Raiders, Seahawks limp into preseason finale

By Gregg Bell | The Associated Press • Published August 28, 2008

SEATTLE — A shorter preseason and more real games? Mike Holmgren is all for it. Lane Kiffin’s not so sure.

Holmgren’s backup Seattle Seahawks host Kiffin’s reserve Oakland Raiders on Friday night (7 p.m., NBC-5) in the preseason finale. That’s the official description. It’s really a final, three-hour tryout of kids for two beat-up teams that would rather not be playing another fake game.

Holmgren, a former backup quarterback at Southern California drafted in the eighth round by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1970, used to think the preseason games were fine as is. Not anymore.

Not with indispensable quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (tight back), Pro Bowl linebacker Lofa Tatupu (bruised knee), record-setting receiver Bobby Engram (broken shoulder), former Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch (knee surgery) and right tackle Sean Locklear (sprained knee) all hurt this preseason and out for Friday’s game.

“I’ve changed my tune. I used to think four was OK,” said Holmgren, who until a few years ago was on the league’s competition committee. “When I was a rookie, we had six!

“A lot of veterans have used the time to get into shape. Players don’t do that anymore. ... We’re killing them in the offseason. So you don’t need as many (preseason games). You really don’t.”

Friday, Seahawks backup quarterback Seneca Wallace will be handing off a lot to Justin Forsett. The rookie seventh-round draft pick from California needs to rebound from a bad game against the Chargers on Monday night to survive Saturday’s final cuts to the 53-man regular-season limit.

“Every play I’ve got to play like it’s my last play — ever — in the NFL,” Forsett said. “I’m trying to make it no doubt that I belong here.”

With No. 3 quarterback Charlie Frye missing Seattle’s only practice this week because of a sore knee and Wallace coming off a groin injury, No. 4 Dalton Bell may be throwing passes to Logan Payne, Jordan Kent, Courtney Taylor and Michael Bumpus — the throng of receivers trying to take one of the last roster spots.