Seahawks’ pass defense battered. Chris Carson may play at Miami. Jamal Adams likely won’t
The Seahawks have had more encouraging injury reports that their latest one Thursday.
Perhaps the lone good thing for them about it: their next game wasn’t on Thursday night.
Three-fourths of Seattle’s recently besieged starting defensive secondary was still hurting three days before the 3-0 team plays at the Miami Dolphins (1-2).
All-Pro safety Jamal Adams again was nowhere in sight during the 20 minutes or so the media is allowed to observe practice. His strained groin seems likely to keep him from playing Sunday.
Lano Hill would be the first option to start as the fill-in strong safety paired with Quandre Diggs against the Dolphins. But Hill missed practice Thursday, one day after he was a limited participant. Hill woke up Sunday with a bad back and missed Seattle’s shootout win over the Dallas Cowboys.
That’s why the Seahawks signed safety Ryan Neal back to the active roster on Wednesday. Neal, a practice-squad call-up the day before the Cowboys game, intercepted Dak Prescott in the end zone on the next-to-last play to preserve Seattle’s 38-31 victory.
The Seahawks signed former Packers starter Damarious Randall for their secondary this week. Carroll said he will be a safety for Seattle. But maybe not for Sunday. Randall just arrived Tuesday and is on the practice squad, for now, anyway.
Starting right cornerback Quinton Dunbar also missed practice for the second consecutive day. He has a first-degree knee sprain, coach Pete Carroll said earlier this week.
Tre Flowers is ready to start for him for the second consecutive game.
Pro Bowl cornerback Shaquill Griffin has been limited this week by a new shoulder injury.
Seattle has allowed the most yards passing in NFL history through three games: 1,292 yards. Last weekend Prescott threw for 472 yards, the most in one game by a quarterback against the Seahawks in franchise history.
Chris Carson remained out of practice with a sprained knee for the second consecutive day. Carroll said Wednesday his lead running back was “really sounding positive” about playing against the Dolphins.
Carlos Hyde would start if Carson can’t. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said Thursday Hyde will be ready and the Seahawks would have no hesitation to give the former lead back for the 49ers and last year the Texans a full load of Carson’s duties at Miami.
That was after a practice in which Hyde was a Seahawks rarity: a running back wearing a red, no-contact jersey. Only Russell Wilson and quarterbacks normally wear those. Hyde had on red because he has a shoulder injury. He, like Carson, was listed as a limited participant in practice.
Rookie running back DeeJay Dallas, who played through last season at the University of Miami in the same stadium as Sunday’s game, could see his first NFL playing time.
Rookie first-round draft choice Jordyn Brooks, like Adams, continues on a course to missing the Miami game. Brooks has a sprained knee he got in his first NFL start last weekend. He was starting because Bruce Irvin had season-ending knee surgery this week.
The 32-year-old Irvin trumpeted his future—in Seattle—while declaring Wednesday his surgery went well.
Carroll said Wednesday Brook’s knee was still very sore.
Cody Barton remains on track to starting with Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright at linebacker in base 4-3 defense against the Dolphins.
Well, maybe. Barton was limited in practice for the first time by a new quadriceps injury.
Shaquem Griffin, currently on the practice squad, could be a Plan C option starting at strongside linebacker. Carroll said Monday Griffin earned a second consecutive week on the active roster for game day with his edge rushing and open-field tackling late in the Cowboys game.
Three starters of the offensive line and two on the defensive front were limited participants in practice.
Starting guards Damien Lewis (sprained ankle) and Mike Iupati (sprained knee) missed parts of the workout. So did left tackle Duane Brown, as usual. The 35-year-old veteran has been getting Wednesdays and most of Thursdays off to rest his knees.
The team listed defensive end Benson Mayowa and tackle Poona Ford as limited by groin strains. Mayowa was moving better Thursday than he did Wednesday in the initial periods of practice.
Special-teams mainstay Neiko Thorpe missed another practice with a hip issue. Carroll said Thorpe, also a backup cornerback, intends to try to play in Miami.
This story was originally published October 1, 2020 at 7:41 PM.
