Marshawn Lynch

It looked rather ominous when, after the first series of the game, Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch headed to the sideline, spending the next two Seattle possessions mostly sitting on a bench, wearing a beanie.

He then got up and rode on a stationary bike, and in the press box came the announcement he was again battling issues with his back.

The details, though, revealed that matters weren’t as dire as they might have seemed.

“He got sick to his stomach,’’ said Seattle coach Pete Carroll. “He was about ready to throw up over on the sidelines. So he had to wait it out.’’

Once he did, he returned to gut out 39 yards on 15 carries against an Arizona defense that came in ranked as the best in the NFL against the run. Lynch battled a back injury leading up to the game and it was speculated that was the reason he left the game before coming back. Carroll said the back is always an issue and always has tightness to get through, but that Carroll was told Lynch was sick.