Seahawks pregame in Detroit: Boye Mafe, Charles Cross inactive, Devon Witherspoon anxious
One starter on injured reserve. The other inactive to play because he’s also injured.
Aidan Hutchinson and the blitzing, roaring Detroit Lions coming at them.
Stone Forsythe and Jake Curhan, come on down!
That was the situation as the Seahawks began their game Sunday at Ford Field. That was after they made left tackle Charles Cross inactive to play, as expected, because of a sprained big toe on his right foot.
“It’s going to be a physical football game, a very physical football team,” general manager John Schneider said Sunday morning on the Seahawks’ radio pregame show.
“We need to, obviously, identify where Aidan Hutchinson is.”
On Wednesday, Seattle put starting right tackle Abe Lucas on injured reserve. He is headed to a procedure, in Pete Carroll’s words, that the coach said previous Seahawks players have had successfully. That may be blood-spinning platelet therapy or regenokine treatment K.J. Wright and other veterans have had in past seasons.
Jason Peters, the 41-year-old, former Eagles All-Pro tackle the Seahawks signed to the practice squad this past week, was not yet ready to play Sunday after just three practices with his new team.
“Everyone knew Jason wanted to play...He wanted to do the practice squad to kind of get his legs under him, his football legs,” S
So against the Lions it was Forsythe for his second career start and Curhan for his sixth.
Raiqwon O’Neal, whom Seattle signed off Tampa Bay’s practice squad, was active Sunday to back up Forsythe and Curhan.
“I feel good that Jake and Stone are going to play for us,” Carroll said Friday. “Jake played against these guys last time we were there, did a nice job, and Stone is ready to go, too.
“I’m glad these guys are going to answer the call, they know what they’re doing.”
Quarterback Geno Smith said the opening game last week, Seattle’s loss at home to the Los Angeles Rams, was the first game he can remember in his football life he lost both his starting tackles to injuries in the same game.
The Seahawks were expected to use tight ends Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson staying in more to help the new tackles in pass protection. Running backs, including third-down back DeeJay Dallas, were part of the game plan to protect Smith, too.
Devon Witherspoon debuts
Devon Witherspoon made his NFL and Seahawks debut Sunday in Seattle’s defensive secondary, after his first full week of practice in more than a month.
The fifth pick in this year’s draft had been sidelined since Aug. 7 with an injured hamstring.
Witherspoon had been dancing in practices two weeks ago. So, yes, he was anxious to make his first plays Sunday.
“Everybody is really excited for him,” Schneider said Sunday morning. “Coach (Karl) Scott, his position coach, was trying to calm him down before the game...you are going to see his physicality and his instincts show up.
“Everybody’s excited to get him going.”
Boye Mafe out
Starting outside linebacker Boye Mafe was out with a knee injury in got in the Rams game.
That meant far more of pass rusher Darrell Taylor on running downs against the Lions’ rushing offense.
Devin Bush, the backup to starting inside linebackers Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks, was also inactive with a shoulder injury.
Other inactive Seahawks
The remainder of Seattle’s inactive players Sunday: safety Jamal Adams, offensive lineman McClendon Curtis, guard Ben Brown and rookie defensive end Mike Morris.
Curtis and Brown were healthy scratches.
Adams continues his incremental return from the torn quadriceps tendon he got 12 months ago. He is going to attempt practicing fully this coming week, for the first time since his injury. The team hasn’t ruled out Adams making his season debut at safety against Carolina at Lumen Field next weekend.
This story was originally published September 17, 2023 at 9:30 AM.
