Seahawks Jadeveon Clowney, Shaquill Griffin playing Sunday. Quandre Diggs far more iffy
Jadeveon Clowney is back in the Seahawks’ defense for the season’s biggest game.
So is Shaquill Griffin.
Equally vital Quandre Diggs? It’s going to take some “miraculous opportunities” for the transforming free safety to play in Sunday night’s NFC West title game against San Francisco.
The Seahawks listed Diggs Friday as questionable to play. The Pro Bowl alternate has missed the last 1 1/2 games with a high-ankle sprain. Those usually take multiple weeks to heal.
Coach Pete Carroll made it sound Friday as though Diggs is on the doubtful side of questionable. He did practice with the team this week.
“He ran both (Thursday) and (Friday). And there’s a couple miraculous opportunities coming up before Sunday,” Carroll said, chuckling. “So we will see what happens.”
Miraculous?
“Well, somewhat,” Carroll said. “Somewhat, you know. Can’t tell yet. So we’ll wait and see.”
Griffin is playing. He has missed the last two games with a strained hamstring. His return will allow Akeem King to go back to being the fifth, nickel defensive back. King started the last two games at left cornerback for Griffin, while rookie Ugo Amadi has played more as an extra defensive back.
As he promised this week, Clowney is playing. He’s missed the last two games and three of the last five. He’s playing through a core-muscle injury that may require surgery after this season.
“There’s no way I’m not playing,” Clowney said, while calling Sunday Seattle’s first playoff game.
“We know what’s at stake. We are practicing like we know what’s at stake.”
Carroll called the returns of Clowney and Griffin “huge.”
But Diggs is potentially game-changing, if he can play Sunday.
Diggs has reformed the way Seattle plays defense since he arrived in late October in a trade from Detroit. His hard-hitting, far-ranging and aggressive play at the back of the defense has allowed the Seahawks to play more single-high safety coverage with strong safety Bradley McDougald closer to the line of scrimmage as more of a run-stopper and coverage man on underneath routes. That’s the way Carroll prefers to play. It’s the way Seattle played for Super Bowl years with All-Pro Earl Thomas at free safety.
That’s the way the Seahawks would like to play San Francisco Sunday. Dangerous tight end George Kittle did not play in Seattle’s overtime win at the 49ers Nov. 11. Diggs did, in his first Seahawks game, and he smacked Niners receivers throughout the night.
If Diggs can’t play Sunday night in the rematch, backups Lano Hill and rookie Marquise Blair will be at free safety again. That’s a problem against Kittle.
Reserve wide receiver Malik Turner got a concussion in Seattle’s home loss to Arizona last weekend. He will not play Sunday. He has been a trusted third-down target at times for Russell Wilson this season, at least more trusted than most second-year, undrafted receivers are with Super Bowl-veteran quarterbacks.
Left tackle Duane Brown was in the locker room Monday, four days after his minor surgery on his right knee. Carroll said the team hopes to have the Pro Bowl veteran back soon.
“This should be a really quick recovery. How quick? We don’t know that,” Carroll said.
“We’ll just go week to week. The first thing is, he’s got to get rid of the swelling so he can get the mobility and all that. He’s not quite there. But it’s not supposed to be, either.
A bye past the first round of the NFL playoffs would sure help Clowney, Diggs and Brown. The Seahawks will only get that with a win over San Francisco plus an upset by three-win Detroit over NFC North-champion Green Bay earlier Sunday.
Guard Mike Iupati missed practice Wednesday and Thursday because of a neck-nerve issue. But the starting left guard practiced Friday. He will play Sunday; he’s not on the injury report.
This story was originally published December 27, 2019 at 4:00 PM.
