Tag: Mychal Kendricks

Snap counts and playtime percentages: Seahawks at Panthers

Snap counts and playtime percentages from the Seattle Seahawks Week 15 win over the Carolina Panthers.

The Seattle Seahawks defense was truly tested Week 15 with four starters out for the matchup. Defensive ends Jadeveon Clowney and Ziggy Ansah, linebacker Mychal Kendricks and cornerback Shaquill Griffin were all inactive on Sunday.

To make matters worse, three more defenders were injured later in the contest, including safety Quandre Diggs and linebacker Bobby Wagner, who both succumbed to sprained ankles and did not return to the game.

“Yeah, we didn’t have Clowney, we didn’t have Shaq, we didn’t have Ziggy out there today – Mychal Kendricks not out there,” coach Pete Carroll said after the win. “I think that’s a great statement for us to go out and win a football game with the other guys playing for us. Really proud of those guys. And it’s great for us, again. It gets them closer to helping us when we need it down the stretch. They’re all going to have to contribute. Everybody plays on our team, so they’re going to have to, so hopefully we’ll get better.”

Here’s a look at the snap counts and playtime percentages for both the Seahawks and the Panthers.

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Week 15 inactives: Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers

The following players are inactive for the Week 15 matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and the Carolina Panthers.

The Seattle Seahawks are set to square off against the Panthers in Carolina for their final road game of the regular season.

Seattle will be without starting defensive ends Jadeveon Clowney and Ziggy Ansah, who are both battling injuries and will be watching from the bench on Sunday.

Here’s a look at the Seahawks inactives for Week 15.

The Panthers’ inactives are below.

  • DE Marquis Haynes (knee)
  • TE Greg Olsen (concussion)
  • DE Christian Miller
  • OT Garrett McGhin
  • LB Ramik Wilson
  • DT Woodrow Hamilton
  • CB Corn Elder

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3 things to watch: Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers

The Seattle Seahawks will search for their 11th win of the season in their final road game of 2019, against the Carolina Panthers.

The Seattle Seahawks have another chance to clinch a playoff spot in the NFC on Sunday, but they’ll need to defeat the Panthers on the road in North Carolina.

Carolina (5-8) has struggled as of late – losing five in a row – and they are without both franchise quarterback Cam Newton, who is on the injured reserve with a foot injury, and coach Ron Rivera, who was let go two weeks ago.

That doesn’t mean it will be an easy victory for the Seahawks however. Carolina still has Christian McCaffrey to deal with in the backfield, and the team will be without two key cogs on their defense – Mychal Kendricks and Jadeveon Clowney – which could make this one a high-scoring affair.

Here are three key things for fans to watch for in Seattle’s final regular season road game of the year.

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Christian McCaffrey provides major test for Seahawks defense

The Seattle Seahawks will have their hands full with Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey, who is having an MVP season.

The Seattle Seahawks defense has had their ups and downs this season. After struggling at the beginning of the year, Seattle found their stride shortly after acquiring safety Quandre Diggs.

The emergence of Jadeveon Clowney, improved performances from Ziggy Ansah and Shaquem Griffin off the edge, and dominance from the secondary helped Seattle finally break through as a bonafide top-ten, maybe even top-five, defense in the league.

That all fell apart last Sunday against the Rams. With Mychal Kendricks and Ansah both out, and Clowney playing hurt, the team was gashed by Jared Goff and Todd Gurley all night long.

Now, Seattle heads into Week 15 without Kendricks and Clowney, and potentially without Shaquill Griffin and Ansah, who are both listed as questionable.

Not only is that a scary thought, but they have the unenviable task of taking on a Panthers squad that boasts perhaps the most lethal non-quarterback in the league on the offensive side of the ball, Christian McCaffrey.

McCaffrey is an elite ball-carrier and pass-catcher, making him a difficult player to game plan against even with Kyle Allen, and not Cam Newton, under center.

“To see him perform at such a high level so consistently, he’s good at everything,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said on Wednesday. “He’s the best combo guy there is. 86 catches he’s got right now. That’s third or fourth in the league right or whatever it is, as well as 1,200 yards. It’s crazy numbers. He brings it. He runs tough and he’s good in the open field. He makes the catches and runs the routes. He’s an incredible player. The answer is yes, it’s built around him. It should be. They figured that out. It wasn’t hard to figure that out. He’s been incredible in his first couple years in the league.”

The Seahawks have been hurt by pass-catching running backs this season, namely Alvin Kamara of the Saints (nine receptions, 92 yards and a touchdown) and Devonta Freeman of the Falcons (eight receptions, 63 yards).

However, what makes this even more daunting is the absence of Kendricks. Seattle’s reliance on their 4-3 base defense often leaves their linebackers in charge of covering running backs on routes out of the backfield.

If they stick with that game plan on Sunday, rookie Cody Barton may end up in coverage on McCaffrey – which is a potentially dangerous combination for the Seahawks.

Perhaps they’ll rely more on their nickel coverage, which would allow Akeem King to cover McCaffrey instead, but so far this season this team has primarily stayed with the 4-3 configuration, even with Kendricks on the shelf.

There’s little doubt that McCaffrey will have a strong game on Sunday, but just how well he performs will have a big impact on the final score, and whether or not the Seahawks finally clinch that playoff spot in the NFC.

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Seahawks expect Cody Barton to take step forward in Week 15

The Seattle Seahawks are hoping a week of experience will allow rookie Cody Barton to be more comfortable on Sunday against the Panthers.

The Seattle Seahawks will once again be without SAM linebacker Mychal Kendricks (hamstring) on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.

That means rookie Cody Barton will draw his second start in a row.

Barton recorded four combined tackles and one pass defended on Sunday against the Rams, but struggled with play-recognition and assignments at times, which proved costly.

However, with a full week of experience under his belt, coach Pete Carroll is confident Barton will be more comfortable against the Panthers, and that his play will reflect that.

“I think he’ll feel much more comfortable,” Carroll said on Friday. “We were just fast and furious, and he was busting his tail running around trying to make his plays and all that. I think he’ll be settling in even more so. Like I said to you, he’s such a smart kid and he works so hard. That’s so important to him. He’ll take advantage of one week to the next week. I think you’ll see him improve for a long time now because of the way he applies himself and all that. We’re expecting him to make a little jump and just clean it up and be more specifically accountable and stuff. The running and hitting part, he was fine. It was just the little things on assignments and recognition and things like that.”

Barton was a third round pick out of the University of Utah in the 2019 NFL draft. He played primarily middle linebacker in college, but has acclimated himself to all three linebacker positions for the Seahawks, serving as the team’s primary backup at each position.

While he may still be behind Kendricks in learning how to recognize plays – simply because of lack of experience – his work ethic and natural ability should help him play better this week, which will be important against a Carolina team with plenty of offensive weapons.

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Seahawks rookie Cody Barton to have MRI on his knee

Seattle Seahawks rookie linebacker Cody Barton suffered a pair of injuries on Sunday night, and is having an MRI done on his knee.

The Seattle Seahawks saw their already thin linebacker group take another hit on Sunday night against the Los Angeles Rams.

Starting in place of Mychal Kendricks (hamstring), rookie Cody Barton suffered both a knee and ankle injury and is scheduled to have an MRI on Monday, according to coach Pete Carroll.

“He strained his knee a little bit and [had] a little bit of an ankle thing,” Carroll said on 710 ESPN’s Pete Carroll show. “We gotta figure that out. He’s gonna get an MRI today to find out where he is. He was able to go back in the game, tough as nails and finished it, but I don’t know.”

Barton had a big role on Sunday, appearing on 58 defensive snaps (83 percent) as well as 16 snaps on the special teams. He came out after getting hurt in the fourth quarter but returned after just a few plays, apparently playing through the knee strain.

He finished with four combined tackles and one pass defended.

Barton’s health will be a big factor this week, as Kendricks may not make it back in time for Sunday’s game against the Panthers. Additionally, WILL linebacker K.J. Wright suffered a dislocated finger on Sunday, although Carroll expects him to be fine by next week.

If neither Kendricks or Barton are able to play, expect fellow rookie Ben Burr-Kirven to step into a starting role on defense.

Seattle could also opt to use their nickel package – which only requires two linebackers – a lot more as well.

Check back throughout the week for updates on Seattle’s injuries before they head South to take on the Panthers in their final road game of the season.

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3 things to watch: Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams

The Seattle Seahawks could clinch a spot in the playoffs with a win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football.

The Seattle Seahawks have an opportunity to clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football.

With an extremely tight race in the crowded NFC, every game will be crucial for Seattle to win if they want to secure a top-two seed and avoid having to play in the wildcard game on the road for the second year in a row.

That alone makes this game must-watch TV for Seahawks, and football, fans. everywhere.

In addition to those factors, and the recent rivalry between Seattle and Los Angeles, there are plenty of key things for fans to watch for in this game.

Here are three things, one on offense, one on defense, and one on the special teams, for Seahawks fans to be watching for on Sunday night.

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Cody Barton, Ugo Amadi both benefit if Mychal Kendricks is out

If the Seattle Seahawks are without Mychal Kendricks on Sunday night, expect to see rookies Cody Barton and Ugo Amadi a lot more.

The Seattle Seahawks listed SAM linebacker Mychal Kendricks as doubtful for their Week 14 matchup with the Rams in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Seattle’s reliance on the 4-3 base defense is in part thanks to their faith in Kendricks’ ability in pass coverage and as a blitzer. If they are without him, coach Pete Carroll admitted the team will probably rely more on their nickel package.

While he would not say which player would be employed in that role, it’s expected that rookie Ugo Amadi will get a chance against LA’s speedy slot receiver, Cooper Kupp.

However, the Seahawks will still run a hefty amount of their base defense, meaning rookie Cody Barton could get a big opportunity to show what he is capable of in Kendricks’ absence.

“Cody’s a good player and we’re anxious to see him contribute,” Carroll said on Friday. “He played quite a bit last week, more than he has been. He’s ready to go.”

Barton was a third round pick out of Utah in the 2019 NFL Draft. He was a middle linebacker in college, but has worked hard to learn all three linebacker spots in Seattle, so that he can serve as a valuable backup at any spot when called upon.

“Cody is a particularly diligent worker,” Carroll continued. “Smart kid. Plays all three spots. He’s as well versed a guy coming in as you can hope for, for a young guy. We really don’t have any hesitation in trusting that he can play.”

So while the Seahawks will likely rely on the nickel package, fans will still get a healthy dose of Barton on Sunday night – assuming Kendricks gets the night off.

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Pete Carroll updates Seahawks injuries ahead of Rams Week 14

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll provided a number of player injury updates ahead of the Week 14 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.

Following the team’s walkthrough on Friday, Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll provided a number of player injury updates ahead of the Week 14 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.

Cornerback Neiko Thorpe (core) has been ruled out for Sunday night after undergoing hernia surgery and will be shut down for the remainder of the year. He is the only player Seattle officially listed as “out” for the contest.

Defensive ends Ziggy Ansah (neck) and Jadeveon Clowney (core) will both be game-day decisions. “We’ll check those guy both out,” Carroll said. “They did practice enough this week where we feel good about it. But we’ve got to check them out on game day.”

Linebacker Mychal Kendricks is doubtful to play Week 14 with a hamstring injury and Cody Barton is likely to hear his number called Sunday night as Kendricks’ replacement.

Tight end Luke Willson (hamstring) and fullback Nick Bellore (quadriceps) are also doubtful for Sunday against the Rams.

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