Rams shut out by Seahawks in opener

~ After going 3-1 in the preseason, St. Louis lost 28-0 to Seattle in Week 1 of the NFL regular season

SEATTLE -- The feisty, new-look Seahawks of coach Jim Mora attacked on defense during plays -- and scrapped after them.

On offense, they showed balance between run and pass, and did a good job of protecting quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.

It was as if 2008 never happened.

St. Louis resembled the same old Rams, who went 2-14 last year and got Steve Spagnuolo his first job as an NFL coach.

Hasselbeck, playing his first game since Thanksgiving Day, overcame two interceptions in his first three throws Sunday to connect with John Carlson for two touchdowns in Seattle's 28-0 romp past the Rams.

Hasselbeck, who missed nine games last season with a bad back, finished 25 of 36 for 279 yards passing.

Seattle's first shutout in almost two years was its ninth consecutive win over its division rival. It was also Seattle's biggest win to begin a season since a 38-0 victory over Philadelphia in 1998.

"The whole offseason, they said our team was soft," said Seahawks rookie outside linebacker Aaron Curry, the fourth overall pick who scuffled repeatedly with Rams running back Steven Jackson. "We've got to change our image."

Mora was smiling after his first game as a coach since the end of the 2006 season for Atlanta. Nine months ago, the Seahawks were 4-12 for Mike Holmgren.

His revived Seahawks took advantage of instant replay to cruise over the sloppy, undisciplined Rams, who pushed and shoved their way to 10 penalties. Two of them were personal fouls after plays by offensive lineman Richie Incognito.

"Would you rather us just get our tail kicked and walk back [to the huddle]?" Jackson said. "You saw some fight in this team."

Yet St. Louis gained just 247 yards in an effort similar to its 38-3 loss against Philadelphia that opened last season.

The game's most decisive -- and weirdest -- play came late in the first half. Seattle's Olindo Mare struck a 49-yard field goal try low. C.J. Ah You blocked it. Quincy Butler scooped the ball and ran 49 yards for an apparent touchdown.

As the Rams were about to snap for the tying extra point, referee Pete Morelli announced the booth officials had called for a review -- for whether St. Louis had 12 men on the field.

Turns out, they did. The Rams' sideline had almost no reaction to the rare reversal. Three plays later, Hasselbeck found Nate Burleson for a 12-yard touchdown. Instead of 7-7 at halftime, Seattle led 14-0.

The Rams never recovered.

St. Louis managed just 13 first downs against the new, attacking schemes of first-year defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. Marc Bulger, playing with tape on his broken right pinkie, was 17 of 36 for 191 yards. He was sacked three times.

He said the Rams "aren't going to panic" after just one game.

And Spagnuolo sounded encouraged.

"I'm obviously disappointed in the result, but I'm not disappointed in the effort," he said. "We feel we are better than that. And that's a good thing."

Noteworthy

* Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis debuted with 14 tackles. Spagnuolo said the rookie got "dinged" in the knee but should be OK.