Seahawks Notebook: Riq Woolen, DK Metcalf nursing injuries
DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 17: Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) gives instructions to guard Phil Haynes (60), center Evan Brown (63), and guard Damien Lewis (68) before calling out play signals during the first quarter of an NFL football game
RENTON, Wash. - Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen (shoulder) and wide receiver DK Metcalf (ribs) are both sore the day after Sunday's 37-31 overtime victory over the Detroit Lions.
Woolen was sidelined for most of the final three quarters of the game after injuring his right shoulder on a tackle of Lions wide receiver Antoine Green. The injury occurred on the second play of the second quarter. Meanwhile, Metcalf took a big shot to his ribs from Detroit safety Kerby Joseph on Seattle's opening touchdown drive.
Head coach Pete Carroll said on his radio show on Seattle Sports 710 AM on Monday morning that Woolen has an SC (sternoclavicular) joint injury. He said after the game on Sunday and on Monday morning that the injury isn't considered to be significant.
"He’s still sore, he’s sore today. We’re just one day at a time," Carroll told reporters Monday afternoon. "There’s nothing that we need to do other than treat him, and then we see if he can make it back. We’ll take it one day at a time."
Meanwhile, Metcalf was able to play through his injury after a brief trip to the locker room for treatment. Metcalf finished the game with six catches for a team-high 75 yards in the victory.
"He had a good day," Carroll said. "Still sore, but he had a pretty good day. He was upbeat today. He needs tomorrow, he needs Wednesday, he’s going to need a couple of days to quiet this thing down."
After losing both starting tackles in their Week 1 game against the Los Angeles Rams, the Seahawks came out of this week's game with far fewer injury concerns.
When it comes to the performances in the game itself, Carroll again was effusive in his praise for Stone Forsythe and Jake Curhan and their ability to step in at the tackle spots in place of Charles Cross and Abe Lucas.
"They did a really good job," Carroll said. "They were really steady, they held up their own, handled all of the variety of things that we did in protection, they did a really good job of. playing a good football game for us."
Cornerback Devon Witherspoon saw his first action after missing the season opener due to a hamstring injury. Witherspoon played the entire game at left cornerback for Seattle.
"He was having fun, got involved, and had a couple of big wins. I think it’s a terrific first game that we got through," Carroll said.
He was burned on a flea-flicker for a 36-yard touchdown by Kalif Raymond in the second quarter that gave the Lions a 14-7 lead. However, he also broke up a fourth down pass to tight end Sam LaPorta and was in coverage of Josh Reynolds on another fourth down attempt that fell incomplete after the two players inadvertently tripped over each other.
"That was a great play. That was a terrific play," Carroll said of the breakup to LaPorta. "So often in one-on-ones guys lose on the crossing routes, especially the shallow crosses. You have to get a good jump on it, and then you have to make the play on the ball, which he did that cleanly and in really good shape. The fourth down one where they tie up their feet, he couldn’t avoid that, he was right on the guy there too."
Notes:
– Carroll expressed confidence in kicker Jason Myers after missing three field goal attempts over the first two games of the season.
"He’s been hitting the ball well in practice and all of that, I just believe in him and trust him and figure he’s going to get on track," Carroll said. "Unfortunately, the other day here it upset the rhythm of how we were making progress in the game. But like all of the rest of the issues that were presented to us we just kept going and we’ll do the same with him, he’s a terrific kicker and we’re counting on him, he’ll come through."
– Safety Jamal Adams will practice throughout the week again as he gets closer to a return to game shape following last year's quadriceps tendon tear.
"The plan is for him to have a full week of regular practice and take all the reps that we can get him," Carroll said. "That means no restrictions, I don’t foresee any problems with that. He looked great last week and was up for everything that we put in front of him, and he should be able to do that. Whether or not he plays, that’s a different story and we’re not talking about that yet. We just want to get through a week of practice and see how he does."
– Carroll said he had heard from the NFL that the intentional ground penalty called against Geno Smith early in the fourth quarter was not correct. Smith threw the ball into a space where no Seattle receiver was as Tyler Lockett ran the wrong route in a miscommunication with Smith. However, there was no pass rush threat to Smith at the time of the throw, which is a necessary element of the intentional grounding penalty.
"What I heard was that they were wrong. They made an error," Carroll said. "I haven’t heard that officially directly, but I do know that’s what has come back to me. It was obvious. It was clear."