Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell ready to compete

By Liz Mathews

Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell is in his first season with the Seahawks and ready to compete.

“It’s exciting to be playing the first game,” Bevell said during his weekly interview on Wednesday. “The cool thing is we come to work every day, we’re ready to compete here at the Seattle Seahawks, so we’ve been doing that since the first day of camp.

“I don’t want to say that much has changed other than that we are focusing on the Niners.”

Already plagued by injuries to a number of his starters, Bevell has had to make some adjustments — most notably on the offensive line. Bevell reiterated what Carroll had said to the media on Monday, that the team needs to stay flexible and work with the remaining linemen.

“So guys are going to have to play multiple positions,” Bevell explained. “I think that’s the thing during camp, you try to get those little changes and put guys in different spots that they haven’t been able to be at. Well, now you get an injury so you have to move guys around again, but they might not have been there and got enough reps. The challenge is just making sure that they can communicate with the guy next to them.”

With starting left guard Robert Gallery sitting out with a knee sprain, first round draft pick James Carpenter continues to take reps at the position. Tackle Breno Giacomini is working on the right side next to rookie guard John Moffitt. Neither Carroll nor Bevell has named the starters for Sunday’s game.

One player Bevell isn’t worried about come Sunday is starting quarterback Tarvaris Jackson.

“I’m very comfortable with him and what he’s done up to this point in training camp,” Bevell said. “There’s a lot of factors that go on outside of what he’s doing, but he’s been consistent, he’s been a professional, he’s learned it, he’s working with the other guys and I think it speaks volumes that his teammates chose him as a captain.

Having worked with Jackson in Minnesota for the previous five seasons, Bevell knows exactly what he is capable of and what to expect from his starter. Bevell said that he has noticed some positive changes in Jackson since landing in Seattle.

“I think he’s playing with more confidence,” Bevell said. “He feels the belief of the people around him, whether it’s the coaching staff, whether it’s the players, and again going back to that captain thing I think that speaks volumes for him. I do see that.”

But with all the injuries and uncertainties facing the offensive line, Bevell is realistic in what he can ask of Jackson. “We do have a lot of playmakers around him and you want to get the ball out because you need him for 16 games. One play and that guy could be gone.”

And if that guy is gone?

“I think Charlie has done an outstanding job,” Bevell said of backup quarterback Charlie Whitehurst. “He’s come in and learned a new offense, had to learn another one and he’s picked it up very quickly. I think he’s looked very poised and confident when he’s been in the games, he’s moved our offense the way we needed to.

“So I would have no reservations about him going in.”