RENTON — Early indications suggest Beast Mode will be back in business Sunday.
Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch returned to practice Wednesday, and after getting their first look at Lynch in seven weeks, the Seahawks were optimistic they’ll have him back for Sunday’s NFC wild-card playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings.
“He looked good,” Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said of Lynch following Wednesday’s practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center. “It’s good to have him back out there. We’ll take it a day at a time and see if he continues to move through the week. We’re looking forward to having him.”
Lynch, Seattle’s star ball carrier, missed the previous seven games because of an abdominal injury. He underwent surgery Nov. 27 to repair the problem. Lynch hadn’t practiced since, and the Seahawks weren’t able to monitor Lynch’s rehabilitation as Lynch did his rehab in San Francisco.
But Lynch returned to the Seahawks’ facility Monday, and he was a full participant in practice Wednesday, suggesting he may be able not only to return to the field when Seattle plays at Minnesota on Sunday, but also handle a full workload.
“If he’s going, that’s what I would expect,” Bevell said when asked if it was realistic for Lynch to carry the ball 20-25 times Sunday. “I expect him to be full-go, full-speed, and just be like we normally are.”
What’s normal for the Seahawks’ offense has changed since Lynch went down. Seattle has been a run-first team since Lynch arrived via trade with Buffalo midway through the 2010 season. In his six seasons with the Seahawks, Lynch has rushed for 6,347 yards and 57 touchdowns on 1,457 carries.
However, Lynch dealt with nagging injuries early in the season, managing just 417 yards on 111 carries in his first seven games. Since then, the Seahawks’ offense has been led by quarterback Russell Wilson, who put up historic numbers while Lynch was out, throwing for 24 touchdowns with just one interception in the seven games Lynch missed.
Nevertheless, Seahawks assistant head coach/offensive line coach Tom Cable, who coordinates Seattle’s run game, said Lynch has eased seamlessly back into the offense.
“He’s been fantastic,” Cable said. “Exactly what we said, he’s adapted very well. I think he’s done a great job of recognizing where this team is at and its vibe. He’s come in and went right back to work, and it’s been really great.”
Seattle’s running game did not suffer in Lynch’s absence, averaging 148.1 yards per game in the seven contests Lynch missed. Christine Michael led the way among Seattle’s running backs the past three weeks, picking up 192 yards on 39 carries.
Whole flock returns
Lynch isn’t the only Seahawk who returned to practice from injury. In fact a whole slew of players who have been out injured were back on the field Wednesday.
Strong safety Kam Chancellor, who missed the previous three games because of a bruised tailbone, practiced in full. Chancellor returned to practice last week and was close to returning, but ended up sitting out Sunday’s 36-6 victory at Arizona.
Also back at practice were tackle Russell Okung (calf), guard J.R. Sweezy (concussion) and tight end Luke Willson (concussion), who were unable to practice last week and sat out Sunday. Cornerback Jeremy Lane (oblique), who left Sunday’s game injured, also was back at practice. All four participated in a limited capacity, but Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said they all should be able to make it back for this week’s game.
Lockett honored
Seattle receiver Tyler Lockett was honored by the NFL on Wednesday as the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 17.
Lockett set a Seahawks franchise record for punt-return yardage in a game when he returned four punts for 139 yards Sunday against Arizona. Lockett had returns of 66, 42 and 31 yards as he broke the previous franchise record of 106 yards set by Charlie Rogers in 1999. Lockett is the first Seahawks rookie to earn NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors since Doug Baldwin in 2011.
The honor was just the latest for Lockett. He was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for September, and also was named to the Pro Bowl as a returner.
Check out Nick Patterson’s Seattle Sidelines blog at http://www.heraldnet.com/seattlesidelines, and follow him on Twitter at @NickHPatterson.
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