Aching Williams still a question mark for Seahawks
ERIC D. WILLIAMS; Staff writer
RENTON – Big-play receiver Mike Williams, who missed the Seattle Seahawks’ loss to Kansas City on Sunday, is uncertain to return to the field this week.
A left foot strain has former Southern California standout sidelined, and Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said he doesn’t know when Williams will return.
“Today they looked at him and there wasn’t a lot of improvement, so we’ve got to wait and see …,” Carroll told reporters during his regular Monday press conference. “We’ll have to go day-to-day, and we’ll rest him until he’s ready to run fast, until he can really go. We’re not going to push him back on this thing until we get it resolved.”
Williams did not practice last week, wearing a protective boot and watching from the sideline.
He was ruled out by trainers after a pregame workout Sunday. Carroll said he would like for Williams to practice a day or two this week before he determines if he can play Sunday against visiting Carolina.
Williams’ status will affect how Seattle prepares offensively for Carolina.
“We’ll talk about that,” Carroll said. “We’re going to talk about that and try to make an assessment. We won’t really know for a few days which way that’s going to go. You’ll know about when we do – probably Friday or Saturday or something like that, what way we’re leaning.”
Williams has been a playmaker for Seattle this season. He leads the team in receptions with 52 for 654 yards and a touchdown. He has three 100-yard receiving games, so defenses have to account for the 6-foot-5 receiver.
“It was a tough deal, not having Mike,” Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said. “He’s been a great player for us. He’s come out of nowhere and done a great job. But we can’t use that as an excuse. … I don’t know what else to say. We’re playing the game anyway, whether he’s ready or not, so we’ve got to figure out a way.”
Williams is one of a couple players trying to make it back on the field for Seattle.
Carroll said defensive tackle Colin Cole has a pretty severe high ankle sprain. Cole has missed Seattle’s past four games, and Seattle has given up an average of 155 rushing yards a contest in that span.
“He’s not ready yet,” Carroll said. “He’s not ready to get up and going on that thing. But he feels it. He wants to get back, and he’s working real hard in rehab. And so we just have to wait it out.”
Offensive lineman Chester Pitts missed the Kansas City game with ankle and knee injuries – the same knee on which he had microfracture surgery last year – and will not be available again this week.
Concerning injuries from the Kansas City game, Carroll said center Chris Spencer got kicked in the left ankle but should be fine. Spencer has a bruised ankle. Marcus Trufant suffered an ankle injury in the first quarter but returned to action and should be available Sunday.
HAWKS WINNING UGLY
The Seahawks have lost four of their past five games by an average of 24 points and sit a game below .500 at 5-6, yet they are still tied for the NFC West lead with St. Louis.
That’s a little weird, right?
“Oh, it’s real normal,” joked Hasselbeck. “Yeah, it’s weird. But I don’t think right now this team is focused on the division.
“I think what we need to focus on is just getting better, and improving and fixing our errors, and finding out who we are, and getting an identity in certain areas, whether that be running the ball, or short yardage or third down – whatever those things are. And just try to get better, try to just keep improving. Because focusing on that big goal at the end, there’s a lot of stuff that we need to do first to get that done.”
Like Hasselbeck, Carroll said he’s more focused on getting his team playing than winning the NFC West.
“We’re trying to get our football right,” Carroll said. “We’re not talking about where we are – first place, or second place, or any of that kind of stuff, or what anybody else is doing. We’re trying to get our ball right. It happens that we’re still in this race.
“I think I probably said it before – I think teams have to learn what it takes to be a champion team, what it takes to be on top, and what it takes to be in the lead position before you can expect to move on and take on bigger fish to fry. So we’ll continue to always hold on to that as the primary goal for us.”
Eric D. Williams: 253-597-8437
eric.williams@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/seahawks
