Seattle Dly Herald: Seahawks' receivers catching on

[spanishomelette]

Seahawks' receivers catching on

Early on, Seattle's pass-catchers are jelling as a unit

http://heraldnet.com/stories/05/09/21/100spo_seahawks001.cfm

By Scott M. Johnson

Herald Writer

KIRKLAND - Just two games into the regular season, the Seattle Seahawks' wide receivers have already found their roles.

Darrell Jackson gets all the first downs.

Bobby Engram does all the dirty work.

And Joe Jurevicius scores all the touchdowns.

It's quite a formula for success, if only the Seahawks can keep things going this direction all season.

"Obviously, when those guys are playing well, it makes my job easier," Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said. "The system that we have here, it's just able to click when those guys are doing their jobs."

It's hard to imagine Seattle's receiving corps being much more productive. Jackson is tied for second in the NFC in receptions, with 14. Engram, with 13 catches, is right behind him. And Jurevicius, despite just four receptions, has two touchdowns and a team-best average of 17.5 yards per catch.

Just as important, especially when considering the Seahawks' recent past, is another statistic. Through two games, Seattle's wide receivers have dropped just two passes.

"We went through all that craziness with dropping the ball - not just Darrell, but all the receivers," Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said Monday. "Now we're catching balls. I don't have a good answer for you (as to why)."

Jackson mishandled one pass in Sunday's win over Atlanta, but otherwise it was a flawless performance. Drawing coverage from star cornerback DeAngelo Wright for most of the afternoon, Jackson created enough room to catch a game-high eight passes for 131 yards.

"He has special skills as a receiver, although people would say he's not the biggest guy or the fastest guy," Holmgren said of the 6-foot, 201-pound Jackson. "He gets open, he catches a lot of passes, he's hard to cover, and he's quick. In what we do (offensively) most of the time, he gets open."

In addition to getting open, Jackson seems to find the first-down marker. Of his 14 receptions, 12 have given the Seahawks a fresh set of downs.

Not that Jackson's numbers are that much ahead of his typical production. He has caught at least 60 passes in each of the past four seasons, including a franchise-record 87 receptions in 2004.

But he has been more dependable, especially when considering the unofficial count of 27 dropped passes over the past two seasons.

"He's playing about as well as he can play," Hasselbeck said. " (Philadelphia receiver) Terrell Owens is maybe the best in the game, and DeAngelo Hall did a great job on him on Monday night (last week). And then Darrell had a great game against DeAngelo Hall. So I think Darrell's a really good football player, and he's playing really well."

Engram and Jurevicius are less flashy, but they've proven to be just as reliable.

"We're just trying to make plays," said Engram, who took over as the starting split end this year after catching 36 passes as the No. 3 receiver in 2004. "The coaches do a good job of mixing it up. A lot of times, the coverage dictates it.

" (Jackson) is always going to be the primary guy, and he deserves that because he makes a lot of plays. I'm just trying to do my part and help us win some games."

As a starting duo, Jackson and Engram have more combined catches (27) than all but one tandem in the NFL. Only Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald (17 receptions) and Anquan Boldin (12), both of whom will bring their skills to Qwest Field this Sunday, have combined for more.

But when it comes to the red zone, Jackson and Engram have found themselves watching their teammate get most of the action.

"We'll see if that keeps happening," Jurevicius said. "You have to do what you have to do. I'm not going to worry about numbers. I'm just going to go out and do my job."

Jurevicius's production near the red zone is just fine with Seattle's starting duo.

"We all have a good relationship, and we're all trying to help each other win games," Engram said. "It's going to come around. Some guys get touchdowns in bunches, some guys get catches in bunches. That's just the way it goes. I could care less, as long as we're winning."

Notes: The Seahawks placed wide receiver Alex Bannister (broken clavicle) on injured reserve Tuesday, effectively ending his 2005 season. Bannister missed the final two months of 2004 with the same injury. ... With an open roster spot, Seattle signed veteran cornerback/return man Jimmy Williams. He was with the New Orleans Saints at training camp, but did not make the final cut. ... The Seahawks also made a move on their practice squad, releasing wide receiver Kendrick Starling and replacing him with receiver Richard Smith.

[Jon T.]

The Seahawks are pretty good! We need this win!