By Jesse Geleynse and Todd Fredrickson
Herald Writers
SEATTLE — There were murmurs when word reached the press box that Seattle Seahawks Eddie Lacy would be inactive for Sunday’s game.
A ballyhooed offseason signing from the Green Bay Packers, Lacy carried just five times for 3 yards last week in his return to Lambeau Field as the Seahawks suffered a 17-9 defeat.
Thomas Rawls got the start Sunday, but gained just 4 yards on five carries. Instead, it was rookie Chris Carson charged with salting the game away after Seattle took the lead with less than eight minutes to play.
“I knew I was going to play (this season),” Carson said. “Did I think I was going to finish it off in the fourth quarter? No, I didn’t know that. But I knew when my number was called, I wanted to be ready.”
Carson finished with 93 yards on 20 carries and added one reception for 7 yards. He tallied 58 of those yards on Seattle’s final two drives when they took the lead and preserved the win.
“There were a couple times where I looked over at the sidelines because I was tired, but Doug Baldwin is always in my head about getting tougher and staying in there,” Carson said. “Once I looked over he was like, ‘No, stay in and finish this off.’ So that got me a little bit more juice to try to finish it.”
Head coach Pete Carroll said Lacy, who wasn’t on the injury report this week, wasn’t hurt.
“We wanted to see Thomas (Rawls) come back and that was what the decision was, and there were a couple of other things that went into that, too,” Carroll said. “It’s not like it has to be that way all the time, but it was on this game. I hate that he wasn’t out there. I love Eddie, and he wanted to be part of it. But in this matchup, with the guys that were healthy and all that, this was the way we had to go.”
Quarterback Russell Wilson finished with 34 yards on 12 carries, mostly coming as he scrambled to avoid 49ers pressure. Wilson and Carson combined for 85 of Seattle’s 131 rushing yards on the final two drives.
Graham a non-factor
The Seahawks are still looking to get Jimmy Graham more involved. The 6-foot-7 tight end finished with two catches for 1 yard Sunday and has just 9 yards on five receptions in two games.
“That’s not what we would expect to have happen,” Carroll said. “He had some good chances today. They got him, hit him really good on one seam route and all that. It will be fine. I’m not worried about it at all.”
There was a tense moment at 10:52 in the second quarter. Graham was slow to get up and then began to hobble toward the sideline, only to fall back to the turf after several steps. He got up again and walked off on his own power before he was tended to in the sideline tent.
Carroll said Graham “banged his knee” and is “OK.” Graham was back on the field for Seattle’s next possession.
Cornerback Neiko Thorpe suffered a sprained ankle in the second quarter. That was the only other injury Carroll mentioned.
Darboh hauls in first catch
Rookie receiver Amara Darboh had a 16-yard reception in the first quarter for his first career catch — and it went for a first down.
However, it was a non-catch that loomed larger. On Seattle’s game-winning drive Darboh drew a pass interference penalty on 49ers cornerback Donteae Johnson that went for 20 yards and gave Seattle a first down at the San Francisco 12-yard line.
Wilson later capped the drive with the game’s lone touchdown pass, to Paul Richardson.
Follow Herald Writer Jesse Geleynse on Twitter.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
