Chris Carson misses practice. Russell Wilson-less Seahawks could use Carson at Steelers
Four days before their first time since 2011 playing without Russell Wilson, the Seahawks are still missing the key guy who could make his fill-in’s job easier.
Chris Carson did not practice again Wednesday, making this the second consecutive week Seattle’s lead running back has been sidelined by a neck condition.
“He went through the walk-through (Wednesday morning), but I think that we will hold him out today and bring him back (Thursday) and see how does,” coach Pete Carroll said before practice for Sunday night’s game at Pittsburgh.
Carroll said Monday Carson’s neck health made “a big turn” last weekend after he didn’t play in the team’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams Thursday. The coach didn’t know if that means Carson will play Sunday night when Seattle (2-3) starts Geno Smith for the surgically repaired Wilson against the Steelers (2-3).
Last week Carroll said Carson has a “long-term” issue in his neck — the coach called a “condition” — that flares up some weeks more than others. Last week on the team’s radio pregame show before the Seahawks lost to Rams, general manager John Schneider said Carson’s neck began bothering him “late in preseason.”
“We are going to have to continue to monitor that and work through it with Chris,” Schneider told the Seahawks Radio Network Thursday.
Carson missed the Rams game. With 2018 first-round pick Rashaad Penny on injured reserve, Alex Collins was Seattle’s lead back against Los Angeles and rushed 15 times for 47 yards.
Seattle is 19th in the NFL in rushing offense, at 104 yards per game. Carson had 91, 31, 80 and 30 yards rushing in the first four games before getting sidelined by an injury for the fifth time in five years since the Seahawks drafted him in 2017.
That’s not what Carroll had in mind when he hired Shane Waldron in January to bring the Rams’ run-based, quick-passing system to Seattle as his first-time offensive coordinator for the Seahawks.
Smith could use a stronger, more consistent running game to reduce the burden of having to replace Wilson, start for the first time in nearly four full years and avoid the Steelers’ pass rush that figures to test Smith and Seattle’s spotty pass protection.
These aren’t the “Blitzburgh” Steelers of past years under former defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau. They blitz less often than previous Pittsburgh defenses.
Yet they have $112 million edge rusher T.J. Watt. Watt’s five sacks are tied for fourth-most in the league through five games.
Watt usually lines up off the right edge as an outside linebacker. Seahawks right tackle Brandon Shell is often going to be blocking Watt, likely with tight end Will Dissly or others helping.
“They have historically been a difficult defense,” Carroll said of the Steelers.
“They play with an aggressive style, but don’t pressure as much as you might think. They use their players and move them around to try to cause problems. They have historically been a good group, so they are a challenge because of the makeup of their play. T.J. on one side is pretty good over there and they have some guys that will create problems for you that we have to deal with.”
Really, Smith and the entire offense could sure use Carson to deal with those problems.
Thursday will tell more about whether he plays in Pittsburgh Sunday.
Bobby Wagner didn’t practice. He didn’t on Monday, either. Carroll said his All-Pro linebacker “banged” his knee while playing against the Rams. The coach said he doesn’t see it limiting Wagner in Pittsburgh. Wagner did his normal Wednesday press conference, usually an indication a player will start as usual that week.
The team doesn’t make players who won’t or have a strong chance not to play available to the media that game week.
Wilson was on the field going through warm-up drills with teammates Wednesday. He protected his surgically repaired middle finger on his throwing hand by keeping it inside a belt-line warmer.
Starting left guard Damien Lewis missed practice with an unspecified illness.
