Why isn't Seahawks' T.J. Houshmandzadeh getting ball in key situations?

T.J. Houshmandzadeh stood on the sideline for the final play of Sunday's game in a familiar situation.

He was all by himself, the only Seahawks player in a 10-yard vicinity.

The difference is that this time someone noticed.

That wasn't true on Seattle's second-to-last play of the game when backup quarterback Seneca Wallace threw to a covered tight end John Carlson while Houshmandzadeh was alone, 10 feet farther outside.

That was one of at least half a dozen plays Sunday in which Houshmandzadeh was both uncovered and unseen. And he'll say that, too.

"You know, T.J.," coach Jim Mora said. "He'll tell you, he's a guy that believes he's always open."

Seattle hasn't had a player like Houshmandzadeh since Ricky Watters. Houshmandzadeh is as outspoken as he is confident. He's also right.

Before anyone goes talking about him being a self-centered receiver, consider two answers he gave as he walked out of the locker room after catching four passes for only 35 yards.

Looked like you were open on third down, T.J. Disappointed the ball didn't come to you?

"It doesn't matter," he said. "It didn't come to me. We didn't convert it. It doesn't matter."

Hmmm, not a very spicy answer to what amounted to an underhanded lob of a question. How about the overall offensive performance? Seattle outgained the Bears Sunday, but managed only one touchdown.

"For the most part we moved the ball," Houshmandzadeh said. "We didn't score enough points. I probably cost us the game with the fumble so we've just got to do better."

Wait, this is the guy being characterized as a diva? That sounds more like stand-up accountability from a guy disappointed by the loss more than he is in his receiving totals.

"He's just such a violently competitive man by nature," Mora said. "And I think that's one of the reasons he's had the success he's had in this league."

Houshmandzadeh is a former seventh-round draft pick who caught more passes than anyone in the NFL over the previous three seasons. He was the top free-agent receiver on the market this offseason. At the age of 32, he signed a five-year contract guaranteed to pay him at least $15 million and as much as $40 million.

He has been targeted on 27 passes this season, second-most on the team. Nate Burleson is the only Seahawk who has had more passes thrown to him. On Sunday, nine passes were thrown to him. Houshmandzadeh has caught 14 passes this season, so he hasn't been ignored. But it's a long way from the numbers he is used to.

He came to an offense in which the Seahawks are seeking balance both between the run and the pass and among a quartet of wide receivers.

Yet even though his reception total might shrink, the Seahawks expect the importance of his catches won't. On third down, in the red zone, Seattle wants Houshmandzadeh to excel.

That makes what happened against Chicago more puzzling. Seattle needed Houshmandzadeh to make plays and he put himself in position to make those plays. All that was missing was the ball.

That puts an onus on Wallace, which isn't altogether fair. He is a backup quarterback, who finished with a career-high in passing yards with 261. He doesn't have Hasselbeck's computer-quick decision-making, but that's why Hasselbeck has made the Pro Bowl three times.

Wallace's legs kept plays alive in the fourth quarter as the Seahawks' pass protection began to break down. But with Seattle missing so much because of injuries, the offense needs to rely more than ever on its strengths.

On Sunday, that could have been Houshmandzadeh. .

Danny O'Neil: 206-464-2364 or doneil@seattletimes.com