme -- which generally relies on timing and shorter passes -- play to that strength."

Also from Thomas: The Rams' roster is pretty much in place.

William P. Tomisser of Seahawk Addicts says there's a feeling a more unified Seahawks organization is operating more effectively. Tomisser: "How long has it been since we had multiple players (Tatupu, Trufant, Hill, Jones, and Strong for example) who expressed a desire to follow Cortez Kennedy as lifelong Seahawks? Seattle has become a desirable place to play and even though some players, notably from the East coast, still shun the idea of coming out West, more and more marquee players such as [T.J.] Houshmandzadeh are not only happy to come out here but make it a priority."

Dave Boling of the Tacoma News Tribune saw good things from defensive tackle Red Bryant at the Seahawks' post-draft camp. Boling: "The 320-pound Bryant just keeps shoving people around, and looking more comfortable as a run-stuffing force in the middle of the defensive line. Since the job in the middle is to stand ground against double teams and stack up a pile of bodies, nose guards have evolved into squatty, leverage players. At 6-foot-4, Bryant is from a much taller mold. But, according to defensive line coach Dan Quinn, other attributes are more important." Quinn says Bryant has the right temperament.

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times sizes up the most competitive positions for the Seahawks. Defensive end comes to mind. Coordinator Gus Bradley: "One of the big things we've challenged Lawrence [Jackson] on is just his overall effort. Through this offseason -- things that he's done -- you're seeing it starting to show up here on the field."

Also from O'Neil: How could NFL.com exclude Aaron Curry from its list of potential impact rookies?

More from O'Neil: Seahawks safety Jamar Adams should be ready for training camp despite suffering a high ankle sprain during the post-draft camp.

ProfessorBigelow of Niners Nation thinks the 49ers are finished with their major offseason moves.

Revenge of the Birds' CardsFan08 cites Ken Whisenhunt's comments during an ESPN.com podcast in revisiting whether the Cardinals preferred Donald Brown to Beanie Wells.

Revenge of the Birds' Hawkwind sizes up the Cardinals' defense. Hawkwind: "The pressure will be on Clark Haggans and Chike Okeafor to produce a pass rush [or] the Cardinals secondary will be in trouble."

Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic looks at how the NFL's new rule against blocking wedges with more than two players might effect games. Cardinals Pro Bowl special-teamer Sean Morey: "It's hard for me to visualize what it's going to look like until it really happens and until coaches go back to the chalkboard and start drawing up their schemes. Things will definitely be different, I'm sure, but personally, I think there are going to be more high-speed and violent collisions than we already had."

Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic offers advice for Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin. Bickley: "As his pity party continues, the love affair is ending. People are getting tired of Boldin's sour mood, and by design, his Q rating is plummeting. He's trying to make you, me and the team so sick of him that he must be traded elsewhere. What a terrible way to go."

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says the Cardinals "promptly rejected" Darnell Dockett's most recent trade request.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Rick from Charleston, West Virginia, writes: Hey Mike! As I'm seeing all these 2009 NFL Draft grades immediately hitting the presses, I'm reminded of what I heard a long time ago -- not sure who gets the credit -- you cannot judge a draft for 5 years. With that in mind, I went back and looked at each NFC West team's first 5 picks in the 2004 Draft.

Maybe you could post this and get some reader feedback. The numbers in parenthesis are the round, followed by overall pick:

Seattle

Marcus Tubbs, DT, Texas (1,23)

Michael Boulware, SS, Florida St (2,53)

Sean Locklear, G, NC State (3,84)

Niko Koutouvides, LB, Purdue (4,116)

D.J. Hackett, WR, Colorado (5,157)

San Francisco

Rashaun Woods, WR, Oklahoma St (1,31)

Justin Smiley, G, Alabama (2,46)

Shawntae Spencer, CB, Pitt (2,58)

Derrick Hamilton, WR, Clemson (3,77)

Isaac Sopoaga, DT, Hawaii (4,104)

St. Louis

Steven Jackson, RB, Oregon St (1,24)

Anthony Hargrove, DE, Ga Tech (3,91)

Brandon Chillar, LB, UCLA (4,130)

Jason Shivers, S, Arizona St (5,158)

Jeff Smoker, QB, Michigan St (6,201)

Arizona

Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Pitt (1,3)

Karlos Dansby, LB, Auburn (2,33)

Darnell Dockett, DT, Florida St (3,64)

Alex Stepanovich, C, Ohio St (4,100)

Antonio Smith, DE, Oklahoma St (5,135)

My two initial impressions were that:

1. The Cardinals had a GREAT draft. You could argue they hit a home run on 4 of their first five picks, and a grand slam on their #1 (Fitz.) Of course, they were picking high, and you would expect the #3 overall pick to be an impact player 5 years in. By all accounts, though, this would probably measure up quite well against ANY NFL team's draft over the last five years.
   
2. The Rams seem to have done themselves a disservice by trading their 2nd, 4th, and 6th round picks (Chillar and Smoker were both compensatory selections.) They made a great first-round pick (Jackson) but by trading away a couple of picks, their 5th selection (201 overall) was a whopping 66 picks lower than the Cardinals (135).
   

Taking these two things into consideration, I'm wondering if your readers think there's any correlation between the 2004 draft and the Cardinals Super Bowl appearance (as well as the Rams 2-14 record.) Some bonus tidbits from the 2004 draft: The 49'ers drafted the only 6th round player to make a Pro Bowl (Andy Lee, P, Pitt.) Also, Pro Bowlers Wes Welker, Willie Parker, Jason Peters, and Mat McBriar were all undrafted.

Mike Sando: Good work, Rick. I was playing around with some related information over the weekend. I went through the Pro Football Reference database and collected 2008 starting information for every player in the league. I then singled out draft choices still playing for their original teams, adding up how many starts they made for their teams in 2008. The totals would not reflect players released since last season, but I thought that was a minor issue and something I could work around with a little more time.

The findings backed up what you are saying. Members of the Cardinals' 2004 draft class still with the team combined for 68 regular-season starts last season. The rest of the league averaged 16 combined starts for members of their 2004 draft classes still with their original teams. San Diego ranked second with 45. The Rams had zero.

Members of the Cardinals' 2003 draft class still with the team combined for 69 regular-season starts last season, another league high. The rest of the league averaged 15 combined starts.

In fact, the Cardinals' 2003 through 2008 draft classes averaged a league-high 42 regular-season starts for their original teams last season (again, not counting any players released since last season). The rest of the league averaged a combined 25 starts last season.

This is something I'll break out in greater detail once I have time to do some more tinkering.

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Wk. Off. Down Dist. Yard Line Seahawks Third-Down Personnel vs. Arizona Play Type Ball Carrier Yards Gained 11 SEA 3 9 10 2-RB, 2-WR, 1-TE Pass Branch 8 11 SEA 3 1 -39 2-RB, 1-WR, 2-TE Run Duckett 2 11 SEA 3 9 -38 Morris, 3-WR, 1-TE Run Morris 1 11 SEA 3 10 43 Jones, 3-WR, 1-TE Pass Robinson 0 11 SEA 3 11 -27 Morris, 3-WR, 1-TE Pass Robinson 0 11 SEA 3 3 3 2-RB, 1-WR, 1-TE Pass Robinson 0 11 SEA 3 7 -29 Jones, 3-WR, 1-TE Pass Branch 0 11 SEA 3 2 6 2-RB, 1-WR, 2-TE Run Duckett -1 11 SEA 3 8 39 1-RB, 3-WR, 1-TE Pass Jones -5

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The Seahawks never gained more than 8 yards on third down against the Cardinals in Week 11. They averaged 0.56 yards per play on nine third-down chances, with one conversion. The chart shows Seattle's third-down production against Arizona by most yards gained.

One third-down play stood out from the others. The Seahawks faced a third-and-9 from their own 38-yard-line when quarterback Matt Hasselbeck sized up the Cardinals' defense at the line of scrimmage and changed the call to a running play. The Cardinals stuffed Maurice Morris for a 1-yard gain. Defensive lineman Antonio Smith stood and yelled toward Hasselbeck in an apparent show of defiance. Fans at Qwest Field booed the seemingly curious play call.

The play exposed an aspect of the Seattle offense that needs retooling. The Seahawks under Mike Holmgren have periodically gashed unsu
specting defenses when Hasselbeck called running plays designed to exploit certain blitzes on third down. In Week 2 of the 2006 season, Shaun Alexander burned the Cardinals with a 13-yard run on third-and-7. Later in the game, Mack Strong gained 13 yards on a third-and-6 run.

Arizona has become wiser to these tactics. In the teams' Week 2 meeting last season, the Cardinals stopped Strong for a 6-yard gain on third-and-7. They stopped Alexander for a 3-yard gain on third-and-4. The third-and-9 play Sunday was the latest example.

For a look at every Seahawks play from Week 11, download the full personnel breakdown featuring production summaries and play-by-play sortable by down, distance, field position, personnel, play type, ball carrier, yards gained and more. Arizona absolutely owned the Seahawks' preferred one-back, three-receiver package, limiting it to a 3.1-yard average on 16 pass attempts and a 1.8-yard average on eight rushes.

Note: The corresponding file for Arizona can be downloaded here. These files also tell us how each team's defense fared by situation and personnel group.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Like NFL draft analysts, Seattle fullback Leonard Weaver took one look at Justin Forsett and wondered if the diminutive rookie running back could make it in the NFL. Unlike NFL draft analysts -- as far as we know, anyway -- Weaver went straight to YouTube for skills verification.

"I was like, 'Man, I wonder how good this guy really is,'" Weaver said after Forsett finished the team's most recent exhibition game with 261 all-purpose yards. "I kind of questioned it. I went and YouTubed it and I'm like, 'Oh. OK, he's all right!'"

The Seahawks list Forsett at 5-foot-8 and 194 pounds. The 5-8 part appears generous. Weaver is 6-0 and 242. He was also generous, answering a few questions about Forsett, life without Shaun Alexander and his new teammates.

Sando: What did you see on YouTube?

LW: Man, I saw a lot of Cal runs on there. He was breaking tackles. I'm like, 'Man, this little guy is doing all of this?' And it was really good to see.

Sando: But did you spell his name right the first time you searched for him?

LW: I did. I've been taking him under my wing a little bit. I spelled his name right and it showed up.

Sando: So you basically break down film online now?

LW: (laughing) I'm going to do film study online. I'm going to type in Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher. We going to study everybody.

Sando: What impresses you about Forsett?

LW: First of all, his speed. He has elusive speed. He goes from zero to 10 miles per hour within the matter of a step. He is very elusive and aware. He has great awareness on the field, as you could see tonight. On a couple of runs, he knew where those guys were and he made big plays.

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