Ahead of a Sunday night, prime-time game against AFC leader Kansas City, a number of end-of-season wounded are filling the Seahawks’ infirmary and draining the starting lineup. FS Tedric Thompson is out, and SS Bradley McDougald is returning from out-of-town treatment for a knee problem, while OLs Germain Ifedi and D.J. Fluker are hurting.
“There’s a lot of stuff going on at game-time,” said coach Pete Carroll Friday after practice, referring to decisions about who will be sufficiently healthy to play.
Thompson, who played all 62 snaps, plus 15 on special teams, against the 49ers Sunday, has a chest injury (and an ankle injury) that Carroll struggled to explain.
“We call it chest because – yeah, he’s got some swelling in there,” he said. “I don’t even know how to explain what the injury is, but he’s got a couple things working. There’s just some fluid or something in an unusual place.”
Asked how the injury was discovered, Carroll said, “(By) looking at his shoulders. I don’t even know what to call the injury, so I don’t know what to tell you. It was fortunate we found it. He’s not in any discomfort.
“It’s not a life-threatening deal at all. It’s just you can’t play with it so you’ve got to wait until it goes away.”
McDougald left the 49ers game in the second quarter after 12 snaps with a patellar tendon problem that has bothered him for awhile. He missed the week of practice was to have returned Friday afternoon. He will be a game-time decision, but Carroll expects him to play after apparently receiving a regenokine blood treatment in the Bay Area.
“I can’t believe Bradley is not playing in this game,” he said. “I think he has every intention of playing and he just had to miss the week for his treatment.”
If he can’t go, Delano Hill is a likely replacement, with former Washington State star Shalom Luani, who played seven snaps in Santa Clara, probably filling in for Thompson against one of the most prolific offenses in recent NFL history.
The other health worry is the O-line, where D.J. Fluker has missed time at right guard with a hamstring strain, and his backup, Jordan Simmons, was placed on the injured reserve list after injuring a knee Sunday against the 49ers that will require surgery.
“D.J.’s trying to hold out hope for game-day recovery so we’ll see how that goes,” said Carroll, who reported that Ifedi too, will be a game-time decision after tweaking a groin muscle during a practice drill.
Ethan Pocic, who struggled with two holding penalties in San Francisco, will step in if Fluker can’t go. George Fant is Ifedi’s backup.
The Seahawks did get some good health news after LB K.J. Wright completed a week of practice after a knee problem limited him to three games this season.
“He’s going to play,” Carroll said. “We’re really excited about him coming back. He looked terrific. and his fresh legs may help us out a little bit.”
CB Shaquill Griffin was on the injury report earlier in the week with a hip problem that won’t keep him out. Also reportedly OK is DT Jarran Reed, dealing with an oblique problem as well as a sore ankle.
RB Rashaad Penny is listed as questionable with a sore knee. He sat out the 49ers game.
“He did a little bit of work today for the first time this week, and his recovery is going really well,” Carroll said. “It’s just whether it’s the right decision for him to go.”
5 Comments
4 thoughts:
So do we think they’ll bring up Roos and Nkansah from the practice squad?
Health is such an ephemeral thing for NFL teams.
I hate to see Fant move to a more traditional role – he’s so effective in this part-TE, part-T role.
I’m wincing about the game already.
Stinks about Simmons… I loved his story and, much more importantly, how he played. Hoping that he comes back completely healthy in 2019. If so, he’s a keeper on the O-line for a very long time.
Could be putting all of the eggs in the Arizona basket and the playoff game after.
They give up 5 ypc average . Their defense is ranked 31st in the league . K.J.’s back , Baldwin’s finally healthy and we’re home . Carson is running hard as ever and staring a 1000 yd season in the face . There’s reason for optimism – still , the injuries on the O-line and at safety are concerning . Maybe Griffin or Flowers will finally get themselves a pick this game ; turnovers would help a bunch .
My sense is without Fluker, the Hawks’ O will be hurting, based on Pocic’s mediocre performance last week. Without McDougald the pass defense will also be hurting. Not a good sign against powerful KC. I fear the Hawks don’t stand much of a chance in this one–a definite OY VAY!