Mediocre production doesn’t faze receiver
ERIC D. WILLIAMS; Staff writer
DENVER – Where’s Sidney?
That’s a question after three exhibition games for the Seattle Seahawks.
Sidney Rice, the Seahawks’ $41 million playmaking receiver signed in free agency, has not had much of an impact for Seattle with four catches for 22 yards and no touchdowns.
Rice did not play in the first exhibition at San Diego. He finished with two catches for 11 yards against Minnesota in the second exhibition, following that up with another two catches for 11 yards against Denver on Saturday.
Possibly the main reason for Rice’s lack of catches has been Seattle’s inability to give quarterback Tarvaris Jackson enough time to find his targets.
Still, expectations are high for Rice, who has looked dominant in practice, but has not shown those “wow” plays in the games.
Rice did draw a pass interference penalty on Nate Jones in the end zone in the fourth quarter against the second-unit defense.
“I’m just continuing doing what I do,” Rice said. “I’m not saying so much that I’m doing things right, but there’s still a lot of things that I can work on myself, and as receivers to get better as a team. But there’s also stuff as an offense that we need to get done.”
Seattle coach Pete Carroll said there’s still time to get Rice going.
“We’re not using him very much,” he said. “We’re just getting him out there. We’re trying not to go to him too much. We want to make sure we’re going to other guys, knowing there’s a chemistry that exists. We haven’t been able to see it yet, like we would like, but we know what he can do.”
GALLERY NOT SORRY
The play probably looked worse than it was – Seattle guard Robert Gallery peeling back to cut Denver defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley on a screen pass.
Gallery caught Bunkley at the knees. Denver coach John Fox, said Bunkley sprained his right knee. Gallery was unapologetic.
“Look in the rule book – that was a completely legal block to me,” Gallery said. “The ref even said it. That’s football, man. I’d do it again. I don’t like that he got hurt, but that was a completely legal block, and I’d do it 100 times again.”
Bunkley wasn’t looking for an apology.
“It’s the game, man,” Bunkley said. “We’re in the trenches, and things like that are going to happen. I’ll be all right. I’m not going to say anything is dirty. That’s just the way the game is played.”
EXTRA POINTS
Seahawks who did not play include CB Kelly Jennings (hamstring), RB Marshawn Lynch (ankle), SS Kam Chancellor (ankle), LB David Hawthorne (knee), DE Dexter Davis (hip), T Russell Okung (ankle), TE John Carlson (shoulder), and DE Pierre Allen (hamstring). ... Carroll, who turns 60 on Sept. 15, threw the ball farther than his age in his annual tradition, tossing it 62 yards before the game. Of course, Carroll picked thin-air Denver for the second consecutive year, along with using a yellow football that looked like a Nerf.
