Seattle Seahawks Rumors: Marshawn Lynch Will Play Against Carolina Panthers In Week 6
Seattle Seahawks rumors about Marshawn Lynch have him ready to play against the Carolina Panthers. Seahawks rumors have revolved around Lynch for a number of weeks, but now it looks like he should be ready for the Week 6 contest. A report from NFL.com indicates that the Pro Bowl running back is once again “ready to go.” After missing two games due to a hamstring issue, he now gives the Seahawks added depth against the Panthers.
Lynch hasn’t played since he got hurt early in a Week 3 game against the Chicago Bears. He finished that game with just 14 yards on five carries, adding in a catch of nine yards. For the year, Lynch has made 38 carries for 128 yards and no touchdowns. He is averaging just 3.4 yards per carry, which would be the lowest mark of his NFL career. Lynch also has nine catches for 61 yards, but didn’t have a receiving touchdown either.
The Seahawks played the Panthers in the second round of the NFL Playoffs last season. Lynch made 14 carries for 59 yards and caught three passes for another six yards. That could be a projection about how he will do in his first game back against a defense that is still undefeated this season.
These Seattle Seahawks rumors are significant because it means that Thomas Rawls is relegated to his backup role again. He has filled in very nicely for Lynch, rushing for 104 yards in just part of the game against the Bears. Then in Week 5, Rawls rushed for 169 yards and a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals. Rawls already has 326 rushing yards on just 58 carries, ranking him 11th overall in the NFL. His average of 5.6 yards per carry shows that Rawls might be ready to take over as a starting running back immediately.
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has stated that Rawls could still see around eight to 10 touches against the Panthers, but that Lynch is definitely the primary back again. That’s unfortunate news for Rawls or for fantasy football owners that have invested heavily in him over the past few weeks. Should he be needed, Fred Jackson also remains on the roster as a third option for the Seahawks to go with. He will likely see even fewer touches than he did last week, though.
After falling to 2-3 on the season, the Seahawks are in a must-win situation against the Panthers. This is a big reason why Lynch is going to be taking over the backfield again. He is the one with a proven track record for the Seahawks, and he needs to come up with some good runs in Week 6. With the money that the team has invested in him, this decision should come as no surprise to fans of the team. He got a huge signing bonus and a lot of guaranteed money for moments like this one.
The Panthers give up an average of 92 rushing yards and 247 passing yards this season. The team has also allowed only 17.8 points per game, ranking among the best defenses in the NFL. Some analysts question how good the team is, though, because of the opponents the Panthers have beaten. Those teams were the Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. None of those opponents have a winning record in the 2015 NFL season.
Marshawn Lynch will have a lot of pressure on him to perform well, especially with the success that Thomas Rawls has been having. There is a question of how long the coaches will stick with Lynch if he struggles, especially with what Rawls has shown over the past few weeks. Future Seattle Seahawks rumors will probably address the situation again, but it is never a bad thing for a team to have too much depth at running back.
[Image Source: Christian Petersen, John Griesho, and Grant Halverson / Getty Images]
