Shaun Alexander

[Urban Warfare 0]

Alexander: 'I got stabbed in the back'

 

Associated Press

 

1/3/2005

 

KIRKLAND, Wash. (AP) - Seattle's Shaun Alexander, upset after finishing one yard behind Curtis Martin for the NFL rushing title, questioned why coach Mike Holmgren called a quarterback sneak in a big win over Atlanta.

 

"We were going to win anyway," Alexander said after Sunday's game. "We were on the freaking goal-line and I got stabbed in the back."

 

Alexander made his remarks in the locker-room after the Seahawks beat Atlanta 28-26, securing the NFC West title for Seattle and guaranteeing a home game with St. Louis in next weekend's wild-card round.

 

Holmgren said in his post-game comments he had wanted Alexander to win the rushing title. However, the Falcons drove 69 yards in the final 4:28 to pull within 28-26 before failing to convert the two-point try.

 

"It's too bad we didn't get the ball back," Holmgren said. "They ate up the clock with their final drive. Shaun had a chance at the rushing championship and just missed it. That was too bad. I would have liked to seen him get it."

 

The Seahawks went ahead 28-20 with 4:28 remaining when quarterback Matt Hasselbeck scored on a one-yard sneak on second-and-goal.

 

Alexander, who will be an unrestricted free agent after this season, blamed that call for costing him a share of the rushing title. He finished with 80 yards on 19 attempts against Atlanta.

 

"It would have been sweet to get it," Alexander said. "I feel worse because we had a quarterback sneak for a touchdown. That hurts, but I'll be all right."

 

Holmgren gave his players the day off Monday and the Seahawks initially weren't planning interviews. However, team officials then said Alexander would speak at 7 p.m. EST.

 

The fifth-year running back has had an outstanding season, reaching the Pro Bowl for the second straight year with a career-high and franchise-record 1,696 yards rushing. His 16 TDs rushing matched his team record from 2002, and his team-record 20 total TDs made him the 10th player in NFL history with 20 or more in a season.

 

However, Martin won this season's rushing title, edging Alexander after a 153-yard effort in the New York Jets' overtime loss at St. Louis. It was the closest margin in NFL history.

 

"Oh, man, that was one of our goals - to help him get it," Seahawks tackle Walter Jones said after the win. "He didn't get the chance to get it. I hate that for him, but we got the win."

 

Martin trailed Alexander by 72 yards going into the regular season's final weekend. He gained 24 yards on three carries in overtime at St. Louis and finished with 1,697 yards on the season.

 

"I think Shaun Alexander has had as good a year as any running back in the NFL," Hasselbeck said. "His teammates feel that way, his coaches feel that way and he should know that."

 

 

TSN.ca

[AlwaysPissedOff 0]

I'm a Bama guy and all, but dammit, Alexander is acting like a fucking tool.

[Cartman 0]

Screw him, he's lucky he gets to play one playoff game. He's gonna be golfing in two weeks.

[Guest The Winter Of My Discontent]

I feel bad for him. He should've been given the ball on the 1 yard line for the TD.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

I feel bad for the Seattle fans. Hearing their modest but great running back say something as atrociously stupid like that....

[Guest Smues]

Oh for fucks sake. I thought it was bad enough listening to the announce crew call it an injustice. A division crown is infinetly more important then a league rushing title. Being the leading rusher means nothing. NOTHING. Give me a damn break. What a whiney fuck. They scored the TD, leave it be. He doesn't know they'd score if they hand him the ball. He could have fumbled and they lose.

[Urban Warfare 0]

Alexander is also a free agent this offseason, and this just gives him reason to leave the 'Hawks. God Damn It.

[Guest Smues]

If he leaves the team because the team did what it thought it needed to to WIN A GAME, and it cost him ONE yard, then he has problems.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

I doubt he would leave just for that. If he does leave, it's probably because he knows Seattle is a chronic underachieving team who will never get past the wildcard round.

[Guest Failed Mascot]

What a big bitch. If anybody has reason to gripe its Tiki Barber. I think he may have come close to having a 2000 yard season had they not put Manning in. When they did that though the offense went around Manning so he could learn it for next year and Tiki was screwed. I remember when they asked Tiki how he felt about it he was a stand-up guy on it. Said "Fine by me, it'll make this team better in the future and I'm all for that.".

[Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly]

Would he have gotten more money for winning the rushing ttile?

[Art Sandusky 0]

I think Seattle has been cursed to say impossibly stupid things. "We would have won anyway" when talking about a game that ended up 28-26 on a stopped 2-pt conversion is up there with "We're gonna score, we're gonna win!"

 

Shame the Packers/Vikings victor goes on to play the Falcons, I'd love to see Seattle beat St. Louis and then have to go play in Atlanta again after those words. Alexander would get pancaked.

[Special K 0]

First of all, saying the game was won when Atlanta was very close to tying it is a big misstatement. Hell, my friends and I had our fingers crossed because we thought they were going to pull another last minute loss.

And maybe Holmgren didn't know Shaun was one yard away. Maybe he was focused on a tight, must-win game?

[4hartthreat 0]

Kotzenjunge, please become an informed member of NFL society before making comments. The winner of the Packers-Vikings game does not play the Falcons. If GB wins, then yes they play the Falcons, but if Min wins they play Philly. So if the Vikings and Seahawks win this week, you'll get your wish.

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

Alexander was expected to leave anyway with the money that Oakland and Miami will be throwing at him. Though I think it's fair to assume this didn't help.

[Art Sandusky 0]

Kotzenjunge, please become an informed member of NFL society before making comments. The winner of the Packers-Vikings game does not play the Falcons. If GB wins, then yes they play the Falcons, but if Min wins they play Philly. So if the Vikings and Seahawks win this week, you'll get your wish.

66 posts over a year and four months, and one of them is calling me out on this wee mistake. Wow.

 

It kinda goes without saying that I'd rather see Green Bay win than Shaun Alexander getting killed.

 

The bolded part's the best.

[converge241 0]

maybe he should look in a mirror and recall that Rams game where he fumbled the ball like 10 yards before the end zone?? that would have given him the lead over martin for the rushing title

 

idiot!

[converge241 0]

"He should've been given the ball on the 1 yard line for the TD."

 

he can also recall the last time he blew that (3 games ago i believe) when he couldnt cross the plane

[cabbageboy 0]

I think he is more pissed that they didn't give him enough carries to get the rushing title. Hell, he may have had an incentive in his contract and might feel that they intentionally prevented him from getting the rushing title to save money.

[HarleyQuinn 0]

As far as I know, the TD was scored with like 4:17 left in the game or thereabouts. After the TD dive, Atlanta killed the clock with their drive and ended up almost tying the game anyways.

[converge241 0]

update that sig Harley

 

pats are 14-2 now!

[Guest Rrrsh]

Shaun deserved the rock. It sounds selfish, but that should have been his TD.

 

I got 20 bucks someone brings up race within the next week around here (the Pacific Northwest)

[Cuban Linx 0]

I can see why he wanted to win an ultimately meaningless award so bad, it's not like his gutless underachieving team is going to be winning anything else anytime soon. I eagerly await the Seahawks and Rams tripping over each other to find ways to lose.

[Guest Smues]

Shaun deserved the rock. It sounds selfish, but that should have been his TD.

 

I got 20 bucks someone brings up race within the next week around here (the Pacific Northwest)

Oh please god don't let that happen. This is already dumb enough as it is bitching about 1 yard.

[Urban Warfare 0]

Gotta love this....

 

 

 

KIRKLAND, Wash. (AP) -- Shaun Alexander apologized Monday to fans -- but not his coach or teammates -- for saying he was ``stabbed in the back'' by Mike Holmgren's quarterback sneak call that may have cost him a rushing title.

 

``I'm human,'' Alexander said at team headquarters. ``Anybody can, at one time, pop off. I've done it several times. I think in the position I'm in, I need to own up to it.''

 

Alexander created a stir after Seattle won the NFC West by beating Atlanta 28-26 on Sunday. Immediately after the game, he used strong language to challenge Holmgren's play call.

 

 

Curtis Martin of the New York Jets ran for 153 yards in a loss at St. Louis and edged Alexander by 1 yard for the rushing title, the closest margin ever.

 

``It got the best of me,'' Alexander said Monday. ``I definitely blurted out stuff I shouldn't have said. I wouldn't want to take any light away from this team and what we have accomplished.''

 

Alexander said he hadn't spoken to Holmgren and insisted there was no reason to apologize to him or teammates. They know him well enough, he explained, to realize he puts winning ahead of statistics.

 

 

Holmgren wasn't available for comment Monday.

 

``It's really simple,'' Alexander said. ``I would have loved to have the record. But by no means does it have anything to do with taking any light, any excitement, any joy from this team and all the hard work we put together to win the division.''

 

It was a huge win for the Seahawks (9-7), who earned a home game in the wild-card round Saturday against division rival St. Louis. A loss would have sent Seattle on the road to play the Rams.

 

``I'm all about winning,'' he said during a rambling 30-minute news conference.

 

In postgame remarks, Holmgren indicated he had wanted Alexander to win the title. The Falcons drove 69 yards in the final 4:28 to pull within 28-26 before failing to convert the 2-point try.

 

 

Alexander agreed Monday it was the right call, but said it felt at the time ``like gasoline on the fire'' because he knew he was close to the rushing title. He insisted he didn't know exactly how many yards he needed.

 

 

 

``I just figured someone was doing the math,'' he said.

 

It's been a great season for Alexander.

 

The fifth-year running back, who will be an unrestricted free agent after the season, reached the Pro Bowl for the second straight year with a career-high and franchise-record 1,696 yards rushing.

 

His 16 TDs rushing matched his team record from 2002, and his team-record 20 total TDs made him the 10th player in NFL history with 20 or more in a season.

 

``I don't even know who won the rushing title last year, but I know who won the Super Bowl,'' said Alexander, who finished with 80 yards rushing on 19 attempts against Atlanta.

 

Alexander led Martin by 72 yards going into the regular season's final weekend. Martin had 24 yards on three carries in overtime at St. Louis and finished with 1,697 yards on the season.

 

``I think Shaun Alexander has had as good a year as any running back in the NFL,'' Hasselbeck said Sunday. ``His teammates feel that way, his coaches feel that way, and he should know that.''

[Red Baron 0]

Isn't Hasselback a free agent too??

 

I'd rather dish the money for Alexander and dump Hasselback in an instant.

[Guest Rrrsh]

Agreed. Alexander is a top 5 back right now. Hasselback is a middle of the road QB.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Agreed. Alexander is a top 5 back right now. Hasselback is a middle of the road QB.

They've invested in Hasselbeck too much to just drop him. Who else are they going to play, Dilfer?

[nogoodnick 0]

Alexander should've gotten the carry because its a matter of pride. Pride for him, the o-line, and the whole team. There haven't been a whole lot of positives about this somewhat dissapointing season. At least give the guys something to hang their hats on. It wouldn't hurt for the offensive line and Alexander to have some momentum going into the playoffs. It's kind of a slap in the face to let a guy carry yout team for a season and then not give him a shot to set a record. If I was one of his linemen I wouldv'e been very dissapointed that coach didn't let us pound one in at crunchtime.

 

Alexander should have handled himself better obviously but he has apologized for his remarks. I would be a little pissed too if I had the best season in franchise history, and with the game on the line you let the QB fall into the end zone. Of course all that really mattered was if they won the game or not.

[Precious Roy 0]

I think he is more pissed that they didn't give him enough carries to get the rushing title. Hell, he may have had an incentive in his contract and might feel that they intentionally prevented him from getting the rushing title to save money.

Yeah, I'm guessing he has a big bonus written in for a league rushing title. And to add to that, PTI reported that a Seattle assistant was keeping track of Curtis Martin's performance and how much Alexander needed to get the lead, so they were definitely aware of it. Baseless conspiracy theory: Expecting Alexander to leave after the season, word came down from ownership to limit his touches.