Wounded Seahawks look to rebound against Packers

The Seahawks are 1-3, a game and a half out of first place in the NFC West.

Unfamiliar territory for the winners of four straight division titles. Seattle hasn't started this poorly since the 2002 season.

And now there's the possibility that quarterback Matt Hasselbeck won't play today when the Seahawks face the Green Bay Packers at Qwest Field. Another loss would leave the Seahawks reeling.

Coach Mike Holmgren says players are the fastest to gather themselves after a loss. He's hoping they have regained confidence after a 44-6 thrashing from the New York Giants last Sunday.

"They are highly motivated because they are wounded," Holmgren said. "Now, you have to take that emotion and see it and play better. When you study the film, the film does not lie. ... Come on, learn the stuff and do it."

In other words, no excuses. The Seahawks are expected to play like four-time division champions. If they fail following Holmgren's strategy, he'll accept responsibility for not putting the team in a good position to win.

"Sometimes we do, sometimes we don't," Holmgren said. "But let's try to do it the correct way."

The Seahawks' defensive backs have some corrections to make after Eli Manning torched them last week. A banged-up Kelly Jennings was moved out of the right cornerback position, replaced by Josh Wilson. Holmgren feels that after a good talking-to and a week of practice, the group will bounce back.

"I suspect they'll have a very fine football game," Holmgren said. "That's kind of been our track record coming off a really bad one."

Defensive back Jordan Babineaux said part of rebuilding confidence is having a short memory about a bad loss.

"Even more importantly, it's like that throughout the game," Babineaux said. "When the opposing team makes a play, you find a way to correct it through sideline adjustments and then you move on. You can't linger on what's already happened. It's over."

So why are the Seahawks where they are entering today's game? One reason is that players are leaving their responsibilities to help a teammate that isn't where he needs to be or is not having a good game.

"Don't go out there and do your own thing," safety Deon Grant said. "If we are going to be a family, let us be a family. If a guy has the outside edge, then have the outside edge. If a guy is supposed to be blocking the 'A' gap for the running back, then make sure you do your job. We just got beat because we were doing our own thing as individuals this last game."

Despite the struggles, things were pretty loose in the locker room this week at team headquarters, as players grooved to break-dancing music.

"No one's down," Babineaux said. "We set our goals high at the beginning of the season, and we still have 12 games to attain those goals. And we believe we're more than capable of doing it."

Holmgren was asked about the malaise of the Seattle sports scene and whether he feels the weight of the region for the Seahawks to succeed.

"Our fans and people are smarter than that," Holmgren said. "Every year is different. Every team is unique. We're going to try and get it going. I can only control what I can try to control. ... I choose to live my life with the glass half full. I think that's a choice we can all make."

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com