Seahawks notebook: Mixed bag for Terrelle Pryor behind makeshift line

DENVER – “How’d you do?” asked coach Pete Carroll.

That’s what just about everybody in Seattle wanted to know about Justin Britt, the second-round draft pick who started at right tackle in Thursday’s preseason opener against Denver.

“It went well,” Britt said. “I’ve still got to work on some things and perfect some stuff, but it was a good start.”

The Seahawks started a makeshift line with left tackle Russell Okung back in Seattle and center Max Unger (groin) and guard James Carpenter (calf) watching from the sidelines. J.R. Sweezy, the team’s third-year guard, played only one series.

No sooner than Sweezy came out, replaced by Stephen Schilling, Seattle allowed a quarterback pressure after confusion on the line over who would pick up the rusher.

The one sack of Russell Wilson deserves an asterisk, though, denoting it came from safety T.J. Ward, who was dispatched on a blitz off the quarterback’s right side.

Overall, though, Seattle was trying to cobble together a line, playing guys like tackle Cory Brandon and guard Wade Smith, who have been with the team less than a week.

“We’re just surviving,” coach Pete Carroll said. “We’re really surviving right now. We had guys playing on the second team that had been here about three or four days. We’re not very sharp right now. It all showed.”

Pryor commitment

Terrelle Pryor thought he was throwing a game-winning touchdown when the ball left his hand in the final 3 minutes of the fourth quarter.

It was the crowd’s reaction that told him it was a game-clinching interception as a pass intended for Ricardo Lockette was picked off by linebacker Steven Johnson.

“What I’m very upset about is losing the game for my teammates,” Pryor said. “I’ve got to make better decisions, and I will next time.”

Of course, Seattle was in position to win the game largely because of Pryor. Seattle got the ball at its own 11 midway through the final quarter. Pryor completed four of his first six passes on the drive for 76 yards prior to that last pass, and he rushed for 13 yards on a pair of scrambles.

Running into a wall

Christine Michael’s forehead was bandaged after the game, a cut from his helmet serving as proof of two things:

1. Michael ran hard, the second-year back plunging headlong into the competition for carries in the offense. He scored Seattle’s only touchdown on a 1-yard run in the second quarter, and had an 8-yard run.

2. Seattle’s offense did bump its head a little bit. With Marshawn Lynch back in Seattle, the Seahawks totaled 94 yards on 29 carries and their top rusher was Pryor. Most tellingly, the Seahawks averaged 2.6 yards per carry in the first half before the game gave way to the lower tiers of the depth chart.

“I actually don’t feel too good, man,” Michael said. “I feel like I could have played a lot better, could have played a lot smarter. I cost us a 15-yard penalty.”

That came on a third-quarter chop block when Michael went low on a defender who was still engaged with another blocker.

Rookie report

Defensive lineman Cassius Marsh had Seattle’s only sack in the game, narrowly missed another and finished with three tackles.

Paul Richardson caught a team-high four passes for 37 yards, which was encouraging given the fact he has already missed some time during training camp because of a shoulder injury.

“A real great job for us the first time out,” Carroll said of Richardson.

Notes

• Only two Seahawks left the game because of injury as cornerback A.J. Jefferson suffered an ankle injury after his third-quarter interception, and offensive lineman C.J. Davis was also hurt.