Tedric Thompson out, status of 2 other starting DBs, right side of Seahawks’ line questionable
The question made Pete Carroll flash a wry smile.
“Who CAN play” for the Seahawks Sunday night against Kansas City?
The Seahawks’ injury report Friday was far from ideal for facing the Chiefs. Or for facing anybody.
Free safety Tedric Thompson is out for Sunday night’s game against likely NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes and the league’s top offense. Carroll said Thompson has swelling in his chest that the team’s medical staff found basically by accident while evaluating Thompson’s shoulders after he played all 62 defensive snaps last weekend in the overtime loss at San Francisco.
“It’s going to take another week to check him out,” Carroll said, adding that he’s at a loss to accurately explain more about what the condition is. “He’s not in discomfort from what they’ve found. We’ve just got to take a look at it and take some time for it to go away.”
The coach said Thompson’s is not a life-threatening condition.
“We’re fortunate they found it,” Carroll said.
“He’s got some swelling in there that is of some question. So we are just making sure that we are doing the right thing. It is just some fluid, or something, in an unusual place. ...It’s not a big deal at all, you just can’t play with it. So you’ve got to wait.”
Strong safety Bradley McDougald is questionable to play, but Carroll said he can’t imagine McDougald not starting against Kansas City. He was due back from California to re-join the team later Friday night following days of regenokine blood-spinning injection treatment for tendinitis in his knee.
When a half-dozen other Seahawks veterans, including K.J. Wright a couple of weeks ago, have gone away to have that treatment in the last year none of played within two days of returning to the team, as McDougald would be doing. The Pro Bowl alternate has started all 14 games this season. He and All-Pro Bobby Wagner have been the best, most consistent players on the defense.
Wright said Friday he’s not sure it’d be a great idea for McDougald to play so soon after his treatment.
So the starting safeties for Seattle Sunday could be Shalom Luani and Delano Hill. The trickle-down effect of that would be a secondary too thin to employ the five- and six-defensive-back sets with experienced players the Seahawks would like to use against the Chiefs’ passing game.
Merry Christmas.
A third starter in the four-man secondary is listed as questionable to defend Kansas City: cornerback Shaquill Griffin. He has a hip injury. But Carroll said Griffin is fine and will play.
“Yeah, he’s going to be OK. He made it through the last couple days of the week,” Carroll said. “He’s ready to go.
“So there’s one for ya.”
Rookie cornerback Tre Flowers is Seattle’s only starting defensive back not listed on the injury report who will play against Mahomes, who leads the NFL with 4,543 yards passing and 45 touchdown throws.
Expect Luani, a former Washington State Cougar for whom the Seahawks traded with Oakland in September, to make his second NFL start on Sunday. That will be at free safety for Thompson. He will be the third free safety to start for Seattle this season. All-Pro Earl Thomas broke his leg in October.
The right side of the Seahawks’ offensive line is also questionable to play Sunday. Right tackle Germain Ifedi was a new addition to the injury list Friday with a groin injury he got in practice on Thursday.
Carroll said Ifedi will be a game-time decision. George Fant could play right tackle if Ifedi cannot.
Guard D.J. Fluker has missed the last two games with a strained hamstring.
“He’s trying to hold out hope for a game-day recovery,” Carroll said, adding the decision on him playing will come at game time Sunday.
The Seahawks could use Ethan Pocic at right guard again, but may not want to. The 2017 second-round pick had two crushing holding penalties to negate first downs on third down late in regulation and in overtime last weekend. Using backup center Joey Hunt or promoting guard Jordan Roos from the practice squad Saturday are other options to fill in for Fluker, Seattle’s best run blocker.
But wait, there’s more worry.
The Seahawks may be without their second-leading pass rusher against Mahomes. Defensive tackle Jarran Reed is questionable with groin and oblique injuries. He has a career-high 8 1/2 sacks this season.
But Carroll said Friday: “He’s going to play. There’s no way he’s not playing.”
Rookie running back Rashaad Penny is questionable and could miss a second consecutive game with a banged-up knee.
Even long snapper Tyler Ott is questionable. He is sick, though Carroll said Ott will be fine to snap for punts and placekicks Sunday.
Other than that, all is swell for the Seahawks’ health heading into the huge test against the Chiefs.
There are two pieces of good injury news for Seattle.
K.J. Wright is ready to start at outside linebacker next to Wagner. He’s played in only three of 14 games following knee surgery in August.
“This is the best I’ve felt,” Wright said.
But he said he is unlikely to play the entire game Sunday.
“We are on a pitch count,” he said. “We’ve got to be smart.
“When we make the playoffs I’ll be playing every play then. I’m not used to it. I’m used to being out there all the time, but at the same time, you’ve got to be smart. Got to listen to your body.”
Frank Clark is ready to go. The team’s leading sack man missed a practice this week dealing with his hyperextended elbow.
The Chiefs listed running back Spencer Ware as doubtful with the hamstring injury that kept him out of last week’s loss to the Chargers in Kansas City. The Chiefs are already without leading rusher Kareem Hunt, who was cut three weeks ago in the aftermath of video surfacing showing him shoving and kicking a woman in a hotel this offseason.
If Sunday doesn’t go well for the Seahawks (8-6)—and if Washington (7-7) doesn’t lose at Tennessee (8-6) Saturday, or Minnesota (7-6-1) doesn’t fall Sunday at Detroit (5-9)--Seattle could still clinch a playoff berth next weekend with a win over the 3-11 Arizona Cardinals. That’s the regular-season finale at CenturyLink Field.
But Carroll said he is not going to decide to hold some of his many banged-up starters out Sunday night against Kansas City to save them for a game that may matter more to clinching a playoff berth.
“No. We are going to go try to win a football game,” Carroll said. “This is a terrific, championship opportunity for us. It’s a fantastic team, the kind of teams you’ve got beat if are going to get a chance to get in the playoffs. And if you can’t match up with these guys, what can you expect down the road?
“We are going for it. That’s the only way we know how to do that. We don’t ever take the step off that.”
This story was originally published December 21, 2018 at 1:41 PM.
