Published: Wednesday, September 5, 2012, 5:11 p.m.
Seahawks' Lynch preparing to play against Cardinals
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Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald
Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch has been sidelined the past two weeks with back spasms.
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RENTON — Don’t count Marshawn Lynch out yet.
Despite reports that he might not play in the Seattle Seahawks season opener at Arizona, Lynch said he’s preparing himself as if he will be available this weekend.
Lynch has not practiced for the past two weeks, including Wednesday, due to back spasms, although he did participate in the team’s morning walk-through.
And he’s not played in a game since Seattle’s second preseason game in Denver on Aug. 18.
“I feel good,” said Lynch, when asked about his health. “It will be my body’s decision. But I’ve taken the appropriate steps to make sure that I don’t have to do something out of the ordinary to get ready.”
Lynch also publically addressed his DUI charge in Oakland over the summer for the first time, saying he did not want to get into the specifics of the issue.
“That’s getting handled,” Lynch said. “That’s a legal matter, so I can’t speak on it. But I’m doing great as a person.”
Lynch, 26, was arrested by the California Highway Patrol early Saturday morning when a police officer observed him driving north on Interstate 880 in Oakland, weaving in and out of lanes in a white Ford van, and nearly colliding with two cars.
After failing a preliminary sobriety test, Lynch was taken into custody and transported to the Alameda County Sheriff department’s north county jail in Oakland. Lynch submitted to a breathalyzer test, and the test came back positive that his blood alcohol content level was over the state’s legal limit of 0.08.
The Alameda County District Attorney’s office filed charges against Lynch for driving under the influence of alcohol. Lynch has not been disciplined by the league as of Wednesday, so it appears that he’s been cleared to play until the matter is resolved in court.
As for the back injury, Seattle head coach Pete Carroll said he will take a day-by-day approach and see where his star running back winds up at the end of the week.
If Lynch can’t go, Carroll feels better than he did last year with rookie Robert Turbin in the fold. The Utah State product finished 165 yards on 38 carries and a 25-yard run for a score, for a 4.3 per-carry average.
“Right now, (Robert) Turbin will take all of the first-team snaps and get us ready,” Carroll said. “We’ll be prepared to rotate our guys just like we always do. And Lump (Kregg Lumpkin) will be ready to go if we need him to. But you can’t cancel Marshawn out right now. It’s too early to know that. He looked fine today.”
Still, Lynch’s teammates expect to see Beast Mode on the field on Sunday.
“I think he’ll be fine, but we’ll see,” Seattle offensive tackle Breno Giacomini said. “If not, we’ve got some other guys that will get in there and get the job done.”
Lynch said with Seattle’s defense playing at a high level right now, it might not matter who’s in the backfield.
“With our defense playing the way they’ve been playing, we don’t even need an offense,” joked Lynch. “But the way the offense has looked in preseason, I know that we’re playing for each other — offense for defense, and defense for offense.”
Despite reports that he might not play in the Seattle Seahawks season opener at Arizona, Lynch said he’s preparing himself as if he will be available this weekend.
Lynch has not practiced for the past two weeks, including Wednesday, due to back spasms, although he did participate in the team’s morning walk-through.
And he’s not played in a game since Seattle’s second preseason game in Denver on Aug. 18.
“I feel good,” said Lynch, when asked about his health. “It will be my body’s decision. But I’ve taken the appropriate steps to make sure that I don’t have to do something out of the ordinary to get ready.”
Lynch also publically addressed his DUI charge in Oakland over the summer for the first time, saying he did not want to get into the specifics of the issue.
“That’s getting handled,” Lynch said. “That’s a legal matter, so I can’t speak on it. But I’m doing great as a person.”
Lynch, 26, was arrested by the California Highway Patrol early Saturday morning when a police officer observed him driving north on Interstate 880 in Oakland, weaving in and out of lanes in a white Ford van, and nearly colliding with two cars.
After failing a preliminary sobriety test, Lynch was taken into custody and transported to the Alameda County Sheriff department’s north county jail in Oakland. Lynch submitted to a breathalyzer test, and the test came back positive that his blood alcohol content level was over the state’s legal limit of 0.08.
The Alameda County District Attorney’s office filed charges against Lynch for driving under the influence of alcohol. Lynch has not been disciplined by the league as of Wednesday, so it appears that he’s been cleared to play until the matter is resolved in court.
As for the back injury, Seattle head coach Pete Carroll said he will take a day-by-day approach and see where his star running back winds up at the end of the week.
If Lynch can’t go, Carroll feels better than he did last year with rookie Robert Turbin in the fold. The Utah State product finished 165 yards on 38 carries and a 25-yard run for a score, for a 4.3 per-carry average.
“Right now, (Robert) Turbin will take all of the first-team snaps and get us ready,” Carroll said. “We’ll be prepared to rotate our guys just like we always do. And Lump (Kregg Lumpkin) will be ready to go if we need him to. But you can’t cancel Marshawn out right now. It’s too early to know that. He looked fine today.”
Still, Lynch’s teammates expect to see Beast Mode on the field on Sunday.
“I think he’ll be fine, but we’ll see,” Seattle offensive tackle Breno Giacomini said. “If not, we’ve got some other guys that will get in there and get the job done.”
Lynch said with Seattle’s defense playing at a high level right now, it might not matter who’s in the backfield.
“With our defense playing the way they’ve been playing, we don’t even need an offense,” joked Lynch. “But the way the offense has looked in preseason, I know that we’re playing for each other — offense for defense, and defense for offense.”
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