Seahawks may be without Brandon Shell, Mike Iupati vs. Rams. Their fill-ins have excelled
The Seahawks are likely to be without 40% of their starting offensive line against Aaron Donald and the Rams.
That may not be as bad as it may seem.
Brandon Shell continues to be sidelined by a high-ankle sprain that has kept him out of three of Seattle’s last four games. That was a huge concern when Shell missed last weekend’s game at Washington.
But Cedric Ogbuehi played his best game yet for Seattle filling-in for Shell. The former first-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals usually won his one-on-one battles with Montez Sweat, Chase Young and Ryan Kerrigan. Washington’s strong pass rush did not sack Russell Wilson and hit him just three times in the Seahawks’ 20-15 victory that clinched a playoff berth.
“He stepped up,” coach Pete Carroll said of Ogbuehi.
So the coaches and Wilson feel much better about the team on Friday listing Shell as questionable to play Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams, as he was before the Washington game. Ogbuehi is in line to start the game Sunday, which if the Seahawks win will earn them the NFC West title.
Veteran Mike Iupati’s nerve issues in his neck have him doubtful for Sunday.
That’s OK for the Seahawks, too. Jordan Simmons played for the 33-year-old Iupati last week, and has been Seattle’s ace fill-in guard for years.
Simmons’ first NFL start came on Nov. 11, 2018, at Los Angeles. He was part of the plowing that resulted in the Seahawks rushing for 273 yards against Donald and the Rams’ beastly defensive front.
