Morris' effort fuels Seahawks controversy

KIRKLAND -- Do the Seahawks have a running back controversy?

You could see this coming as soon as it was announced that Maurice Morris would start Monday night's game against the San Francisco 49ers for an injured Shaun Alexander.

Morris wasn't going to have to do much in the nationally televised game to ignite the ire of the growing legion of "haters" who have booed Alexander at Qwest Field this season and questioned everything from his heart to his health on radio call-in shows and newspaper blogs.

Morris finished with 87 rushing yards, the most by a Seahawks back since Alexander ran for 100 in the Week 3 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. But Morris needed 28 carries to do it, leaving him with an average of 3.1 yards per carry.

Nothing to get excited about, until you factor in that Alexander averaged 3.1, 2.3, 2.5, 2.5 and 2.3 yards in the five games after his last thrust into a triple-digit afternoon.

So, is there a who-to-play, who-to-sit decision developing here as the Seahawks begin preparing Wednesday for Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears at Qwest Field?

Yes, and no.

Fans will continue to clamor for more Mo, who appeared to hit what holes there were against the 49ers quicker and get through them more explosively. Morris also is a better option in the passing game, because Alexander is playing with a cast on his left hand to protect a cracked bone. Morris had three receptions against the 49ers, while Alexander dropped two passes in the previous week's loss to the Browns in Cleveland.

But the fact that Alexander still is bothered by the sprained left knee he suffered against the Browns plays to coach Mike Holmgren being able to defuse this potentially volatile situation.

Alexander was pushing to play last week, until he tried to practice Saturday and realized he was too banged up to get the job done -- in addition to the hand and knee, he also sprained his left ankle against the Browns.

The players were off Tuesday, and the coaches were working on the plan for the Bears game.

But when asked about Morris' performance after the game Monday night, Holmgren said: "He did OK. I think we got a little spoiled a couple of years ago, when we were banging it around pretty good running the ball."

That would be 2005, when Alexander was the league MVP after leading the NFL is rushing and touchdowns during the run to the Super Bowl.

This team is not that team. This Alexander is not that Alexander. This offensive line is not that offensive line.

"I think defenses are committing extra people up in there (near the line of scrimmage), and they are making it hard to run," Holmgren said.

The Seahawks are averaging 95.4 rushing yards per game and 3.4 per carry, their lowest since 1999 and 1989, respectively. Morris scored their third rushing touchdown of the season against the 49ers.

The best thing for this team might be to let Alexander sit until he is healthy, or at least healthier. Why rush him back?

A national stage also brings national writers to Qwest Field, and their take on situations that have become redundant locally.

Mike Freeman from CBSSports.com offered this in his story from Monday night's game: "I'm not totally convinced and I acknowledge the Seahawks have issues. Their largest is the head case formerly known as Shaun Alexander. Once again, players around the league, in several conversations with me, are questioning his toughness. It seems to be an annual event. To some Shaun is not Shaun. He's Shaunette. That's not fair, but that's the way he's perceived and unfortunately that's the way he might always be perceived."

Freeman is right, that is not fair. But then there has been little about Alexander's situation this season that has been -- from his most recent performances to the fans' reaction to them.

SEAHAWKS VS. BEARS

WHEN/WHERE: Sunday, 1:15 p.m., Qwest Field

TV/RADIO: KCPQ/13; KIRO-AM/710

BEARS RECORD: 4-5 after Sunday's 17-6 win over the Raiders

WHERE THEY RANK: No. 24 on offense (30th rushing, 14th passing); No. 21 on defense (26th rushing, 15th passing)

SERIES: Seahawks lead 6-3, but lost to the Bears twice in Chicago last season -- 37-6 in Week 4, then 27-24 in overtime in the playoffs.

STAR POWER: Devin Hester. With everything that has gone wrong for the Bears, this guy is still right on track to become the greatest return man in the NFL history. He's already got eight punt and kickoff returns for touchdowns in just 25 games. This season, Hester has scored a team-high four touchdowns -- two on 89- and 73-yard punt returns; one on a 97-yard kickoff return; another on an 81-yard pass play.

UNSUNG HERO: Bernard Berrian. The fourth-year wide receiver leads the Bears with 42 receptions, and he's no stranger to the Seahawks. Berrian scored on a 40-yard pass play and also had a 46-yard reception in the Bears' rout of the Seahawks in Week 4 last season. He then had a 68-yard TD and a 30-yard reception to set up the game-winning field goal in the Bears' postseason win over the Seahawks.

ON THE SPOT: Cedric Benson. Last season, the Bears pounded opponents with the 1-2 punch of Thomas Jones (1,210 yards, six touchdowns) and Benson (647 yards, six TDs). Then, they decided to go with just one and traded Jones to the New York Jets. Now, Benson, the fourth pick overall in the 2005 draft, is averaging 3.0 yards per carry -- lowest in the league among backs with at least 250 yards.

BURNING QUESTION: Rex Grossman? Or Brian Griese? Or Kyle Orton? Grossman returned against the Raiders for the first time since Week 3 when Griese went out with a sprained left shoulder. Grossman threw a 59-yard TD to -- who else? -- Berrian. Bears coach Lovie Smith says he'll announce which quarterback will start against the Seahawks later in the week.