Marshawn Lynch Out: Seattle Seahawks Rule Out Lynch For Week 5 Game
Marshawn Lynch is out for the Seattle Seahawks vs. Cincinnati Bengals game. The Seahawks ruled out Lynch on Friday, October 9, feeling that the All Pro running back was not fully healed from his recent injury. A report from Seahawks.com states that he is going to miss his second straight game with an ankle injury. This will be just the third game he has missed since joining the team.
To make matters worse, backup running back Fred Jackson also suffered an ankle injury against the Detroit Lions on Monday, October 5. This means that Thomas Rawls will be the main running back against the Bengals, likely making him very popular among fantasy football owners for Week 5. He is ready to see quite a few snaps behind (and beside) quarterback Russell Wilson in this contest.
In the three games he has played, Lynch has 128 rushing yards and 61 receiving yards. He wasn’t putting up great numbers before missing these two games, but it was better than having him just reside on the bench. When he had to exit the Week 3 game early, it was Thomas Rawls that stepped up for the team in a very big way. It also showed Seattle Seahawks that the franchise may have its next running back ready to take over.
With Marshawn Lynch out against the Bengals, it means Rawls could be on the field for nearly every snap. So far in his rookie season, Rawls has 35 carries for 157 yards. That works out to 4.5 yards per carry, which in itself is a really good average for any running back in the league. Rawls hasn’t really become involved in the passing game, but that could quickly change when the Seahawks play the Bengals.
When it comes to the fantasy football projections for Thomas Rawls in Week 5, the main websites haven’t updated his numbers just yet. As the only healthy running back left on the roster, he is going to see a lot of carries against the Bengals. An update on his weekly projections will probably come out at some point during the weekend, giving owners a chance to see what numbers he might be able to put up. The question simply becomes whether or not he is going to find any success against one of the better run-stopping defenses in the NFL.
Through the first four games, the Cincinnati Bengals have given up only 85.8 rushing yards per game. The team is ranked sixth overall in that category, just ahead of the 88.5 rushing yards per game that the Seahawks allow. The Bengals also allow only 19.3 points per game, projecting this to be a very low-scoring match-up on Sunday, October 11.
The Bengals do give up a lot of passing yards, though, with the team allowing 279 per game. If the Seahawks can find a way to nab an early lead against the Bengals, then the running game could really come into play. At that point, Rawls could see quite a few carries to his name. He will already get his chances in the first quarter, with the Seahawks coaches trying to spread the field and keep the defensive line of the Bengals honest.
This is going to be a very tough game for the 2-2 Seattle Seahawks, as the Cincinnati Bengals are 4-0 this season. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the experts have favored the Bengals to win this game. The Seahawks haven’t allowed a touchdown on defense over the past two weeks, so it could turn the game into a very low-scoring affair. With Marshawn Lynch out, it becomes a much tougher game for the Seahawks to win, but also a great opportunity for Thomas Rawls to really show that he is ready to be a starting running back in the NFL.
[Image Sources: Jamie Squire and Andy Lyons /Getty Images]
