Seahawks missing starting CB, new S. But 4 of 6 questionable starters active at Atlanta
Bradley McDougald, Duane Brown and Germain Ifedi were in uniform.
The Seahawks’ starting cornerback and new safety were not.
The team made Tre Flowers, who had started every game this season at cornerback, and Quandre Diggs, acquired this past week in a trade with Detroit, inactive for Sunday’s game at Atlanta.
Flowers had a neck-stinger nerve issue from last weekend’s loss to Baltimore that did not improve.
Akeem King was poised to start for Flowers at cornerback.
Diggs missed a game with the Lions because of a hamstring injury in week four. Coach Pete Carroll said Friday Diggs didn’t do much this past week because of the strain.
But McDougald was active. He had missed the Ravens game with back spasms, then surprised Carroll and the Seahawks by returning to practice Thursday.
In pregame warmups, rookie second-round pick Marquise Blair and Tedric Thompson were the starting safeties.
On the offensive line, the two starters who had been questionable entering Sunday were active. Pro Bowl left tackle Duane Brown was in uniform for the first time in three games. His biceps injury improved. Right tackle Germain Ifedi passed his pregame test of the knee Carroll said he “tweaked” in practice Thursday.
Quinton Jefferson, the team’s most consistent producer on a weak pass rush through seven games, was inactive. The Seahawks had declared him out for the game Friday because of an oblique strain. That meant more playing time for rookie first-round pick L.J. Collier as a rotational defensive end.
Defensive end Ziggy Ansah had been questionable to play because of a sprained ankle that caused him to miss the previous game. But Ansah was active for the fifth time in eight games.
The Seahawks chose 2018 first-round pick Rashaad Penny as their backup running back over C.J. Prosise for the Falcons game. Prosise was inactive. Penny had two snaps and no carries the previous week against Baltimore.
Seattle’s other inactives Sunday were safety Lano Hill (out indefinitely with an elbow injury) and rookie draft picks John Ursua and Gary Jennings—again—at wide receiver.
As the Falcons announced Saturday, quarterback Matt Ryan was inactive because of sprained ankle. Matt Schaub, 38, made his first start in four years.
This story was originally published October 27, 2019 at 9:07 AM.
