More Bobo? DK Metcalf has never missed a Seahawks game. He’s questionable with 2 pains
Could there be More Bobo in the Seahawks’ next game?
DK Metcalf has a painful hip. It sidelined him from practices this week more than his previously pained ribs did in recent weeks. Friday, Metcalf participated, though limited, for the first time since he injured his hip last weekend during Seattle’s loss at Cincinnati.
The Seahawks (3-2) list Metcalf as questionable to play Sunday when they host the NFC West-rival Arizona Cardinals (1-5) at Lumen Field (1:05 p.m., channel 13).
Coach Pete Carroll said following practice Metcalf’s status will be a game-time decision Sunday.
Metcalf has not missed any of 71 regular-season games and four postseason games since Seattle traded up to select him in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft.
He was last questionable to play in week three, against Carolina, because of a rib injury he got Sept. 17 at Detroit. He played that win against the Panthers. He has played on through the ribs pain while missing mid-week practices for the last month.
Carroll said Friday Metcalf was still hurting with this new injury. The coach hadn’t said that the last few weeks with the rib issue.
“He’s pretty sore still. He’s still working at it,” the coach said. “It’s going to be all the way up until game time.”
Metcalf talked this week as usual in his normal between-games press conference. That typically indicates he will play in the upcoming game. The Seahawks typically prohibit the media from interviewing injured players who are unlikely or in significant doubt to play in that weekend’s game.
Metcalf hurt his hip last weekend during Seattle’s game at Cincinnati. He went to the locker room with team doctor Ed Khalfayan then returned a few minutes later to the field and then the game. He finished with four catches on 10 targets against the Bengals.
On Saturday, the NFL fined Metcalf $16,391 for shoving Cincinnati defensive back Cam Taylor-Britt to the ground after a play 40 yards away last weekend. Officials penalized him for unnecessary roughness. It was his fifth penalty and fifth league fine this season.
Even if Metcalf does play against Arizona, he could be limited. That could lead to Jake Bobo getting more plays than the 21 plays per game he’s been averaging at wide receiver so far.
The undrafted rookie from UCLA and Duke starred in Seattle’s preseason.
He had a 20-yard catch of a pass from Geno Smith last weekend at Cincinnati. It was his fourth catch and sixth target this season.
Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron also sent Bobo in motion from outside to the middle of a run formation to become the lead blocker in the center-guard gap for the Seahawks’ only touchdown against the Bengals. That was Kenneth Walker’s 1-yard run in the first quarter.
Bobo said him pulling across the formation and blocking on an up-the-middle dive play has been in the Seahawks’ playbook since he began learning it for the first time this spring.
“That’s a fun one,” he said.
Bobo said blocking was something UCLA coach Chip Kelly asked his wide receiver to do last season when he was a transfer to the Bruins. And, Bobo said, it’s something he believes is giving Waldron and Carroll confidence to expand his role in Seattle’s offense.
“It’s big,” Bobo said at his locker before practice Wednesday.
“I’m just trying to find a role. So from week to week, if that’s more in the run game, then it’s more in the run game.
“I take pride in being a guy, where, all right, in short yardage you need a receiver to go in there a block, that’s (number) 19.
“Hopefully, we can keep that going.”
Offensive line still hurting
Phil Haynes didn’t practice. The starting right guard is questionable for Sunday’s game. He missed the Cincinnati game with an injured calf. Rookie Anthony Bradford started for Haynes. Bradford got beaten badly on the game-ending fourth down on which Bradford’s man hit Smith as he threw to no one inside the Bengals’ 10-yard line.
Jason Peters could be an option to start at right guard against Arizona. The Seahawks signed the 41-year-old former All-Pro left tackle with Philadelphia to their practice squad last month. He has yet to be ready physically to play. He was going to play at Cincinnati, and practiced most of the week at guard; he played guard for Dallas late last season. But Peters had what Carroll called a setback, an issue with his quadriceps.
Friday was the first practice when Peters had a helmet on participating at the start of a workout open to the media.
“He took plays. He took snaps during the week. He got that accomplished,” Carroll said. “We’ll check with him, too, all the way up to game time to see where he is.”
The Seahawks would have to promote him from the practice squad to the active roster for him to play.
Center Evan Brown practiced for the first time this week. He has a hip injury and is questionable to play against the Cardinals.
“He looked like he could play today,” Carroll said Friday. “We’ll see.”
Rookie Olu Oluwatimi would start if Brown can’t.
Starting right tackle Abe Lucas is eligible to come off injured reserve, but remains on it with his knee injury.
Jake Curhan has started the last four games for Lucas. Curhan twisted his ankle in the first half of the Cincinnati game. He played the rest of it, ineffectively. Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard repeatedly beat Curhan, for a total of eight pressures on Seattle quarterback Geno Smith. Hubbard beat Curhan for a key sack on fourth down from the Cincinnati 6-yard line with 2:08 left.
Peters could play right tackle for Curhan Sunday.
Left guard Damien Lewis returned this week from the sprained ankle he got Oct. 2 in Seattle’s win at the Giants. It forced him to miss last weekend’s game. Lewis is on track to start Sunday.
Left tackle Charles Cross returned last week from the toe injury that kept him out three games.
Offense’s problems and its line
Carroll said this week the offensive line’s injuries and shuffling caught up with the Seahawks at Cincinnati, who had four sacks and 13 hits on the obviously affected Smith.
For the season, Seattle is 30th in the NFL converting third downs (31.6%) and 21st in the red zone (50% touchdowns when inside the opponent’s 20-yard line). The Seahawks were 1 for 5 in the red zone at Cincinnati. That’s the reason they lost by four points.
Carroll was asked how much of the offense’s struggles in key situations and recently are from the offensive line playing fill-ins.
“We’re putting it together with guys we didn’t anticipate starting with. There’s some reasons why,” Carroll acknowledged.
“But our guys have done everything we’ve asked of them in terms of their toughness and preparation and really even their execution and their assignments and all of that stuff. They given us a chance to be the next guy up and they’ve come through, so we’re fortunate.”
This story was originally published October 20, 2023 at 7:37 PM.
