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SLOPPY SECOND

You had to know preseason wouldn’t be as easy as it looked in San Diego.

Last week’s exhibition game was a bit of an aberration; you know that. You’ve seen enough Seahawk preseasons to know that the team rarely looks that polished, hardly ever moves the ball that effectively, and almost never gets through a game without at least one injury. Which is why Saturday’s 27-13 victory over the Denver Broncos probably felt a little more familiar, what with the first team offense and defense struggling and Chris Spencer leaving the field on a cart in the second quarter. Really, are you that surprised that Spencer managed to hurt himself again? Didn’t think so.

The running game failed to make much headway against a Denver run defense that ranked near the bottom of the league in 2008. The Seahawk offense couldn’t manage any continuity after scoring a touchdown on their opening drive. Worst of all, Sean Locklear was all but completely ineffective at left tackle and that, combined with the loss of depth while Spencer is out, means that offensive line is just as much of a concern as you thought it was this past summer.

Seattle came away with the win, but you know they have a lot more work to do to earn the “W” when the games start counting.

Not that there weren’t some good things happening at Qwest Field Saturday night. You know that there are bright spots in even the worst preseason games, and this past one was no exception. Deon Butler looked sharp, especially on his nifty touchdown catch in the first quarter. Matt Hasselbeck showed no ill effects from the three sacks he took and already seems to be developing a rapport with free agent wideout T. J. Houshmandzadeh. And Nick Reed? Wow. Have you ever seen a 7th round defensive end look this good this quickly? (If you get a minute, you might want to tell Baraka Atkins to update his résumé.) The Seahawks have some reason to be pleased with Saturday night’s performance, even if the bulk of the team really does need to do better.

Most importantly, you know that games like this are what preseason is for: taking care of the rust, working out the kinks, find out what’s working and go with it, find out what’s NOT working and fixing it. Sean Locklear is a good example. His performance could have really hurt Seattle had this been a regular season game. As it is, it’s something to work on as he adjusts to a position that he hasn’t played all that much (to get an idea of what it is like to switch from right tackle to left tackle, try doing everything backwards for a day and doing it as quickly and instinctively as you always have.) With Jones and now Spencer out, Jim Mora has an opportunity to see whether the Seahawks can make do with the players they have or if they will need to go shopping before the season starts. And Deion Branch can work a little more on that end around pass that looked so Rick-Mirer-esque last Saturday. You know the Hawks still have time to improve, which is why Saturday night’s game was a blessing in disguise.

You’ve probably heard the saying that people learn more from losing than they do from winning. The Seahawks didn’t lose Saturday night but the principle is the same. Now they have a better idea of what they need to improve upon before the season starts. Now they know that they still can’t count on Chris Spencer to stay healthy. Now they have specific areas to work on in the days leading up to next Saturday’s game in Kansas City. This sloppy second preseason game may not have been what you were hoping to see, but it may lead to more of the kind of football you want to see when the games start to count.

And after enduring the kind of season Seattle had to deal with last year, better football when the games count is all you really need.

Random Thoughts on Preseason Week Two:

• It’s been said before but it bears repeating: Seattle needs to find a spot on the active roster for Nick Reed. If they try to sneak him onto the practice squad they will lose him, and in all honesty he deserves a roster spot after the way he has played so far.

• Max Unger had another marathon preseason effort, splitting time at right guard with the first unit and left guard with the second. The temptation would be to move him to center with Spencer out with an injury, but seeing as how he has spent the bulk of his time playing guard and given Steve Vallos’ ability to play center, don’t be surprised if the Hawks keep him where he is for the time being.

• Jim Mora is going to have a hard time keeping Seneca Wallace off the field this year even if Matt Hasselbeck stays healthy. And frankly, it’s long past time that Seattle fully utilized the talent they have in Wallace.

• If Brandon Coutu could just get a little more distance on his kickoffs, the competition for the kicking job would be over by now. That being said, with Coutu’s youth and the accuracy he has shown thus far, he’s probably going to win the job anyway. Getting touchbacks on kickoffs can be a big boost, but it’s not as important as nailing the game-winning field goal with 3 seconds on the clock.