Much more settled in for playoffs, Marshawn Lynch ‘has the whole game plan’ for Seahawks
Week two for Marshawn Lynch’s Seahawks return promises to be much fuller.
Just in time for the playoffs.
Coach Pete Carroll says the 33-year-old running back remarkably showed no effects from his 12 carries in his first game in 14 months last weekend in Seattle’s loss to San Francisco. That and a second week in the offense makes Lynch full go to be a more complete part of the offense Sunday in the Seahawks’ NFC wild-card playoff game at Philadelphia.
“He can do everything,” Carroll said. “He’s got the whole game plan.”
It will be Lynch’s first playoff game for Seattle since the team’s loss at Carolina in the divisional round in January 2016.
“He had a really good week. Seemed like it was smooth for him, all the way throughout,” Carroll said Friday before the team boarded its flight to Pennsylvania.
“He took all the reps that he needed to take. I was a little surprised at that.”
Lynch played 23 of 75 offensive snaps against the 49ers in his first game for the Seahawks in nearly four full years. He was working on a limited part of that game plan after just four practices before playing. And second-year offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer’s terminology is different than what Lynch had with Darrell Bevell as his play caller the last time he’d played for Seattle.
Lynch said after the game the main purpose of that 49ers re-debut game was to get his legs in game shape for the playoffs.
Carroll said of Lynch’s first game back: “I thought it would maybe take more of a toll in the first game, but it didn’t. So we’re in good shape going in.
“It really does feel different than it was a week ago at this time. We didn’t know what was going to happen, you know? We feel very confident that we’ve got a good mix in our style of runs with our guys.
“So, it’s a different feeling. More confidence in our guys. We know what we’ve got this time around.
“He had no setback, at all.”
Lynch is still likely to be the second back behind rookie Travis Homer Sunday against an Eagles defense that has been far stronger against the run this season than against the pass.
Homer impressed Carroll and Seahawks teammates with how hard he ran against San Francisco replacing Chris Carson, who is out for the season with a cracked hip. Homer’s shoulders were always down and driving forward through defenders. He played in 50 of Seattle’s 75 snaps against the 49ers. The sixth-round draft choice from Miami had 10 carries for 62 yards in his first career start, plus five catches on five targets by Russell Wilson for 30 yards.
Lynch had 34 yards on his 12 carries. He had his first touchdown for the Seahawks since November 2015, a leaping dive over a pile along the goal line that surprised Carroll.
“I’ve always wanted to see him go over the top. Sure enough, he had his chance and he did it,” Carroll said. “I was thrilled to see that happen. I thought that was a thrilling touchdown, a thrilling moment for everybody.”
This story was originally published January 3, 2020 at 3:12 PM.
