RENTON — Yes, he did.
Marshawn Lynch, the most reported bus passenger since Rosa Parks, did indeed board one that took the Seattle Seahawks to SeaTac Airport Friday afternoon. It was the strongest indication yet Lynch will play for the first time in more than two months on Sunday in sixth-seeded Seattle’s NFC divisional playoff game at top-seeded Carolina (15-1).
The NFL’s leading rusher and touchdown-maker from 2011 until this first injury-filled season of the 29-year-old running back’s career cleared Transportation Security Administration-approved security with his teammates inside Seahawks’ headquarters. He was then one of the last players to get on board for the short ride to the Delta charter jet and the flight to Charlotte, North Carolina.
Coach Pete Carroll had said about an hour before Lynch got on the bus that the star’s “bags are packed.” The coach added with a wry smile there’s “a really good chance” Lynch plays Sunday. The Seahawks (11-6) officially listed him as probable.
Lynch hasn’t played since Nov. 15 against Arizona. He had surgery on Nov. 25 in Philadelphia then spent all of December in his native Bay Area rehabilitating with personal trainers away from the team. He rejoined the Seahawks last week and practiced fully all three days. The Seahawks listed him questionable to play. Then he told the team after last week’s Friday practice, just before it got on buses for the trip to the wild-card game at Minnesota, that he would not be able to play. He chose to not go on that trip to the game. Seattle won 10-9 to advance to Sunday’s conference semifinals.
“He had a great week, he really did. He was faster and more explosive this week than last week,” Carroll said following Friday’s practice. “You can see that he made an improvement.”
Carroll was asked by a Canadian reporter if he knows what to expect from Lynch this week.
“Have you been around here very long, with Marshawn and all of that?” Carroll said.
“Not always do we know. He’s somewhat unpredictable in certain ways.”
That’s the understatement of Carroll’s season.
“But he’s really pumped to play football and play with his team,” the coach said. “So I’m looking forward to him playing like he has in the past. We’ll make sure and watch and see how he’s doing, and how much we can play.”
Carroll said he feels Lynch, 29, has rediscovered his confidence that he can produce Sunday as he did from the 2011 through 2014 seasons.
“I don’t think there’s any question,” Carroll said. “All indications are (that he’s confident again).”
The coach said even with Lynch’s return, fill-in Christine Michael will remain a part of the offense. But it’s obvious Michael, re-signed in November after Lynch’s injury after Seattle had given up on its former second-round draft choice in September by trading him to Dallas, goes back to a secondary role behind Lynch Sunday. Michael had 70, tough yards on 21 carries in minus-6 degree temperatures last weekend at Minnesota.
“He’s going to play a lot,” Carroll said. “We’re expecting him to be in and out of there regularly.”
Strategy-wise, it’s not as if Carolina has to change everything defensively now that Lynch will (apparently) be playing. The Panthers have faced Lynch five times since 2012.
In six career games Lynch has five touchdowns and averaged 61.1 yards-per-game rushing against Carolina. He had 54 yards on 17 carries with a touchdown Oct. 18 when Carolina rallied from being down 23-14 with 5 minutes remaining to beat the Seahawks in Seattle 27-23.
Don’t be surprised if offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell has quarterback Russell Wilson run more read options with Lynch than he has in the last seven games Lynch has missed. Seattle hasn’t run that almost at all with Michael at running back for the last month.
“Obviously, any time you have Marshawn it’s a great thing. … Nobody really runs like him at all,” said Wilson, who is 7-2 in the playoffs in his career.
“This game is such a physical game, especially the way he plays. He’s one of a kind.”
The Seahawks had the league’s No. 3 rushing offense in the regular season, even though Lynch only played in seven games because of injuries to his abdomen, hamstring and calf. Wilson said Seattle’s game plan isn’t changing with Lynch back behind him again.
“No it doesn’t alter the plan in terms of our plays and stuff, if that’s what you mean,” Wilson said.
“But obviously when he’s in there, I definitely think their defense has to really be in tune with, ‘OK, Marshawn’s in the game,’ one of those things.”
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