Seahawks
Notebook: Alexander not smiling despite stellar outing

By Greg Bishop and José Miguel Romero
Seattle Times staff reporter

ROD MAR / THE SEATTLE TIMES Seahawk Grant Wistrom tried to pump up the crowd against the St. Louis Rams, his former team, yesterday at Qwest Field.

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Shaun Alexander appears to have fully recovered from the right knee bruise that clouded his availability for the San Francisco game two weeks ago.

The 150 yards rushing, 6.5-yards-per-carry average and one touchdown yesterday said so. It was the third-best rushing game of his NFL career.

Alexander wasn't smiling afterward in the Seahawks' locker room, but he said the Seahawks shouldn't see any carryover in their next game, against New England.

"If it does (carry over), then you'll know what kind of team we are," Alexander said. "I'm going to put my money that this game has nothing do with anything that will happen in the New England game."

Wistrom-Pace I

Grant Wistrom, a former Ram, held his own against Orlando Pace, getting more pressure on St. Louis quarterback Marc Bulger as the game wore on. Pace essentially shut Wistrom down in the first half. But Wistrom pressured Bulger on at least two occasions in the second half. He finished with three tackles and a pass defensed. And he tipped one pass Anthony Simmons nearly intercepted.

"It's just more distractions," Wistrom said of playing against his former team for the first time. "Warming up and trying to say hi to people. That's the main difference. I don't think I played very well today. I can play much better, and I expect to go out and play a lot better next week."

Right-wing offense?

Seahawks offensive players wouldn't come out and say their offense was too conservative in the second half. But they certainly alluded to it.
 
"It's very tough when we should have put up 50 on them," wide receiver Darrell Jackson said.

What held you back?

"I don't know. A 24-7 lead."

Did the offense seem a bit conservative?

"I don't know, man. I'm just playing the game."

Ex-Beaver makes mark

Steven Jackson, the Rams' first-round draft pick in the spring and their backup running back to Marshall Faulk, had his best day as a pro. Jackson, a 6-foot-1, 231-pound bruiser from Oregon State, carried five times for 64 yards and broke a 48-yard run that set up the Rams' first touchdown.

Jackson was played into the fourth quarter by the Rams.

"That showed the coaches have confidence in me and are comfortable with me being in there," Jackson said.

As for his long run, Jackson said the Rams took advantage of the Seahawks' aggressive style of defense.

"We caught those guys in an over-pursuit," he said. "We knew if we could get them flowing to one side and cut back on it, it would be a big run."

Jackson's other highs are 50 yards against Arizona in the season opener and a 24-yard run at San Francisco last Sunday.

Just one Look

Dane Looker, a former University of Washington player, had just one catch for 16 yards for the Rams. But that reception, with 13 seconds left in regulation time, set up the tying field goal by kicker Jeff Wilkins that sent the game into overtime.

Looker, whose role with the Rams has been diminished as the team takes longer looks at former draft picks Shaun McDonald and Kevin Curtis, was happy to be back home in the Puget Sound area (he's a Puyallup native) and glad he could contribute.

"Every opportunity I get, I have to come through," said Looker, who started two games last season and was once the team's third receiver. "It's nice to come back here and get this win."

Looker had what he believed to be about 45 family members and friends at yesterday's game.

Notes

• The announced crowd of 66,940 set a Qwest Field-Seahawks Stadium attendance record for any event at the facility, including football and international soccer. The Manchester United-Celtic game in 2003 drew 66,722 to the stadium.

• Seahawks kicker Josh Brown punted for the first time since his sophomore year in college after regular punter Tom Rouen tore his hamstring. No word on how long Rouen will be out.

• With three turnovers forced and none committed, the Seahawks have a plus-10 turnover differential. They have five fumble recoveries and eight interceptions.

• Don James, former UW head coach, raised the 12th man flag before the game, which was Military Appreciation Day. Forty U.S. Navy recruits were formally enlisted during a pregame ceremony, and the group formed the inaugural Seahawks Company.

• RT Chris Terry committed two penalties yesterday and had a tough time blocking Rams end Leonard Little.

Little had a sack and forced a Hasselbeck fumble late in the fourth. Terry also had three penalties against Tampa Bay.

Blah after bye
The Seahawks are 0-6 after a bye during the Mike Holmgren era. The list:
Year	Result after bye
1999	San Diego 13, Seattle 10
2000	Denver 38, Seattle 31
2001	Miami 24, Seattle 21
2002	San Francisco 28, Seattle 21
2003	Green Bay 35, Seattle 13
2004	St. Louis 33, Seattle 27 (OT)