On day Bruce Irvin to IR, new injuries to 3/4ths of Seahawks’ already iffy defensive line
It’s Poona Ford and a whole lot of hurt on the Seahawks’ defensive line right now.
The team’s most weakened unit had two of its four starters out injured from practice Wednesday because of new injury issues.
Tackle Jarran Reed missed practice with a new back issue.
End Benson Mayowa did not practice because of a new groin injury. He is Seattle’s only defensive lineman with a sack so far this season and the only one to get any sort of semi-consistent pressure on quarterbacks through two games.
A third starting defensive lineman, end L.J. Collier, has a new wrist injury since Sunday night’s win over New England. Collier was listed as a full participant in practice Wednesday, though.
That’s not all on a D-line that can’t afford much more pain or ineffectiveness.
Defensive end Rasheem Green, the team’s sack leader last season, remains out indefinitely with a pinched nerve in his neck. He missed the Patriots game because of the injury he got in the first half of Seattle’s opening win at Atlanta two weeks ago.
Coach Pete Carroll said before practice Wednesday he isn’t sure when Green might be able to play.
“Rasheem, he’s still kind of in the same mode. We haven’t turned the corner yet,” Carroll said. “We’ll have to see as this week goes on if he improves enough where he’ll be able to play this week. He’s not feeling that bad, but he still has a little something going on.
“We have to wait through it and see which day it turns. We won’t know till later in the week. He hasn’t been cleared yet for this week, so we’ll see what happens.”
Ford was the only starting defensive lineman issue free Wednesday.
No, the Seahawks did not roll him into bubble wrap.
Before practice, the team official put linebacker and edge pass rusher Bruce Irvin on injured reserve. Seattle signed him this offseason to boost the pass rush that was next to last in the league getting sacks in 2019.
Starting cornerback Quinton Dunbar was limited in practice by a new knee injury. He apparently got that Sunday night during a game in which he also got his first interception as a Seahawk.
His backup, 2019 starter Tre Flowers, dislocated a finger in the win over New England last weekend. He practiced fully Wednesday.
Pro Bowl cornerback Shaquill Griffin, the starter on the other side, has a shoulder issue through which he practiced fully.
Players missing practice on a Wednesday usually is not a cause for great alarm, not with four days still to go before the game.
But Seattle’s defense is in such a start that the absences from it Wednesday were at the very least noticeable.
The Seahawks are last in the league in yards allowed (485) and passing yards surrendered (415.5) per game through two weeks. Seattle has just three sacks in two games. Two of them are by safety Jamal Adams, as Seattle has had to blitz far more than Carroll has in the past. That’s been to create pressure on quarterbacks that otherwise is not there from the defensive front.
Coordinator Ken Norton Jr. said following practice everyone on the defense knows they must improve, particularly by not giving up so many big pass plays behind them. That’s a Pete Carroll cardinal sin, and it’s been happening with alarming regularity to begin this season.
Even Adams, the All-Pro, has allowed receivers to get behind him for huge gains.
“Nobody is happy,” Norton said.
Nor, did it seem Wednesday, that anyone was fully healthy.
The Seahawks’ next opponent, the Dallas Cowboys, are also hurting.
Two starting cornerbacks missed practice Wednesday: Chidobe Awuzie (hamstring) and Trevon Diggs (shoulder). Dallas’ pass rusher DeMarcus Lawrence did not practice, either.
And the Cowboys’ offensive line is banged up. Left tackle Tyron Smith missed practice with a neck injury after missing last week’s win for Dallas over Atlanta. Fellow starting offensive lineman La’el Collins is on injured reserve.
This story was originally published September 23, 2020 at 5:49 PM.
