Team news: Seattle Seahawks | Page 6

Seahawks RB Ken Walker will have tests today on what coach Pete Carroll called a "jammed" ankle. The injury —the hope is it's not serious— is different from a sprain because the joint jammed down and not one side or the other. Strange injury. Anyway, tests coming.

Related Players: DeeJay Dallas, Tony Jones

DeeJay Dallas had some good run in Walker's absence but also spent time on the sideline with an ankle injury of his own. At one point, Tony Jones was also in the medical tent after taking a huge hit. The injury bomb has exploded in the Seahawks backfield, and we'll need some more information as the week rolls along, as those three will join Rashaad Penny and Travis Homer as other options who have sustained injuries that have kept them off the field this season.

Since the Chargers game, it’s been mostly a slog for Ken Walker and Seattle’s running game.

Walker has just 203 yards on 68 carries in the four games since the win over the Chargers — 2.9 per attempt.

That includes 43 yards on 24 carries in losses the last two games against the Bucs in Munich and Sunday against the Raiders at Lumen Field, all of which has brought his yards-per-carry down to 4.5.

“He’s trying,” Carroll said Monday. “He’s really going for it. He’s going to find more consistency for us. And there are times when he is looking to bust something when we could maybe hit it up in there. But we have to let him use his instincts because they are phenomenal. He’s going to scorch just like he did on the first touchdown play (a 12-yard TD Sunday), which was a phenomenal play. We just need to be more consistent. Probably more runs will help him. We had 20-something (23 as a team); we would like to get more. We need to balance the run and the pass better than we did over the last two weeks.”

Certainly, the Seahawks have to figure out something, While the run defense may be the bigger issue plaguing them right now, the inability to run on offense and sustain long drives hasn’t helped.

Seattle was 4 of 18 on third downs the past two games with the Bucs and Raiders running a combined 38 more plays than the Seahawks.

And a lot of that was due to an inability to run it well on first down, resulting in an inordinate amount of third-and-longs. Seattle converted on all three of its third downs of 4 yards or shorter Sunday, but failed on all six of 5 yards or longer.

Nine of Walker’s 14 rushes came on first-and-10, and five resulted in a gain of three or less, with a total of 19 (though one of his first-and-10 runs was his 14-yard TD in the third quarter).

And the tasks don’t necessarily get easier as Seattle heads into the final six games of the season.

Four of Seattle’s final six opponents rank seventh or better in the NFL in yards allowed per carry — the 49ers (first, 3.3), Rams, whom Seattle plays twice (fourth, 3.9) and Jets (seventh, 4.1). The Chiefs also rank 14th at 4.3, essentially tied with the Raiders (12th at 4.3).

The only team left on Seattle’s schedule not to rank in the top half of the NFL in fewest yards allowed per rush is Carolina, which is 21st at 4.6. The Panthers, though, two weeks ago held a Ravens team that ranks third in the NFL in yards per carry at 5.3 to just 115 on 30 attempts.

Seattle may catch a break against LA with star tackle Aaron Donald dealing with a high ankle sprain and possibly out for Sunday’s game at SoFi Stadium.

Still, a Rams defense led by former Seahawk Bobby Wagner figures to present a stiff challenge against the run, having just held the Chiefs to no run of longer than 9 yards in 26 attempts from its running backs.

But while Walker may have had little room to run against the Raiders, to what Carroll felt was Walker’s immense credit, Walker shouldered his share of the blame.

“I just feel like we haven’t been executing well,” Walker said. “The running backs, myself included, we just haven’t executed well in the run game.”

And to Carroll, that comment spoke volumes.

“He’s really team oriented; he holds himself accountable,” Carroll said. “There’s an illustration of that. He’s not going to try to duck and dodge anything. He is going to take it right on, straight up. It’s going to accelerate the process. He’s not going to be ducking and dodging the issues. He’s going to be going right at it, and give you everything that he’s got, and he won’t back away.”

Things did seem pretty easy for Walker after taking over for Rashaad Penny. HC Pete Carroll put the blame mostly on the O-line. Walker had touchdown runs of 14 and 12 yards — and a combined zero yards on his other 12 attempts this past week, the story pointed out. However, the story said Carroll did point to Walker, saying Carroll indicated at times Walker maybe has to be content with taking a shorter — but surer — gain instead of aiming to break a big one. Unfortunately things don't get easier. The only team left on Seattle’s schedule not to rank in the top half of the NFL in fewest yards allowed per rush is Carolina, which is 21st at 4.6. The Panthers, though, two weeks ago held a Ravens team that ranks third in the NFL in yards per carry at 5.3 to just 115 on 30 attempts, the story said.

Great news from Pete Carroll, who tells us DK Metcalf will not need surgery. He has a patellar tendon issue.

Related Players: Tyler Lockett, Marquise Goodwin, D'Wayne Eskridge

There's still no timeline, though other reports say that Carroll is pessimistic about Metcalf returning to practice this week, so it may be a week-to-week issue. D'Wayne Eskridge saw an uptick in snaps after Metcalf's departure but didn't receive a target in Week 7.

Seahawks WR DK Metcalf has been ruled out with a knee injury.

Metcalf was carted off and this time, it was not just for a bathroom break. Hopefully, the knee is ok, but this was a quick rule-out too for Metcalf so we'll have to wait and see how serious the injury is. Definitely something to monitor.

Washington HC Ron Rivera said Taylor Heinicke will start Sunday's game vs. the Packers.

Related players: Sam Howell, Carson Wentz

Howell will be the backup according to the tweet. Reports have said the team loves Howell so if Heinicke struggles there's a chance Howell gets a shot as a starter. If the team can string together some wins and make a move in the division, there's also a chance Wentz doesn't get his job back.

This was, sadly, the expected report, and Rashaad Penny is officially out for the season.

Related Players: Ken Walker, DeeJay Dallas

Once Penny was carted off, the running back workload was split up between Ken Walker (early downs) and DeeJay Dallas (third down role). Walker did run a season-high 13 routes on Sunday, but it's more likely that he would be eased into that role. Either way, the rookie becomes an immediate must-roster regardless of league size.

Texans tight end Pharaoh Brown said in June that he expects to be an All-Pro this season. He fell quite a bit short of that.

The Texans released Brown today, according to multiple reports.

Related players: Brevin Jordan, O.J. Howard

Brown has started three games this season and caught seven passes for 72 yards. Jordan and Howard will see more playing time in Houston with Brown out, the story pointed out. Jordan is dealing with an ankle injury and while Howard caught two TDs on opening week, he's only had a 3-34-0 line over the past three weeks.