Offense gets Seahawks off to running start

MINNEAPOLIS — The Seahawks spent several months and millions of dollars overhauling their running game this offseason.

It was a player who has been here since 2002 who carried that momentum into Friday's exhibition game, though.

Make that Mo'mentum.

Maurice Morris carried six times for 62 yards in the first quarter against Minnesota as the Seahawks ran out to an early lead in their 34-17 victory over the Vikings at the Metrodome.

"It's his moment in the sun," said Kasey Dunn, Seattle's new running-backs coach. "He's kind of been in the shadows for a while. This is his opportunity, and he needs to make the most of it."

Shaun Alexander is gone, released after the Seahawks signed free agents Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett. Friday was the debut of Seattle's new backfield, and it was an old name that turned in a headline performance. Jones carried four times for 15 yards, but that wasn't by design.

"Julius didn't quite get the opportunities we wanted, the way the game worked out," Dunn said. "We wanted to see him run the football, but it didn't work out that way."

It was about the only thing that didn't go according to plan for Seattle's offense, which rushed for 95 yards in the first half, 67 in the second, and saw its quarterbacks combine to pass for four touchdowns with no interceptions.

Matt Hasselbeck was nearly perfect in the two series he played, completing seven of his eight passes for 70 yards and a touchdown. Seneca Wallace was just as impressive, completing 15 of 20 for 165 yards. Seattle scored 17 points in the first quarter and pulled away when Wallace threw touchdown passes to Trent Shelton and Joel Filani in the third quarter.

But quarterbacks aren't the question on this team. The Seahawks' passing game was perfectly adequate last season. It was on the ground that they stumbled.

Duckett came in for a short-yardage situation in the first quarter when the Seahawks needed 1 yard on second down; Duckett gained 7. The Seahawks needed 2 yards on third down in the second half; Duckett gained 5.

Even Justin Forsett, the team's seventh-round pick, had his motor running. He gained 58 yards and would have finished tied with Morris for the team lead in rushing yards if he hadn't lost 13 yards on his final carry.

And while Jones didn't carry as much as the coaches planned, he did force a Vikings blitzer into a face plant, chopping out his legs to give Wallace time to complete a 15-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jeb Putzier with 1:44 left in the first quarter. That was the first of Wallace's three touchdown passes in the game.

Things weren't perfect. Duckett lost two fumbles, but Seattle got the ball back each time, first because of a penalty, and then a replay review that found Duckett was down before he lost the ball. And Seattle failed to convert a third-and-one in the first half when Jones was stopped for no gain.

"We have a ways to go," coach Mike Holmgren said. "Overall, I think I'm going to like what I see, but it's really early."

But from the very start, Seattle showed the burst missing from its running game last season. Morris ran for 20 yards up the middle the first time he touched it and gained 21 yards on his third carry.

The Vikings allowed an average of 74.1 yards rushing last season, lowest in the league.

"It makes us feel like we've got our swagger back in the running game a little bit," Hasselbeck said. "We've worked so hard at it, it's nice to see the results pay off in the first game."

Seahawks 34, Vikings 17

Sea — Kent 18 pass from Hasselbeck (Mare kick), 11:43.

Sea — FG Mare 21, 7:14.

Min — Tapeh 6 pass from Jackson (Hauschka kick), 5:52.

Sea — Putzier 15 pass from S.Wallace (Mare kick), 1:35.

Second quarter

Min — Taylor 1 run (Hauschka kick), 12:31.

Min — FG Hauschka 35, :40.

Third quarter

Sea — Shelton 7 pass from S.Wallace (Mare kick), 11:44.

Sea — Filani 1 pass from S.Wallace (Mare kick), 4:45.

Fourth quarter

Sea — FG Mare 20, 12:17.

A — 62,545

Rushing — Seattle, Morris 6-62, Forsett 13-58, J.Jones 4-15, Taylor 1-13, Duckett 7-9, S.Wallace 2-2, O.Schmitt 1-2, Frye 1-1. Minnesota, M.Hicks 7-32, Taylor 4-7, Tahi 1-0.

Passing — Seattle, S.Wallace 15-20-0-165, Hasselbeck 7-8-0-70, Frye 2-3-0-22. Minnesota, Jackson 8-11-0-118, Booty 9-18-1-82, Frerotte 4-7-0-60, Bollinger 1-2-0-8.

Receiving — Seattle, Filani 3-17, O.Schmitt 2-35, Engram 2-29, Carlson 2-21, Burleson 2-20, Weaver 2-10, Kent 1-18, Putzier 1-15, Gilmore 1-12, Heller 1-10, Kirtman 1-8, Shelton 1-7, J.Jones 1-3, Morris 1-1. Minnesota, Berrian 2-43, Allison 2-38, Wade 2-38, Nance 1-14, Kleinsasser 1-13, Rice 1-9, Shiancoe 1-9, Ferguson 1-8, M.Hicks 1-8, Tapeh 1-6.

Missed FG — None.