Seattle San Diego Info

[Raji]

Seattle Seahawks at San Diego Chargers (- 5 1/2, 37)



Hasselbeck still out



Matt Hasselbeck missed practice all week with a tight back and will not play Monday against the Chargers.



With Hasselbeck missing his second straight preseason game, third-string quarterback Charlie Frye will get his second straight start and likely play most of the game. Backup Seneca Wallace, who was slowed by a groin injury earlier this week, will be available and could play on Monday.



New plan for Holmgren



In past third exhibition games, Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren always wanted the starters to come out in the third quarter. But not Monday, with the rash of injuries to several potential starters.



With injuries to Hasselbeck, center Chris Spencer, right tackle Sean Locklear and receivers Bobby Engram and Deion Branch, Holmgren will play it close to the vest, choosing to use his starters sparingly with the hopes of keeping them injury-free.



Spencer worked with the first unit during drills on Friday but likely will not see action against the Chargers. However, because Spencer has not played in any preseason games, Holmgren may play him against Oakland in the last preseason game to check Spencer’s progress.



Spencer said his back feels good and he’s close to being ready.



Carlson fitting in nicely



The Seahawks drafted John Carlson in the second round because they envisioned the tight end sitting in the middle of soft zone defenses. Holmgren loves utilizing his tight end downfield, but had to improvise last season because Marcus Pollard faded and was eventually released.



So far, so good.



“I really feel he is the player we thought he was when we drafted him,” Holmgren said. A 6-foot-5 target with the ability to make big catches.



Merriman has torn ligaments



Chargers Pro Bowl linebacker Shawne Merriman has two torn ligaments in his left knee and has been told by doctors that he could suffer a possible career-ending injury if he attempts to play without having surgery.



Merriman said he has tears in both the posterior cruciate and lateral collateral ligaments. He said doctors agree that he needs surgery to repair the damage. “It could be career-threatening if I did (play),” Merriman said. “It’s a possibility. That possibility is still open.”



A course of action has not been decided. Merriman, who will consult with a doctor in Miami early this week before making a decision, has been told reconstructive surgery would sideline him for the entire 2008 season.



Chargers plus away



The Chargers were missing two starters on their offensive line with center Nick Hardwick (foot) and left tackle Marcus McNeill (stinger) ailing. But what’s different than in past seasons is that San Diego can plug in two savvy veterans instead of inexperienced backups.



Jeremy Newberry filled in for Hardwick and might have to do so for the first month of the season. The only drawback is Newberry playing so much now instead of saving himself for September. The friction in his knees — where the cartilage has dissipated with it basically being bone-on-bone — would be unbearable for some but Newberry is known for his high tolerance for pain.



L.J. Shelton, who started 16 games for Miami last year, subbed for McNeill.



Gates update



Chargers tight end Antonio Gates was taken off the PUP list earlier this week and participated in parts of practice after passing a physical. He had surgery nearly six months ago to repair a tear in the plantar plate of his left foot. He injured his left big toe during a playoff game against Tennessee last January.



He said his prospects look good for playing in the regular-season opener against Carolina on Sept. 7, but only if he doesn’t have any setbacks with his foot.



“It’s one of those things where it feels really good one day and you come back another day and it’s sore,” he said. “It’s one of those injuries where you have to really monitor and make sure I’m not overdoing it.”

Raji

[Raji]

Seattle at San Diego, 8:00 ET ESPN
Seattle: 6-0 Over as an underdog
San Diego: 17-6 Over off Under


With only two preseason games left before the final cuts are due, several Chargers players are coming down to the wire when it comes to sealing their spots on the active roster. Samantha Fillerup profiles five players to watch in the primetime Monday night game against the Seattle Seahawks.

1. OLB Jyles Tucker

Tucker has established himself as a pass-rushing force, but he was much less effective versus the run against the St. Louis Rams. He was slow to diagnose plays and get off his blocks. To his credit, he recorded a sack in the second quarter, but he needs to show he can make the necessary stops against the run.

Tucker's performance becomes all the more critical with Shawne Merriman's availability in doubt. If Merriman is forced to miss some or all of the regular season, Tucker will have to step into the starting lineup and pick up the slack. The game against the Seattle Seahawks is the perfect opportunity to prove he is ready.


2. WR Buster Davis

Davis caught two passes for a team-high 40 yards against the Rams. He will need to show he is a consistent threat is he is going to hold off Legedu Naanee for the right to be the first receiver to come off the pine. His biggest challenges are to run better routes and to work harder to make himself available to quarterback Philip Rivers.

Davis is also in a battle to be the starting punt returner. He made a good case for himself last week, bringing back his only return for 36 yards. Another strong showing like that and Davis will give Darren Sproles a run for his money.

3. OT Jeromey Clary

Clary needs to elevate his play if he plans to remain the starting right tackle. In last week's game versus the Rams, Leonard Little got inside Clary's head, netting one sack and coaxing Clary into a false start.

Clary has another tough task against the Seahawks, where he will face Patrick Kerney, who finished second in the NFL with 14.5 sacks last season. Clary will have to prove he has the quickness to stay with speed rushers off the edge; otherwise, L.J. Shelton will be breathing down his neck.

4. CB DeJuan Tribble

Tribble has the raw talent to be a core contributor to the dime defense and on special teams. Nonetheless, he needs to start producing in the preseason if he hopes to nail down a spot on the active roster. He has yet to register a pick or a pass breakup.

Tribble is currently the ninth defensive back in the rotation. However, the Chargers may keep only eight in the secondary to make room for another defensive linemen or linebacker. Tribble needs to prove to the coaching staff he is too good to cut.

5. KR Mark Jones

Jones has made an immediate impact as a punt returner but must find a way to stand out from his competition. He was off to a good start with his performance in the preseason opener, when he returned three punts for 57 yards. He was held in check last week, though, returning two punts for 6 yards and one kickoff for 25 yards.

Jones is fighting an uphill battle in his quest for a roster spot because of his inability to contribute on offense. If he can bring back a kickoff or a punt for a score against the Seahawks, he will at least give himself a fighting chance.


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[Raji]

Hawks look to get better reception
'Young'uns' have to start making plays





SAN DIEGO -- In the Seahawks' first two preseason games, Courtney Taylor and Ben Obomanu have the same number of receptions.


A team-leading five? No, that would be second-year wide receiver Jordan Kent and rookie free agent Michael Bumpus.

Four? Wrong again, because that's the total for second-year man Logan Payne, who missed the opener because of a cracked rib but was productive -- despite playing through pain -- in the home opener.

No, neither Taylor nor Obomanu has a reception to show for their summer's work.

Look for that to change Monday night in the Seahawks' game against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium.

It's only a preseason game, but there is a sense of urgency to get Taylor and Obomanu involved in the offense.

Taylor, a sixth-round draft choice last year, is the likely starting flanker for the Sept. 7 regular-season opener against the Buffalo Bills because leading receiver Bobby Engram will miss the first few games with a cracked bone in his right shoulder and coach Mike Holmgren is starting to hedge his optimism that Deion Branch will be ready as he continues his rehab from reconstructive surgery on his left knee.

Obomanu, a seventh-round draft choice in 2007, is the most experienced of the untested receivers that Holmgren refers to as "the young'uns" -- a group that also includes Kent, Payne and Bumpus.

The offense needs at least two of these receivers to not only show they can play, but also make plays, until Engram and Branch are ready to return.

"Whenever I really try to do that, it doesn't seem to work very well," Holmgren said of attempts to force the ball to Taylor and Obomanu.

"But there's a pile there, and I know a little bit more about a couple of them than the other ones. I've got to see more. So that's what we're trying to do. Whether we can or not, we'll see."

No. 3 quarterback Charlie Frye looms large in this equation because he will again start, because quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is out with a tight back and backup Seneca Wallace missed time during the week with a tight groin.

Another factor is a Chargers defense that has given the Seahawks fits in previous summer matchups.

"They're a very good defensive team," Holmgren said. "So that's good. It's a gauge as to where (our players) are."

Holmgren will get no argument from Taylor, whose size (6 feet 1 inch, 205 pounds), athleticism and relative experience give him an edge over the rest of the young'uns.

"The Chargers' secondary is considered one of the best in the league," Taylor said. "They're a real physical bunch. So I'm looking forward to it."

But Taylor also is looking beyond the Chargers.

"I just have to keep getting better every day," he said. "That's my main thing. As long as I'm coming out and doing my job -- in practice and in the games -- the balls will come. So I'm not worried about that."

Caught in the cross hairs of the catchless dilemma is split end Nate Burleson. So why is he smiling when the subject is broached?

First, Burleson has been here/survived that.

He was the unknown receiver from almost nowhere in 2004 while playing with the Minnesota Vikings. The team's other wideout? Some guy named Randy Moss.

"Randy went down and everybody was thinking, 'What are we going to do now? Will we even be able to throw the ball?' " Burleson said. " 'It was like 'Nate who?' 'From Nevada-Where?'

"Reno? They've got a football team?"

Burleson caught 68 passes for 1,006 yards and nine touchdowns that season.

But Burleson also could be on the receiving end of extra attention from opposing defenses if Taylor, or Obomanu, or someone else, doesn't start stepping up -- and soon.

"I can feel what they're going through -- 100 percent," Burleson said. "But there really isn't too much pressure on them. They might think, 'Ah, the entire city is counting on us to pick up the load.'

"But realistically, the defenses and cornerbacks they're facing don't know too much about them. Is anyone going to double- and triple-cover Courtney and Ben? Probably not.

"So they've got a great chance to exploit this situation."

That's why Holmgren is both eager and anxious for it to finally start happening.

FOCUS ON: THE CHARGERS

Mike Holmgren plans to break with preseason tradition Monday night by not playing all his starters into the third quarter. Chargers coach Norv Turner says he'll stay with what has become the Week 3 modus operandi in the NFL.

But one player the Seahawks won't have to worry about is Shawne Merriman, who has been a disruptive force in the preseason games between these two teams in the past. The Chargers' Pro Bowl linebacker has ligament damage in his left knee and is deciding whether to have reconstructive surgery or try to play despite tears in the lateral collateral and posterior collateral ligaments. "I'm stubborn as hell," Merriman told The San Diego Union-Tribune.

So stubborn that he has gotten three second opinions and is scheduled to seek a fourth this week. "With the injury I have, nobody would prefer that somebody really play," Merriman said. "But right now I can play. It's a high risk I (could) injure it further. But it's hard. I want to be on the field."

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[nflman]

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