Players of the Game - Preview Edition

Written by Chris Sullivan | 28 August 2009

Who matters in the Kansas City game and why? Well, here's my list:

1. Deion Branch - With a big salary, declining numbers the last three years, and no catches thus far in preseason, Branch is given what could be his last chance to prove his worth as a Seahawk. It's unlikely he'd  get cut, but tomorrow is his chance to prove a) that we need him on this squad, or b) that he has value in a trade scenario. I would imagine Ruskell is looking at both, and as a result I am hoping for a huge game from him, regardless of whether (a) or (b) is the end result.
2. Lawrence Jackson - While he's not a starter, I would be surprised if we don't see him come in from time to time backing up Cory Redding. Jackson has everything in the world to prove and everything in the world to lose. Could he be inactive week one? He needs to prove tomorrow that the team can't afford that; he hasn't done it yet.
3. Aaron Curry - Who is he? Why did we spend a fourth overall pick on him? Time for him to introduce himself to Seattle and the NFL tomorrow, look for a big game from him. Is there any chance he won't start against St Louis? No, I don't think so, but it sure would be nice for him to prove it, huh?
4. Sean Locklear - Lock gave up two of the three sacks on Hasselbeck last week, though on two of those Matt has admitted (and coaches have backed the claim up) that he simply held the ball too long. Still, Lock saw his mistakes on film, can he fix them? We should get a better idea of Locklear tomorrow, and hopefully he can put our minds at ease.
5. Julius Jones - If he is going to be a "workhorse back," that is going to start tomorrow. I'm with Steve S. in the comments calling BS on this whole "beat'em into submission into the 3rd Quarter" idea. We need Jones to come out tomorrow and average at least 4-5 yards per carry. The worse this run game looks, the worse the fan base will look at Jones, the O-Line, Knapp, Mora and ultimately Ruskell. This game might not count, but that doesn't mean it isn't important.