RENTON – The Seattle Seahawks will roll out their fifth different starting offensive line combination in 10 games when they play at St. Louis on Sunday.
Seattle coach Pete Carroll said Monday that rookie guard John Moffitt suffered a serious knee injury and will be out for the rest of the season.
Moffitt, a third-round selection in this year’s draft out of Wisconsin, suffered a medial collateral ligament (MCL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) tear in his left knee in the first quarter against Baltimore that will require surgery.
Lemuel Jeanpierre replaced Moffitt at right guard against the Ravens on Sunday, but Carroll said that veteran lineman Paul McQuistan also is a possibility to start at right guard.
It’s a tough break for Moffitt, who had been playing well, along with the rest of Seattle’s offensive line, the past two weeks. But Carroll is confident that the Seahawks have enough depth at the position to continue developing the running game.
“He’s been working so hard at it, and has been such a big part, too,” Carroll said about Moffitt. “He’s a good character in the locker room and all, and a good guy. He’s really right at the cusp at where we’re starting to improve, and he would have loved to have been a part of it as we finish the season.”
A 24-year-old in his second season out of South Carolina, Jeanpierre is the team’s backup center, and started against Cleveland when starting center Max Unger was out with a foot injury.
McQuistan, a 28-year-old Weber State product in his seventh season, started three games at left guard this year when Robert Gallery missed time due to a groin injury that required surgery.
“He’s doing a nice job,” Seattle offensive line coach Tom Cable said about McQuistan. “His role on this team has been to be ready when you’re called upon, and he’s had to come in and make a couple starts, and has done quite well. So for his role on his team, I would say he’s doing really well.”
INJURY REPORT
Carroll said safety Kam Chancellor and receivers Doug Baldwin and Sidney Rice all got good evaluations after being diagnosed with concussions. He’s hopeful that all three can make it back on the field this week, but the team likely won’t find that out until later in the week.
“They still have some time,” Carroll said. “We’re not going to know until Thursday or Friday on these guys, on whether they’ll be able to play or not, because of the process they had to go through. But it’s a good sign that they’re not having the headaches, and they’re not feeling uncomfortable in just doing normal things.”
Carroll said defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove and safety Atari Bigby reaggravated hamstring injuries Sunday, and the team will have to wait to see how they improve this week.
Eric D. Williams: 253-597-8437 eric.williams@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/seahawks/
