Seahawks
Notebook: Hard-hitting welcome for LB Brown

By Greg Bishop
Seattle Times staff reporter

ROD MAR / THE SEATTLE TIMES The Panthers' Brad Hoover, top, is stopped by Seahawks Terreal Bierria (34) and Tracy White (59).

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Linebacker Chad Brown's welcome-back moment came early in the Seahawks' 23-17 win over Carolina yesterday, when he collided with defensive end Chike Okeafor in pursuit of a Panthers running back.

"This is tougher than I thought it would be," Brown thought to himself.

Brown, who suffered a broken fibula in training camp and missed the Seahawks' first six games, recorded six tackles in his first action this season. He said the most difficult adjustment was the mental one, adding, "I made mistakes I don't think I'll make again."

But Brown's mere presence was a boon to Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren, whose defense is missing leaders in linebacker Anthony Simmons and defensive end Grant Wistrom. Holmgren noted Brown's "energy and movement."

Tru that

When Marcus Trufant visited a cousin undergoing chemotherapy at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tacoma recently, he met a child named Jarron. This week, Trufant told the boy's parents that he would dedicate an interception to him.

The dedication came midway through the fourth quarter, when Trufant wrapped his arms around an errant Jake Delhomme pass and returned it 58 yards up the left sideline. After the pick, he pointed toward the stands.

"He basically threw it right to me," Trufant said.

Panther growling

Carolina was particularly miffed about a delay-of-game penalty whistled against cornerback Ricky Manning, who was lining up with the punt team in the second quarter when a flag came out.

Officials ruled that Manning was trying to get the Seahawks player directly across from him to jump offsides. Instead, the 5-yard penalty on fourth-and-one gave the Seahawks an automatic first down, and Seattle went on to score its second touchdown eight plays later.

Delay-of-game penalties on the offense happen regularly, but almost never on defense. Carolina coach John Fox indicated he will explore the matter further with the NFL.

"They (officials) said it was a penalty of not a natural defensive movement. But we've got some questions on that and we'll have to look at it," Fox said.

Manning claimed innocence.

"I guess he said I was kind of like talking to the gunner (the Seahawks' special teams player) to go offsides," Manning said. "But the only thing I was doing was backing up. I wasn't throwing my hands up or saying anything. I wasn't trying to get him offsides."

Another long ball

Holmgren called the 63-yard catch Ken Lucas allowed the Panthers' Keary Colbert in the fourth quarter "inexcusable." Lucas called it "boneheaded."

On first-and-10 with 2 minutes, 4 seconds left, Lucas tried to bump Colbert at the line of scrimmage, slipped and never recovered. Colbert caught the ball 2 yards from the end zone.

The play follows a disturbing Seahawks trend. In losses to St. Louis, New England and Arizona, deep passes played a prominent role in the Seahawks' undoing.

"We were in that situation a couple weeks ago and lost a game based on our inability to handle that situation very well," Holmgren said. "And we did it again."

Dropped hold

The Seahawks receivers dropped just two passes yesterday, giving them 23 drops on the season. But quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who is now the team's holder with Tom Rouen on injured reserve, proved the dropsies can even extend to his position.

Holding for a fourth Josh Brown field goal, Hasselbeck took the snap from J.P. Darche and dropped the ball. It happened so quickly, some wondered if the Seahawks planned a fake.

"That wasn't very pretty, was it?" Holmgren quipped.

Returning Richard

The last time Kris Richard returned a punt, he was a junior at USC. But when Maurice Morris left the game with a concussion, the third-year cornerback was pressed into punt-return duty. Kerry Carter returned kickoffs for Morris.

Richard said he averaged about 10 yards per return at USC, and things didn't change yesterday. He fair-caught two punts and returned one for 10 yards on the button.

"It was an eye-opening experience," he said. "That's what this game is all about — waiting for your opportunity."

Notes

• S Ken Hamlin spied DT Rashad "Booger" Moore in the locker room. Noting the puffiness around Moore's eyes, Hamlin joked, "Make sure you don't do any TV interviews, Booger."

Turns out Moore had an allergic reaction to oranges he ate at halftime. He returned for the first series of the second half before his face started swelling. He called the look his "Halloween mask."

"He looks kind of funny right now," Holmgren said.

• With his family in the stands, WR Koren Robinson caught three passes for 52 yards. But will this be his last game with the Seahawks for a while? There was no word yesterday on his reportedly impending four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy. But he reportedly had a hearing last week.

• WR Jerry Rice's 6-yard catch in the second quarter drew the loudest ovation of the day. He later sprained his right ankle and did not return.

• Former Seahawks great Cortez Kennedy patrolled the sideline. He was recently in Alaska for a fishing trip. Also, former Seahawk Eugene Robinson, a member of Carolina's broadcast team, raised the 12th-man flag.

Times staff reporter José Miguel Romero contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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