"MNF" full of some good, more bad and lots of wet

The Seahawks' first dip into the new "Monday Night Football" could be accused of a lot of things, but be sure to leave overhyped off the list.

For certain, this game lived up to its billing.

It was as bad as predicted.

It was as soggy as the drenched day, a contest burdened by pitiful punting, misguided machismo and, forgive us for mentioning them last, the reprehensible Oakland Raiders.

Few figured this to be more than an unfashionable get-well game for the Seahawks. And with the defending NFC champions lacking their star power, many contemplated whether this could be the worst "MNF" affair of the season. So even if the Seahawks don't end the season with grandeur, they will be able to say, at least for one night, expectations were met.

If the pelting pregame rain wasn't an omen, the national anthem had to be. Unfortunately, the young lady assigned to sing before 67,816 paused briefly after "the twilight's last gleaming," just enough to experience some shock. She recovered gracefully, however. Too bad the players couldn't mimic her resolve.

Oakland is a bad team, perhaps headed for historical ineptitude on offense. At the beginning, the Seahawks did what good teams do. They pounced. As the game progressed, they did what the 2006 Seahawks do. They meandered. The opponent couldn't do anything about it, however, so ESPN's ninth "MNF" telecast turned very sleepy.

What can we say about this one that the 16-0 score didn't indicate? Well, en route to a 2-6 record, Raiders defensive tackle Warren Sapp recorded a sack and celebrated as no 300-pound man should: with a side-to-side booty shake reminiscent of Wesley Snipes' character in "White Men Can't Jump." It was grossly comical.

Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren ripped off his headset after quarterback Seneca Wallace had to call a timeout in the second quarter. It was scarily comical. And the downpour caused the press box to leak. It was irritatingly comical.

Not that you care too much about what the working media and public-relations staff go through during a game, but it fit well with the night.

When forced to evaluate the misadventures of the punters, you know the game has gone awry. The Seahawks' Ryan Plackemeier and the Raiders' Shane Lechler received way too much attention for the particulars of dropping punts inside the 20-yard line and trying not to shank kicks on this wet and windy night. First of all, neither could perform the tasks consistently. Secondly, the offenses were so irrelevant, the 18 combined punts stuck out like Deion Branch's neon gloves.

There were positives, however. If a 9-6 victory over Detroit produced some good earlier this season, then not even bad weather could stop the sunshine of snapping a two-game losing streak.

After five bad weeks, the Seahawks defense looked fabulous, though pitted against the worst offensive team in the NFL. Nine sacks of Andrew Walter? So Seattle's pass rush wasn't struggling the past few weeks. The players were just saving up for the Raiders.

After spending an entire season lamenting the run game, the Seahawks finally had a 100-yard rusher. Maurice Morris, still the replacement for injured league MVP Shaun Alexander, ran 30 times for 138 yards. Though ugly, the game never seemed in doubt, and Morris' contribution was a huge part of that security. For once, the Seahawks looked like they wore down a foe.

More good: Wallace in his second start at quarterback. D.J. Hackett continues to look like a good No. 3 receiver option. And after all the craziness, after losing Matt Hasselbeck and Alexander to injury, after appearing fully dissimilar to last season's Super Bowl team, the Seahawks are 5-3. They are halfway to 10 victories, halfway to winning the NFC West, halfway to a playoff berth.

"We're hanging in there," linebacker Julian Peterson said. "When you're a Super Bowl team, everybody is gunning for you. Everybody is giving us their best game. It's just all about us taking care of our responsibilities."

Mastering the ordinary would be a good start. And the Seahawks still have a ways to go there. Let's see how the defense performs against St. Louis on Sunday. And let's remember, for all the offense did right Monday, it still only squeezed one touchdown and three field goals out of 371 total yards.

Thank goodness the Raiders were in town.

Neither the Seahawks nor "MNF" will figure to see a quarterback as frightened and helpless as Walter again this season. And since the Raiders have now fulfilled their prime-time major network obligations, the national TV audience won't be tormented by their dysfunction anymore.

The rough night ended painfully, of course. A game featuring several unsportsmanlike conduct penalties concluded with Raiders defensive end Tyler Brayton head-butting and then kneeing Seahawks tight end Jerramy Stevens in the groin. Brayton was ejected, which drew one of the game's loudest cheers.

Sadly, it will go down as the most replayed highlight from this contest.

Jerry Brewer: 206-464-2277 or jbrewer@seattletimes.com