Williams MIA from Seahawks’ offense
ERIC D. WILLIAMS; Staff writer
RENTON – After six weeks of practice and three regular season games, quarterback Tarvaris Jackson and receiver Mike Williams have yet to get on the same page.
Williams finished as Seattle’s leading receiver last season, earning a three-year, $11.2 million contract.
But through three games this season, Williams is tied for fifth on the team with five catches for 43 yards.
And while Sidney Rice led the team with eight catches for 109 yards in his regular-season debut in Seattle’s 13-10 win over Arizona on Sunday, Williams was targeted just once. It was early in the game, and he finished without a catch.
“Obviously, we want to get the ball to Mike a little more,” Jackson said after the game. “We didn’t connect today (Sunday). We didn’t have a lot of plays and defenses – he probably was open a couple times, if I go back and watch the film, I’ll probably see him open a couple of times on the pictures.
“We just have to do a better job of making sure I look for that (and) we get some plays where we get him the ball.”
Perhaps one saving grace for Williams is he got off to a slow start last season. Through the first three games of the 2010 season, Williams had just seven catches for 106 yards. But he totaled 25 catches for 242 yards in his next three games on his way to finishing with 65 receptions for 751 yards and two touchdowns.
Seattle coach Pete Carroll said he talked to Williams after Sunday’s game in the locker room, acknowledging the fact he did not get a lot of touches, but it was just a circumstantial event.
“It’s not just Mike,” Carroll said. “I don’t care who the guy is, it’s the guy on the other side and I just want to balance things out. We’d like to get Zach (Miller) a few balls, too. But it will happen, and it will come when it comes.”
“He knows,” added Carroll. “He understands.”
CARROLL: CURRY STILL PART OF TEAM
Speculation around the league is that the Seahawks are interested in trading the team’s first-round draft pick from 2009, linebacker Aaron Curry.
According to an online report, five teams have contacted the Seahawks about possibly making a deal, including Philadelphia, Arizona, the N.Y. Giants, Carolina and Kansas City.
However, the report is unsubstantiated and has not been confirmed by the Sea-hawks.
Earlier this year, during training camp, Seattle restructured Curry’s contract, making it easier to part ways with the underperforming linebacker at season’s end if the team chose.
Curry agreed to cut his rookie deal from six years to four. In return for giving up $5 million in guaranteed salary he was due to make in 2012, Curry can become a free agent at the end of that season – two years earlier at the age of 27.
The No. 4 overall draft pick in 2009 was demoted to second team last week, with rookie K.J. Wright stepping in as starter. Curry played in Sunday’s game against Arizona recording one tackle and one assist.
Carroll said that Wright did a solid job in place of Curry, and that he doesn’t anticipate that situation changing this week. Wright was not credited with any tackles in the statistics.
“We’ll go to Wednesday and see how that goes, and see what that all means,” Carroll said. “But he (Wright) did play well enough to play again. He did a good job.”
Asked if he anticipates any further role for Curry in Seattle, Carroll had this to say:
“Yeah, sure he’s on our team. We’re counting on him playing and contributing. He was involved in a number of different situations yesterday. We’ll see how it goes. I’m not sure what’s going to happen this week. I don’t have to know right now.”
EXTRA POINTS
Carroll said Rice came through just fine in his first action this season after sitting out the first two games with a damaged labrum in his shoulder. QB Jackson had no issues with his knee after getting his leg rolled up on while trying to chase down a loose ball on a fumbled shotgun snap in the fourth quarter. Linebacker Matt McCoy (concussion) should be OK to practice on Wednesday. …Safety Kam Chancellor has a thigh bruise that could affect his availability for practice.
Eric D. Williams: 253-597-8437
eric.williams@thenewstribune.com
blog.thenewstribune.com/seahawks
SUNDAY
Atlanta (1-2) at Seattle (1-2), 1:05 p.m., Ch. 13, 97.3-FM. 710-AM
