St. Louis – The budding rivalry between Seattle linebacker Aaron Curry and St. Louis running back Steven Jackson took another step in its evolution Sunday.
In the first meeting this season, Curry and Jackson jawed throughout the game, with Jackson earning a personal-foul penalty.
On Sunday, the two were at it again.
“I don’t think he likes me,” Curry said about Jackson. “For some reason, half the stuff he says to me I can’t remember. I just don’t think he likes me.
“I guess it’s like a battle of respect and being a rookie I just don’t see myself backing down. The first time I played him he verbally assaulted me, but he’s a good dude. I don’t know what his intensions are, but I think it’s like, who’s going to lose their cool first, and it isn’t going to be me.
“I respect him as a running back. I respect him for how he runs the ball, but everyone has to understand that we’re all grown men out here and nobody’s going to back down from any human being. That’s just not what I was taught.”
The verbal sparring with Jackson may have helped get Curry’s juices flowing, as he finished with five tackles, including two for a loss. Curry, who coming into the contest only had nine tackles in his last three games, seemed to play with more emotion.
“You felt his presence a little bit more,” Seahawks coach Jim Mora said. “Even if it’s just a one percent improvement every game, that’s what we’ve got to do. We’ve got to keep him going this way (pointing up). And I think we’re managing him the right way at this point of his career.”
Mare getting it done
Seattle kicker Olindo Mare has been on a hot streak since his head coach called his effort unacceptable after he missed two field goals in a 25-19 loss to the Bears in Week 3.
Since then, Mare’s made 16 straight field goals, including 29- and 38-yard boots against St. Louis on Sunday, tying a team record shared with Todd Peterson (1999) and Josh Brown (2004).
Mare is now 19 of 21 (90.5 percent) on the season with a long of 47 yards. Mare’s also fourth in the league in touchbacks with 16.
“He is having a tremendous year,” Mora said. “The guy responded like a champion to the criticism that I leveled at him.”
Hasselbeck a Vick clone?
Hinting that he made the decision on his own, midway through the third quarter on a second-and-1 play from the St. Louis 47, Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck faked a handoff to Justin Forsett and ran untouched around the left end for 19 yards.
The play seemed to fool even the Seattle players.
“There’s some grey area in this offense,” Hasselbeck said. “That was my Mike Vick moment right there. I got like 15 yards down field and I didn’t know what else to do.”
Extra points
Mora offered his condolences to the families of four Lakewood police officers killed by a gunman in a Parkland-area coffee shop on Sunday. “The Seattle Seahawks want to offer their condolences to the families of the slain officers,” Mora said. “My heart goes out to them, and it certainly puts what we do in perspective when you lay your life on the line like that. So hearing that news certainly dampens anything that was accomplished today.” ... Julius Jones was held out of the contest and placed on the inactive list for a second straight week with a bruised lung. “He was still in a lot of pain,” Mora said. “And our doctors, and our medical staff and Julius didn’t feel like he’d be able to absorb the collision that he would definitely be taking as a running back.” ... Mora said defensive end Cory Redding suffered a minor concussion during the game. The Seahawks had no other injuries to report. ... Seahawks receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh finished with just two receptions for 14 yards, and didn’t get his first catch until 7:41 left in the third quarter. The performance represented Houshmandzadeh’s lowest reception total in a game for the season. Houshmandzadeh was targeted six times. ... Safety Jordan Babineaux earned his “Big Play” nickname Sunday, finishing with a team-high 12 tackles, an interception, a quarterback hurry and two passes defensed.
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