Remarkably, Seahawks’ Darrell Taylor may play after Pittsburgh scare. Alex Collins is OK
Less than a week after being strapped to a stretcher while two teams stood around him in fear amid the scariest scene in football, Darrell Taylor may play as if nothing happened.
The Seahawks listed their season leader in sacks as questionable to play Monday night against the New Orleans Saints at Lumen Field. He has only a sore neck from getting carted out of Heinz Field, his head and body immobilized as a precaution during last Sunday night’s Seahawks loss at Pittsburgh.
“There was a lot of praying. There was a lot of sending him love and support and all that — with the thought that he was going to be OK,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said following practice Saturday.
“He had a lot of movement and all that. We were encouraged. ...
“We’re very fortunate.”
Carroll said this week Taylor “has a stiff neck, that’s what he came out with. After all of that we went through to protect him, it’s like he slept bad on his neck, and he has a stiff neck.”
The Seahawks want to see how Taylor’s neck responds Sunday following his most work since Pittsburgh, on Saturday.
“Let’s just wait until we get all the way ‘til game time to see if everything works out OK,” Carroll said Saturday. “I think he’s doing really well. He’s really anxious to play and excited about that.
“I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t.”
Running back Alex Collins is also officially questionable to play with a groin injury Carroll had termed “wear and tear” from his 101-yard rushing night against the Steelers last weekend. But Carroll said Collins practiced Saturday and signs are he will again be Seattle’s lead back against New Orleans.
“He looked good (Saturday), and so he’s ready to go,” Carroll said.
Collins did not practice Thursday and Friday.
“We were planning to give him a break on the first day (of practice this week), anyway. We gave him one more (Friday), just to bounce back. And he looked fine. So he will be part of the rotation.”
Collins last week had the Seahawks’ first 100-yard rushing game since Chris Carson had one in December 2019.
Collins was making his second consecutive start for Carson, who is on injured reserve and out indefinitely with a neck condition.
Carson was doing conditioning and weight-training work this week. Carroll said he still doesn’t know when Carson will play again. His first possible game is Nov. 14 at Green Bay, following the Seahawks’ bye and Carson missing the minimum three games every player on injured reserve must miss, per NFL rules.
Rashaad Penny came off injured reserve this week to practice and is ready to be Seattle’s Plan-C lead rusher if Collins cannot get through Monday’s game. Penny is likely to share Collins’ lead-rushing role against a Saints defense that is one of the NFL’s best against the run.
Carroll said Penny is as excited as “a little kid” to play Monday for the first time since he got hurt after two carries in Seattle’s opener Sept. 12 at Indianapolis.
“I’m just happy to be playing football again,” the team’s repeatedly injured first-round draft choice from 2018 said Friday.
Geno Smith could use a consistent running game to help him in his second fill-in start for Russell Wilson. Wilson will miss his second consecutive game while on injured reserve. He had surgery Oct. 8 on the middle finger of his throwing hand, following 165 consecutive starts to begin his career.
Starting left guard Damien Lewis is questionable for the Saints game. He sprained the AC joint in his shoulder against the Steelers. Jamarco Jones finished the Pittsburgh game for Lewis, and would likely start again Monday if Lewis cannot.
Second quarterback
Jacob Eason got into Seahawks headquarters for the first time on Thursday.
That’s not enough time for him to know enough of the offense to be Smith’s backup Monday night.
Carroll confirmed that Saturday.
That means Jake Luton is likely to get promoted from the practice squad for the second consecutive game to be the number-two QB for the game.
“Not this week,” Carroll said for Eason, the former University of Washington quarterback from Lake Stevens, claimed off waivers from Indianapolis this week.
“I actually gave you something,” Carroll joked, referring to how cryptic he usually is two days before games on guys’ status in the game plan.
This story was originally published October 23, 2021 at 1:49 PM.
