Jadeveon Clowney, Ziggy Ansah practice again; how Russell Wilson avoided Seahawks’ flu
The Seahawks’ ailing bookend pass rushers are trudging on toward playing in Los Angeles.
Jadeveon Clowney, with his core-muscle injury that may need surgery, and Ziggy Ansah, with a neck-nerve issue that may involve his surgically repaired shoulder, practiced again Thursday. It was the second consecutive day the team’s top two pass rushers practiced on a limited basis.
Those are positive signs the defensive ends will be chasing after Todd Gurley, Jared Goff and the Rams (7-5) Sunday night for the Seahawks (10-2) at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Coach Pete Carroll said Wednesday it would take until the end of the week for Ansah to be cleared to play. But the 30-year-old former Pro Bowl sack man for the Detroit Lions is doing more this week than the coach inferred he might.
Clowney played through his injury Monday night in the win over Minnesota, a lot: 43 of 54 snaps. That was 10 days after he got a specialist in Philadelphia to hold off on abdominal surgery so he could play through the end of the Seahawks’ season—and the end of his contract.
The one starter on defense who remained out Thursday was Mychal Kendricks. The outside linebacker is trying to heal a hamstring he strained two games ago while making 11 solo tackles at Philadelphia. Kendricks played through the pain against the Vikings, though rookie Cody Barton played 11 snaps for Kendricks at strongside linebacker in Seattle’s base 4-3 defense.
Barton has been preparing this week for the possibility of playing more against the Rams.
Pro Bowl left tackle Duane Brown continued his season-long plan of taking Wednesday practices off then returning to the field by Thursday or Friday. He practiced.
Tight end Jacob Hollister (quadriceps) and guard Mike Iupati (neck) were full go. Both starters were limited Wednesday.
And that flu that walloped eight Seahawks including top wide receiver Tyler Lockett continues to apparently subside. No one was listing as missing practice for it Thursday, as they had last week. There were no indications of players throwing up into garbage cans and wearing surgical masks through practice, as cornerback Tre Flowers did last week before intercepting a pass Monday night.
Players have been encouraged to fist bump rather than shake hands, to reduce spreading the flu.
How did Russell Wilson avoid the flu outbreak?
“I hydrate a lot. I think that’s a big part of it,” the quarterback said. “Just making sure that you wash your hands a lot, all that stuff. I’m touching the football all the time. I don’t know who’s over there sick or not in the bathroom or whatever it may be.
“I was just fortunate not to get it. There’s a lot of guys that have gotten it, unfortunately. There’s... don’t know, we had eight guys, nine guys last week. I think we’ve had a couple this week, potentially. I don’t know. It’s just been a thing that’s been going around, for whatever reason.”
