Seahawks
Notebook: No camp, no preseason, no problem for Jones

By José Miguel Romero
Seattle Times staff reporter

ROD MAR / THE SEATTLE TIMES Seattle tackle Walter Jones, right, holding off Will Smith, started yesterday. Jones reported to the team last week and practiced for four days.

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NEW ORLEANS — Why is Walter Jones an annual Pro Bowl selection? There are at least two reasons.

One, he dominates at his left tackle position. Two, he dominates at his position less than a week after reporting to the Seahawks, having missed all of training camp and the exhibition season and having practiced only four days.

Jones may not be in complete game shape, but that was hard to tell yesterday. The Seahawks did not allow quarterback Matt Hasselbeck to be sacked and plowed the way for running back Shaun Alexander to rush for 135 yards and the offense to gain 415 overall. The line also gave Hasselbeck plenty of time to throw once it adjusted to all of the new looks the New Orleans Saints' defense gave the Seahawks early in the game.

"We just wanted to come out and play our ballgame, and that's what we did," Jones said. "I felt good. I'm glad to be back with the team and doing what I have to do to help this team win. I know once I get here I'm going to play, so I just try to keep working out and be prepared."

Jones said he felt a little winded in the first quarter, but he settled in and stayed strong for the rest of the game.

	ROD MAR / THE SEATTLE TIMES Seattle receiver Darrell Jackson gets his face mask grabbed by Tebucky Jones on a 22-yard reception in the second quarter yesterday. Jackson had seven catches for 98 yards.

"One of the things we try to do is really try to push the tempo," quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said. "Switch our personnel groups and basically call the play, line up and run before the defense lines up, and that happened for the most part. But that takes a lot out of you, especially the bigger guys, and we were all breathing heavy a little bit, but Walt's Walt."

Which is to say that Jones is like divine intervention, by Alexander's words.

"God was like, 'I'm going to give you, Shaun, the best lineman to ever walk on the planet, and pretty much he's never going to have to practice, come out there and still play awesome,' " Alexander said of Jones. "I was like, 'God, make me Walter.' He was like 'OK, Shaun, I'll do that for you.' It's hilarious. He just does amazing things week after week."

Happy returns

One bright spot for the Saints was the play of return specialist Michael Lewis, the guy who used to earn a living driving a beer delivery truck in New Orleans while still hoping for a shot at playing pro football.

Lewis had two long kick returns, one for 47 yards and the other for 51. The 47-yard effort set up the Saints' only touchdown of the game in the second quarter.

"When I step between the lines, I'm going to give it everything I have," Lewis said.

Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren couldn't criticize his return coverage team because he feels Lewis is so good, though a more thorough analysis of special-teams play will come today after the game film is reviewed.

"They've got a great returner, for starters," Holmgren said. "I told Mark (Michaels, Seahawks special-teams coach) let's just try and disrupt their timing a little bit. He's a good one, though."

Tru's crew

There is but one Marcus Trufant, but there were scores of his relatives at the Superdome dressed like the Seahawks cornerback. They wore Trufant jerseys in road white and home blue and were as spirited as any cheering section in the stands.

Trufant, a Tacoma native, has a huge extended family in the New Orleans area, from where his father Lloyd hails.

One of Trufant's uncles claimed 85 aunts, uncles and cousins were at the dome to see the second-year cornerback play.

"At least that many," Trufant said after the game.

Drop talk

The Seahawks dropped three passes and are on pace to surpass their total of 45 from last year. The Saints, however, dropped more passes — five — and had coach Jim Haslett sounding like Holmgren did last year about the subject.

"That's our starters dropping balls," Haslett lamented yesterday. "If you're best players aren't going to do the right thing, then we've got a problem."

	ROD MAR / THE SEATTLE TIMES Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, pressured by New Orleans' Charles Grant in the third quarter, prepares to get a pass away.

Flying High

How important was yesterday's opener? Even the usually unflappable Holmgren was jacked up like a rookie free agent.

"I was pumped for this one," Holmgren said. "At halftime I came in, and I was shot. I'm warning the players about not peaking too early, and I don't know what's the matter with me. That's how important this game was: 'Tee it up, let's go.'

"We have a good young team. We do. Now how good are we going to be? The season will determine that."

Notes

• Gilda's Club Seattle, an organization that helps cancer-stricken people and their families, will host a public "Welcome to Seattle" reception for DE Grant Wistrom tonight in Seattle. Former Seahawk Steve Largent will emcee the event. The reception starts at 7 at Gilda's Club, 1400 Broadway.

• The Seahawks had only seven players on the inactive list yesterday, one fewer than normal because their roster was at 52 instead of 53. Seneca Wallace was the emergency third quarterback, and WR D.J. Hackett, FS Marquand Manuel, C Dennis Norman, DT Craig Terrill and LB Chad Brown did not play.

Rookie DT Marcus Tubbs, the team's first-round pick who is still trying to get into shape, was inactive as well.

• SS Terreal Bierria, the New Orleans native making his first NFL start, led the Seahawks with nine total tackles and helped force a fumble. Bierria gave up the Saints' touchdown, however, when he was late getting back to defend the pass into the end zone.

• Saints RT Victor Riley would probably rather forget yesterday. He was whistled for holding, a false start and had a hard time containing Seattle DE Chike Okeafor, who got a sack when he ran right through Riley on a play.

• Seahawks P Tom Rouen averaged only 35.6 yards per punt on seven kicks, but he hit four inside the Saints' 20-yard line.

• The only Seahawks tight end to catch a pass yesterday was Itula Mili, who had one catch for 15 yards.

Times columnist Steve Kelley contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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