Chris Carson, Carlos Hyde ready; D.J. Reed for Tre Flowers; Rashaad Penny getting back
Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde look full go to start again. And his coach wants Carson to get more work than he did coming back off injury last week.
It appears Carlos Dunlap is going to try to play.
The starting right tackle is an issue for the Seahawks. Brandon Shell and now Cedric Ogbuehi, Shell’s injury replacement in the previous game, are both hurting.
And D.J. Reed, come on down. Again.
Reed has already started as a fill-in at nickel defensive back and one of the starting cornerback spots. Now the Seahawks ultra-useful waiver claim from the summer will start at the other cornerback opposite Shaquill Griffin Sunday in Seattle’s home game against the New York Giants.
“He came out of the game with his hamstring tight,” coach Pete Carroll said following the team’s practice Friday. “Did the MRI thing, and he’s got something we have to deal with.
“It’s not a serious hamstring injury, but it’s enough to really bother him this week.”
The team listed Flowers doubtful to play Sunday against the Giants. He had been starting again because Quinton Dunbar is on injured reserve for at least another week. That’s how Reed, a former free safety for the 49ers until a torn pectoral this spring got him waived by San Francisco, is starting again at corner.
“He played there last time (at cornerback, when Griffin was out last month with his own hamstring injury), and he did a nice job,” Carroll said of Reed.
Dunlap worked on a side field with a trainer running with some pass-rush moves at the start of practice. He did not otherwise participate in Friday’s drills. The two-time Pro Bowl defensive end who has revitalized Seattle’s pass rush in his first four games sprained his foot late Monday night against the Eagles.
He is questionable to play Sunday.
“We’ll see what happens,” Carroll said.
Ogbuehi is on track to start his second consecutive game for Shell, who is doubtful again to play because of a high-ankle sprain. Ogbuehi watched the beginning parts of practice open to the media Friday with an ice pack on his right calf, but Carroll said the Bengals’ former first-round pick is ready to play Sunday.
It will be Ogbuehi’s second start since 2017, when he was with Cincinnati. He struggled last week against the Eagles’ aggressive defensive front. Carroll Friday and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenhiemer Thursday said they expect a better performance from Ogbuehi against the Giants, who are fifth in the NFL in rushing defense.
Jamarco Jones is another option at tackle and has been Seattle’s swing backup there on both sides previously. But the last couple months the former Ohio State left tackle has been a fill-in guard.
Damien Lewis is listed as questionable with a groin injury. The rookie right guard was on the practice field with his fellow starting offensive linemen for the first drills of practice Friday.
Carlos Hyde is questionable (toe), though he and Carson were doing everything at the start of practice Friday. Carroll indicated the team was “taking care” of its two top running backs during practices on a shorter week following a Monday night game on the East Coast.
In his first game in more than a month Monday night, Carson got eight carries (for 41 yards, including a bulldozing touchdown of 16 yards) plus two catches on swing passes on Seattle’s first two offensive plays.
Asked if he wants Carson to get more touches of the ball Sunday against the Giants, Carroll smiled.
“More is good,” the coach said. “I love seeing Chris play...
“It’s likely Chris will get the ball more than that. ...I would like to see Chris get the ball more than that.”
Penny will practice
Rashaad Penny will come off the physically-unable-to-perform list and begin practicing next week. It will the running back’s first time on a field with his teammates since Seattle’s first-round draft choice in 2018 tore knee ligaments in a game against the Rams 12 months ago.
“Rashaad is practicing next week. We are finally on it, and we are doing it,” Carroll said.
“That one is for sure.”
Taylor may miss year
Darrell Taylor left the team this week to get a remote, second medical opinion on his surgically repaired leg from January, when surgeons put a Titanium rod in his lower leg to fix a stress fracture.
The rookie second-round pick expected to be one of the Seahawks’ top edge pass rushers in 2020 may not play at all this year. He’s no closer to debuting than he was in the summer, when he went on the team’s non-football-injury list.
“He left town to see some docs, so we will find out about that,” Carroll said.
The coach shrugged over what’s been an eight-month saga.
“What do we do?” he said. “I don’t have any information on that. Sorry.”
This story was originally published December 4, 2020 at 2:59 PM.
