RENTON — The Seattle Seahawks’ defense is getting a well-earned break.
The Seahawks are managing the defense’s workload in practice this week following its exertions in last Sunday’s 6-6 tie against the Arizona Cardinals.
Seattle’s defense was on the field for 95 snaps and 46 minutes, 21 seconds of game time Sunday. The time on the field was the 11th-most in a regular season NFL game since the league began tracking the statistic in 1977. Reports from the locker room after the game compared it to a MASH unit.
Therefore, the Seahawks are taking extra precautions to make sure their defensive players are able to recover from the ordeal.
“Right from the beginning, leaving the locker room (at University of Phoenix Stadium), we were talking about making sure the next couple days that rest was really important, eating properly and getting everything all balanced back again,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said Wednesday at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center. “So we’ve been all over that. That kicks us really back to today, we’re in pretty normal mode. But we’re still accounting for the guys that had the big workloads and we’re going to take that into consideration as we measure their reps during the course of the week.”
Cornerback Richard Sherman is a good example of the toll the game took on the defensive players. Sherman said Wednesday he suffered heat exhaustion during the game against the Cardinals, and that after the game he suffered a fever and shivers.
“They didn’t let me lose consciousness, but I definitely wasn’t focused and that’s why they wouldn’t let me go for a long time until I got my focus back,” Sherman said.
“I started feeling better probably around late (Tuesday),” Sherman added. “Just getting more fluids in me, getting more energy, legs started getting back under me.”
Kelcie McCray, starting at strong safety for the injured Kam Chancellor, not only was on the field for all 95 defensive snaps, he was also in on 13 special teams plays. The 108 total snaps was the most for any player in the NFL in a game this season.
“I played a lot more than I normally play, so I’m a little bit more banged up,” McCray said. “But that was last week. I’m ready to get back to work this week and play 100 more plays if I have to.”
And Carroll believes all the players will be ready for this Sunday’s game at New Orleans.
“Those guys have really responded well,” Carroll said. “They should be fine for the game, no problem.”
Tukuafu returns
Will Tukuafu is back with the Seahawks yet again. The veteran fullback was re-signed Wednesday, marking his third return to the team this season.
Tukuafu spent the previous two seasons with Seattle. A free agent after last season ended, he wasn’t re-signed until late in the preseason, and he was released just before the season began. He was brought back on Sept. 13 and played in one game before being released again. The Seahawks had been playing without a fullback since Tukuafu’s last release.
To make room on the roster for Tukuafu the Seahawks waived running back C.J. Spiller. In two games with Seattle Spiller gained nine yards on three carries and caught five passes for 43 yards and a touchdown.
Jefferson to IR
The Seahawks placed defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson on injured reserve, likely ending his season. The rookie out of Maryland, who was a fifth-round draft pick, had just returned from a thumb injury when he suffered a knee injury during practice last week that required surgery.
The Seahawks filled Jefferson’s roster spot by signing defensive end Malliciah Goodman. Goodman, who appeared in 34 games with the Atlanta Falcons from 2013-15, was cut by Atlanta just before the season began.
Seahawks hopeful on Chancellor
Carroll said he was hopeful Chancellor will be able to play Sunday, but stopped short of saying Chancellor will be ready. Chancellor missed the previous two games because of a groin strain, and last week Carroll said he believed Chancellor would be able to play this week. However, on Wednesday Carroll said Chancellor will have to make it through the week.
Carroll also said that he does not know whether linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis, who missed last Sunday’s game because of an ankle injury, will recover in time to play this week.
For more on the Seattle sports scene, check out Nick Patterson’s Seattle Sidelines blog at www.heraldnet.com/tag/seattle-sidelines, or follow him on Twitter at @NickHPatterson.
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