Jamal Adams all good, 2 other starters questionable but Seahawks think they’ll play vs LA
Jamal Adams has no time for gamesmanship.
He’s playing.
Adams was joking around, laughing with fellow safety Quandre Diggs and talking breezily with coach Pete Carroll as he fully participated at the start of the Seahawks’ final full practice for Saturday’s NFC wild-card playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams.
The All-Pro safety noticeably did not raise his left arm over his head in the 20 minutes the media was allowed to watch practice Thursday. But he isn’t on the injury report for the game. True to “no doubt in my mind” promise from the day before, Adams is starting his first career playoff game on Saturday.
Carroll had said Tuesday that Adams’ availability would be a game-time decision.
More Seahawks good news on injuries: even their two starters they list as questionable to play Saturday aren’t all that questionable.
It’s about the cleanest injury report possible for this late in a season, for a playoff game.
Shaquill Griffin showed up on the report as questionable for the game with a new hamstring issue. But Carroll did not say Griffin’s muscle is particularly strained. The coach said the team held him out of practice Thursday just to give him a day of rest.
“He’s just a little bit tight. Want to give him a day,” Carroll said.
Asked if he expected his 2019 Pro Bowl cornerback to play against the Rams, Carroll said “yes.”
The Seahawks also list Jarran Reed as questionable. He strained his oblique muscle in his side during Seattle’s win over San Francisco in the regular-season finale last weekend. But Reed was full go during the first portion of practice with the starting defense Thursday.
Carroll said Reed will play Saturday.
“He’s ready to go,” the coach said.
Griffin, Seattle’s best coverage defensive back, has potentially millions of reasons to want to play—beyond the inherent competitiveness of it being a playoff game. He’s extra motivated to excel in the NFL’s showcase games because he’s in the final year of his contract.
Griffin missed four games into late November, first with a concussion and then a strained hamstring. Carroll said the latest hamstring issue for Griffin was not related to his previous one.
With Quinton Dunbar out for the season on injured reserve following knee surgery, Tre Flowers would likely move to Griffin’s left side if Griffin has to leave Saturday’s game. Flowers was the team’s starting right cornerback opposite Griffin in 2018 and ‘19. He returned last week from injured reserve.
D.J. Reed has played so well as the right cornerback while Flowers and Dunbar have been out the latter part of the season he would likely stay on that right side.
Taylor a possibility
Rookie second-round draft choice Darrell Taylor finished his first week of practice with the Seahawks.
How he looks 12 months after surgeons put a Titanium rod in his leg has Carroll saying it’s possible the defensive end could play this postseason.
Not on Saturday, if the team advances past the Rams into the divisional round next week. That would be either at the New Orleans Saints or against the Chicago Bears in Seattle.
“He’s flashed, obviously,” Carroll said. “We’ve seen the quickness. (Thursday), I’m anxious to see this film (from practice). This was the best day for him. We are ramping him up, and today he cut it loose a little bit so I’m anxious to see it.
“But there’s no question that he belongs out here with these guys,” the coach said, chuckling.
Asked if Taylor may be able to play during this postseason, Carroll said: “Yeah, that is possible.”
This story was originally published January 7, 2021 at 1:42 PM.
