The Seattle Seahawks got the cleanest possible injury report to close the week: no one carries a game status of Questionable or Doubtful.
That means the picture is clear heading into Sunday, and the Seahawks are bringing back a long list of key names. A.J.
Barner, who had been dealing with a finger issue, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba were not listed at all on Friday. Anthony Bradford (knee), Uchenna Nwosu (ankle), Connor O’Toole (foot), and Pat O’Connell (toe) all moved from limited to full participation and are set to go.
Brandon Pili, who had been working through a back issue, and Jarran Reed, who was listed with a personal matter, also finished the week with full practices after opening with DNPs.
Drew Lock was limited as he continues managing his right elbow and oblique injuries, but he will play. Rashid Shaheed was full all week despite a knee issue and is good to go as well.
One name worth watching is Derick Hall. He missed practice entirely with a back issue, but he still does not have a game status attached to him. That likely points to rest, though it leaves open the possibility that he could be limited on Sunday without being ruled out.
The Seahawks will, however, be without four players. Charles Cross is out with an ankle injury after posting a DNP on Friday.
That absence is more notable after he was limited the day before, and Mike thinks Cross will be back in week 12. Sam Darnold is also out as he works through ribs and quadricep injuries, though he was described as a likely return after the bye.
Quenton Nelson remains sidelined while recovering from his procedure on his knee. Leonard Williams, who had been the one real longshot, is out too, and Macdonald said his return is a little fuzzier than the others.
On the other side, the Las Vegas Raiders enter the game with a fairly healthy report of their own, even if their options remain limited. Folorunso Fatukasi, Trey Zuhn, and Ian Thomas all practiced fully and carry no status. Thomas Booker also logged a full practice, though he is questionable, and I expect him to play.
The one new wrinkle for Las Vegas is Dont’e Thornton, who showed up on the report with a back issue after apparently getting hurt in practice. He missed Friday entirely and is questionable.
He is not a major piece of that offense, but he is still part of it, and his chances look less certain. Even so, the Raiders are expected to lean on a simplified offense this weekend with Mendoza at quarterback anyway.
In Other News...
Seahawks Finally Got An Injury Sign Fans Needed To See
The latest injury report offered the kind of small but meaningful progress Seahawks fans have been waiting for, with Charles Cross back on the field in a limited capacity after missing time because of an ankle injury. It does not mean a return is imminent, but it does suggest the left tackle is moving in the right direction as Seattle comes out of the bye week and starts sorting out who will be available for the next stretch.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba also returned as a full participant after resting previously, and A.J. Barner was cleared off the report altogether, giving the Seahawks a cleaner look on offense than they had recently. There are still several names on the list in limited or non-participating status for injury or personal reasons, so the picture is far from complete, but the encouraging sign around Cross is the one that matters most for a team that has been waiting on stability up front. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Offense Is Pushing Mike Macdonald Toward A Tough Decision
Seattles offense has hit a rough patch at exactly the wrong time, with the scoring average sliding over recent games as injuries and general dysfunction have taken a toll. For a team still trying to position itself for a playoff run, the issues are piling up in familiar places: quarterback health, an offensive line that has struggled to stay cohesive, and a play-calling operation that has not found enough rhythm to steady things.
Mike Macdonald now has to weigh whether a change under center could help spark the unit, even as the broader problems around it remain very real. The Seahawks do not need a cosmetic fix so much as a workable answer, and the next stretch will say plenty about whether the staff can settle on one before the seasons margin for error gets any thinner. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Finally Addressed Their Biggest Problem But A New Concern Emerged
Seattle finally made the move that had been hanging over its season, landing offensive lineman Quenton Nelson from the Indianapolis Colts in a deal that sent a third-round pick and a fifth-round pick the other way before the NFL trade deadline. The addition was meant to give the Seahawks the kind of interior help they had been searching for, and the team wasted little time adjusting by moving Grey Zabel to right guard so Nelson could settle in at left guard.
Nelson made his debut in Week 8, but the early returns have been interrupted by a knee injury that is expected to keep him out for at least two games. So while the Seahawks still view the trade as an upgrade up front, the bigger question now is how long they will have to wait to see the line they envisioned when they made the deal. [Read more 🡒]