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By TAYLOR BECHTOLD

STATS Writer
(AP) -- The rediscovery of Jimmy Graham and the return of Kam Chancellor helped the Seattle Seahawks put aside an 0-2 start.

 

Those factors as well as the performance by an undrafted rookie have lessened the concern over star running back Marshawn Lynch's health.

 

Even with their workhorse's status uncertain, the Seahawks seemingly have a great shot to post their seventh straight home win and 23rd in 25 games Monday night against the winless Detroit Lions and their woeful defense.

 

Lynch, who had been dealing with a sore back and neck along with a calf injury, had a difficult time getting himself loose before last Sunday's 26-0 victory over Chicago. He didn't come out of the locker room until midway through the first half, rushing five times for 14 yards before injuring his hamstring.

 

The five-time Pro Bowler is expected to be re-evaluated later in the week after undergoing an MRI on Monday. He's only missed one game since joining the Seahawks early in the 2010 season.

 

"I don't think I've ever been out there without Marshawn," fifth-year receiver Doug Baldwin said. "... We've got great guys that he's taught up, that he's coached up, that are able to come in there and do what they're coached to do. Not only by our coaching staff, but also by Marshawn. So yeah, we missed him in the huddle, but it's always the next man up."

 

That next man was rookie Thomas Rawls, who went undrafted out of Central Michigan but could get another chance to fill in after shining last week with 104 yards on 16 carries. Veteran Fred Jackson is expected to remain in the role of pass blocker and receiver in third-down situations.

 

"He's not looking to make guys miss him as much as he's looking to run right at you," coach Pete Carroll said of Rawls. "Through the line of scrimmage he's got nice wiggle and all of that but he's got an attitude that he's going to let you know he's coming."

 

Carroll might also want quarterback Russell Wilson to lean more on Graham as the team tries to avoid only its third loss in 30 home games since December 2011, including the postseason. The Pro Bowl tight end was rumored to be frustrated with his role - Carroll said publicly he thought Graham was - after being targeted just twice in Week 2, making one catch for 11 yards in a 27-17 loss at Green Bay. However, he had season highs of seven receptions and 83 yards with a touchdown against the Bears.

 

Backup tight end Luke Willson was inactive with back spasms but should be able to play Monday.

 

"It's not smooth yet, it's not how we want it to be, but it's a work in progress, and we know we have a lot of plays we can get and playmakers out there," Carroll said.

 

Detroit (0-3) has had its struggles defensively, allowing 27.7 points and 395.7 yards per game. The Lions, who haven't started 0-4 since 2010, allowed San Diego's Philip Rivers to throw for 403 yards in Week 1 and Denver's Peyton Manning to throw for 324 yards in last week's 24-12 home defeat.

 

They also allowed Adrian Peterson and Minnesota to rush for 199 yards on 4.7 per carry in Week 2.

 

"This point in time is where our team is going to build our character and find out what we're made of going through this," safety James Ihedigbo told the team's official website.

 

The offense hasn't been much better with an NFC-high eight turnovers and a league-worst 135 rushing yards. Rookie Ameer Abdullah has shown some promise, though he's run for 32 yards on 14 carries in the last two games. Starter Joique Bell, nursing Achilles tendon and knee injuries, has 22 yards on 20 attempts.

 

That's made things difficult on Matthew Stafford, whose five interceptions are second-most to Andrew Luck's seven and his 78.7 passer rating ranks 24th. He completed 31 of 45 passes for 282 yards against the Broncos but also threw two picks and lost a fumble in the fourth quarter.

 

Calvin Johnson has 18 catches for 160 yards in the past two games after he had two receptions for 39 yards in Week 1. However, he's only been targeted more than 15 yards downfield three times, and now he'll have to go up against superstar cornerback Richard Sherman.

 

"Penalties hurt us. I had turnovers that hurt us," said Stafford, who was sacked four times last week. "You correct some of those things, you know, we play a whole lot better."

 

That certainly won't easy to do against a Seattle defense that got on track last week in Chancellor's return. The three-time Pro Bowl safety should continue to ease his way back after holding out all of camp and the first two weeks because of his contract situation.

 

After they allowed an average of 30.5 points and 356.5 total yards in two road losses, the Seahawks (1-2) held Bears backup quarterback Jimmy Clausen to 48 net passing yards in the shutout. It was the second time Chicago had finished with fewer than 50 since 1990.

 

Seattle, however, now could be without defensive tackle Brandon Mebane due to a strained groin.

 

The Seahawks won the last two home meetings by a combined 33 points but dropped the most recent matchup 28-24 in 2012 when Stafford threw a touchdown pass with 20 seconds left.

 

Source: Hosted.Stats.com

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Pro Football Talk reported it is more likely Marshawn Lynch does not play Monday night against the Lions.

A source told PFT it is "60-40" Lynch is not playing. Thomas Rawls would see the majority of the carries if Lynch cannot go with Fred Jackson playing a secondary role. Unless Rawls is available as a late swap, it will be too risky to place Lynch in starting lineups on Sunday morning.

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Seahawks declared Marshawn Lynch, DT Brandon Mebane, S Steven Terrell, CB Tharold Simon, LB Kevin Pierre-Louis, OG Kristjan Sokoli, and DE Demarcus Dobbs inactive for Monday night's Week 4 game against the Lions.

Bruce Irvin (ankle) is active. Lynch (hamstring) was ruled out Sunday and will be replaced by Thomas Rawls and Fred Jackson. Mebane is dealing with a groin injury.

 

 

 

Lions RE Ziggy Ansah (groin) is active for Monday night's Week 4 game against the Seahawks.

He was listed as questionable after leaving last week's game early. Ansah hasn't made a ton of noise as a pass rusher with just six pressures through three weeks, but is playing top-notch run defense on the edge.
Inactive for the Lions are Joique Bell (ankle), RG Larry Warford, WLB DeAndre Levy (hip), Brandon Pettigrew (hamstring), OT Corey Robinson, DT Jermelle Cudjo, and DE Phillip Hunt.

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:Lions: 20 :Seahawks: 24

 

Will Detroit stick to their strengths and play to ours with their pass-happy stuff? Or will they try to turn Ameer Abdullah into Matt Forte and get at us like the Bears and most teams try to do. Thomas Rawls should have himself a field day, his reception abilities are going to make Wilson rollouts pretty efficient tonight I believe.

 

:towel:

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If they want to maximize a poor offensive line, they have to give Zenner carries. Let him grind out 2-5 at a time so Abdullah can gash. Theo Riddick and Joique Bell should not longer exist.

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This offense is so awful. Smh. The defense needs to bail them out.

...So I guess you could say that everything Detroit-related relies on bail outs! :yao:

  • Upvote 2

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Bring down the Hawks. It's your time to shine, detroit.

Rawrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

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the Lions had 3 points without our help. and here we are. some of wilsons best and worst plays ever in this one

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Golden Tate with his arms in the air to indicate a touchdown during that replay was priceless. :lol:

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About goddamn time double Z got carries. He better damn well get them in the coming weeks, too.

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Lions season is over without a doubt now. It's all on them... or most of it. Sucks to see your last hope go like that though. Brutal.

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As I thought, KJ Wright made an illegal play batting the ball out of the back of the endzone. Should have been Lions ball at the 1 yard line.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000551015/article/blandino-wright-committed-foul-for-an-illegal-bat

 

Now, if Wright knows this rule, he undoubtedly just grabs it out of the air or just attempts to recover it.

 

Still think its a dumb rule that a fumble out of bounds in the endzone is the defense's ball, whereas a fumble out of bounds anywhere else on the field is the last team to control it's ball.

 

Regardless, a huge missed call that likely gives the Lions the win, unless Wilson pulls a drive out of his ass- which of course he can do, but tonight certainly didn't seem like he would.

 

Hawks are nearly as lucky to be 2-2 as the Colts are.

Edited by Thanatos19
  • Upvote 2

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Ya, sitting at 1 - 3, the Seahawks would be in some serious trouble. Their playoff chances doubled based on their win tonight. Over 60% chance at 2-2 while only about 30% chance starting 1 -3.

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Hearing about this KJ Wright stuff totally makes me sick to my stomach. Because I had already put 100% of the blame for the way that drive turned out in CJ's hands (which hasn't changed, it was his fault 100%), but to then come back and learn something like this is totally heartbreaking.

 

The Lions can never seem to catch a break. Unrelated topic, I was ready for the OC to be gone before this game and was unsure about Caldwell, now I want them both gone.

Edited by DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F

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So the Lions offense scored 3 points. Damn. Seahawks got a shutout last week and 3 this week. That is damn impressive in this era even if the teams they're playing suck.

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We'll see how the handle the Red Hot Red Rifle on Sunday...

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weirdest thing about the bat is that is seems nobody on the field was aware of the rule and a lot of the analysts that have talked about it seem to have been unaware, based on that maybe it's best that the call wasn't made even if by rule it should have been, that and people need to learn the damn rules

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Theo Riddick was. You can see him instantly turn to the ref and start yelling for a flag. I knew about it, but only because of that Packers/Steelers game a couple? years back where Pittsburgh got robbed and somehow gave the ball back to the Packers off a missed FG attempt. I looked up the rules about batting balls then and this was in there.

 

I did not realize the Lions would have gotten the ball back, but it was definitely a penalty.

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