Seahawks announce no fans for next home game, vs. Arizona, holding out hope for later
The Seahawks will play on without fans in the stands.
The team announced Tuesday it will play its next home game Nov. 19 on a Thursday night against the Arizona Cardinals as it has played its first four games at CenturyLink Field this season: without fans, because of pngoing local restrictions from the coronavirus pandemic.
“Through ongoing collaboration with local public health and government officials, we have decided we will continue without fans in attendance at our home game on November 19 vs. Arizona,” the Seahawks said in a statement.
“Should they determine conditions have improved enough for us to host fans in a limited capacity in December, we will announce those plans at a later date.”
That statement left out: wear a mask.
There are no signs of conditions improving for Seattle.
Tuesday, state officials stressed an urgent need for Washingtonians to redouble precautions such as mask wearing around people outside households and avoiding sizable gatherings. COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the state.
Washington has the highest number of cases it’s ever had, and rates of cases are accelerating, State Health Officer Dr. Kathy Lofy said at a virtual media briefing Tuesday.
And Dr. Lofy said it’s not due to an increase in testing. It’s a “real increase in disease.”
King County and Washington remain one of the country’s more locked-down counties and states, and have been since the pandemic began more than six months ago. Seattle and King County have remained in phase two of Washington’s four-phase Safe Start plan since June 19.
That makes it likely the Seahawks will play their final home games of the NFL regular season in an empty-, silent-again CenturyLink Field. That is Dec. 6 against the New York Giants, Dec. 13 against the New York Jets and Dec. 27 against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Seahawks are among the 13 of the league’s 32 teams continuing to prohibit fans from attending games.
The teams permitting limited numbers of fans in stadiums for games are: Arizona, Tampa Bay, New Orleans, Carolina, Atlanta, Washington, Philadelphia, Dallas, Kansas City, Denver, Tennessee, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, Houston, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Baltimore and Miami.
The Seahawks had announced in August there would be no fans through their first three home games. They’ve made two subsequent announcements of continued prohibitions since then.
So much for one of the NFL’s loudest, most-impacting home-field advantages.
Coach Pete Carroll, general manager John Schneider and Seahawks players have said repeatedly how much they miss having their fans at home games. Seattle has won three of its home games in the final seconds—in a stadium where the only noise was from the roaring players celebrating on the field and sideline.
After its fourth-down touchdown pass from Russell Wilson to DK Metcalf with 15 seconds left to beat the Minnesota Vikings last month, Carroll said: “I have a regret. I have a MAJOR regret: That the 12s weren’t here to be able to enjoy this one. ...
“Because you guys never would have gone home tonight.”
The Seahawks (6-2) have the same record as New Orleans but currently hold the second playoff seed in the NFC behind the Saints with eight games remaining in the regular season, based on tiebreakers. Only the top seed in each conference gets a first-round playoff bye and home field throughout the postseason.
The Seahawks are holding out hope coronavirus pandemic trends turn favorable between now and January to make that home field a true advantage.
There will be no fans in attendance Sunday night when the Seahawks play the Rams in their new stadium in Inglewood, Calif.
Practice-squad move
The NFL’s official transactions for Tuesday showed the Seahawks released defensive back DeMarkus Acy from the practice squad.
That leaves an open place on the 16-man practice squad.
This COVID-19 season, practice squads can include veteran players of any service time, for the first time.
That’s why former All-Pro defensive tackle Damon “Snacks” Harrison is on it.
Carroll said Monday the defensive tackle Bryan Mone’s high-ankle sprain could mean Harrison makes his Seattle debut Sunday against the Rams.
This story was originally published November 10, 2020 at 6:02 PM.
