Alexander's staying young at right time

This time, at the end, Shaun Alexander took the handoff. No miscommunication. No fumble. It was just Alexander, legs churning in the open field, ripping a 20-yard run to ensure a Seahawks victory.

When the play was over, he twirled and pumped his fist.

The most polarizing performance of his polarizing career ended with splendor. On a day Alexander heard harsh boos, he exited to cheers. On a day that began with Alexander looking older than Chris Gray, he turned into a squirt again, boyish smile included.

"I knew that when I got the last run we won the game," Alexander said after the 24-21 victory over Cincinnati. "That was a good feeling."

Alexander didn't have a game as fine as his numbers. His 100-yard total was a shock, a real stat-sheet wonder. If you're pondering the Seahawks' most outstanding offensive performers Sunday, Matt Hasselbeck, Nate Burleson, Bobby Engram and Deion Branch all come to mind before Alexander.

But when Seattle needed its former Most Valuable Player running back, he produced. His 14-yard run on fourth-and-one set up Burleson's winning reception. Even though the Bengals gave him no room to run for most of the game, he scraped together 44 yards in the fourth quarter. The Seahawks won. Alexander survived.

So another episode of "Is he on the decline?" can end. For a 30-year-old running back supposedly in need of a walker, Alexander is still performing at a solid level.

In three games, he has rushed for 275 yards and averaged 4.2 yards per carry. He's on pace for 1,467 yards this season, which would be the third-highest total of his career.

Alexander hasn't had the impact those numbers suggest, but he and his offensive line figure to progress as the season advances. And his burdensome left wrist will heal. If this qualifies as a poor start, it's frightening to think what a strong finish could entail.

"The guy is playing with one arm, and he's still making guys miss, getting yards," tight end Marcus Pollard said. "If he's on pace for about 1,500 yards, I think I'd like to see him get 2,000."

Hey, now. Ease up on the hyperbole.

Fact is, Alexander isn't quite the same player he was two years ago. No one is immune to aging. Remember the famous exchange between Muhammad Ali and Howard Cosell during a prefight news conference?

Cosell: "Many people believe you're not the same man you used to be 10 years ago."

Ali: "I spoke to your wife, and she said you're not the man you were two years ago!"

Tone down the defiance, and Alexander has the same attitude. He's not older; he's crafty now. He's not thinking about his past; he's anticipating his future. Disagree? He doesn't care.

"People are used to seeing Shaun bust 70-yard runs, 50-yard runs," fullback Mack Strong said. "They're used to seeing him finish games with 180 yards and three touchdowns. But right now, he's doing an incredible job of giving us a good shot at the end of the day to win games.

"We're 2-1. Our best days are ahead of us. Better running days are ahead of him."

The Seahawks still have an offensive line in transition. If it improves and develops better chemistry with Alexander, the team will become less dependent on Hasselbeck's arm. If the Seahawks stop dropping passes (Alexander included), perhaps they will have longer drives and create more opportunities in the running game.

Right now, their rushing attack exists on willpower. They remain loyal to it, even as fans boo conservative play calls and Alexander's no-gain runs. Commitment is the fundamental principle to running the football successfully, and the Seahawks are prepared to handle the frustrations of failures.

Sunday did present a new burden, however. Alexander had never felt fan ire quite like this. He heard the Qwest Field crowd's disappointment.

Some fans are still upset that he didn't accept some blame for the fumble fiasco last week in Arizona. And then he began this game slowly.

Booooooooooooooo.

"I think they were reading my mind," Alexander said. "I was like, 'Man!' You all know how high I set my goals. No one will ever be more frustrated than I will be when it comes to our running game."

Seventy-four percent of Alexander's rushing yards have come in the second half this season. In this game, 78 of his yards came after halftime.

Closing games is a valuable running-back trait, but the Seahawks need more from Alexander. Against the team he followed as a child, he went from old to young in four turbulent quarters. The strangest 100-yard game of his career ended with Alexander proving his legs still have life.

Considering his tragically productive start this season, here's guessing the geezer is younger than we think.

Jerry Brewer: 206-464-2277 or jbrewer@seattletimes.com.