Seahawks
First Look: Seahawks at New Orleans, 10 a.m., Sunday, Ch. 13

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The coach : Jim Haslett could be on the hot seat in the Big Easy if he doesn't get the Saints off to a good start, and the opener against the Seahawks is considered a must-win game by some in New Orleans. In his fifth season as Saints coach, Haslett has a 34-30 record. In 2000, he led the team to its first playoff victory.

Key players

RB Deuce McAllister: McAllister made the Pro Bowl last season and is arguably one of the top five running backs in the NFL. His size (6 feet 1, 232 pounds) gives him a punishing style.

QB Aaron Brooks: Brooks has a very good offense to work with this season, and his accuracy improved last season even though his week-to-week yardage numbers were inconsistent. The cousin of Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick, Brooks battled a leg injury during the exhibition season.

DT Brian Young: A free-agent acquisition from the St. Louis Rams, Young is expected to be an integral part of what could be one of the league's top defensive lines. He brings intensity, energy and quickness.

WR Joe Horn: Yes, Horn is the guy who pulled a cellphone out of the goal-post padding and called somebody, presumably a relative, after scoring a touchdown in a prime-time game against the New York Giants last season. Horn is brash, but he is capable of returning to 1,000-yard form.

Notable: The Saints will open the season with former Kentwood High School star Mike Karney as their starting fullback. The 5-11, 258-pound Karney, a rookie from Arizona State, got his first NFL carry last week and ran the ball for 18 yards. ... The Seahawks pounded the Saints 27-10 in the season opener last year at Qwest Field. ... Two players whose names sound alike, the Seahawks' Orlando Huff and the Saints' Orlando Ruff, were both competing for their middle linebacker jobs in training camp. Huff won; Ruff didn't.

Jose Miguel Romero

Stat leaders
Passing	C-A-I	Yds.	TD
Aaron Brooks	306-518-8	3,546	24
Rushing	No.-Yds.	Avg.	TD
Deuce McAllister	351-1641	4.7	8
Receiving	No.-Yds.	Avg.	TD
Joe Horn	78-973	12.5	10

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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