Seahawks with Important Absences for the Game Against the Jaguars
The Seattle Seahawks team will face the Jacksonville Jaguars next Sunday with several significant absences in their defense. Cornerbacks Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen, along with safety Julian Love, have been listed as questionable for the game. In addition, the team confirmed the absence of outside linebacker Derick Hall, due to an oblique injury, and backup tackle Josh Jones, who is suffering from an ankle injury. Despite the losses, the Seahawks will have the return of outside linebacker DeMarcus Lawrence, who recovered from a quadriceps injury that kept him out of the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Rookie safety Nick Emmanwori, who was on the injury report this week due to a sprained ankle, has no designation for the game. Both players participated in practice over the last two days. The Seahawks have yet to be able to count on their top five secondary defenses in a complete game, as Emmanwori was injured in the first game of the season. If Love, Witherspoon and Woolen don’t play on Sunday, it will be the fourth time in six games that Seattle will be affected by the absence of multiple players in the secondary. Witherspoon has only played in two games due to a medial collateral ligament contusion suffered in the first game, while Love has participated in only three due to a hamstring injury. Woolen left the game against Tampa Bay with a concussion and, although he practiced all week as a limited participant, he did not pass the league’s concussion protocol. Coach Mike Macdonald reported that veteran cornerback Shaquill Griffin will be part of Seattle’s plan for Sunday, which means he will have to be promoted or signed from the practice squad. It is not clear whether Griffin or Nehemiah Pritchett will start alongside Josh Jobe. Derion Kendrick has been playing as Seattle’s nickelback in the absence of Witherspoon. Griffin, a nine-year veteran with a Pro Bowl selection to his name, began his career with the Seahawks and returned to Seattle on a one-year contract this summer. He has only played in one game this season.The Jaguars, for their part, have starting center Robert Hainsey (hamstrings) as questionable.“I love having Shaq out there because he competes. He attacks everything mentally. He knows it. He has a great attitude and competes. We can go to the games with that, for sure”.
Mike Macdonald
