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Seahawks relish win, but injuries significant

Tim Booth | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 13 years AGO
by Tim Booth
| November 15, 2011 8:15 PM

RENTON, Wash. - Snapping a three-game losing streak with another surprising win over a division leader and getting a second straight 100-yard game out of running back Marshawn Lynch was overshadowed Monday by Seattle's significant injury list.

The biggest loss is rookie right guard John Moffitt, who is done for the season after tearing ligaments in his right knee, coach Pete Carroll said. Moffitt, a third-round pick out of Wisconsin, had started all nine games for the Seahawks as part of a young, rebuilt offensive line that featured rookies Moffitt and James Carpenter on the right side.

Moffitt was hurt in the first quarter of Seattle's 22-17 victory on Sunday over Baltimore, who came in as leaders of the AFC North. He got caught in a pile after a 4-yard run by Leon Washington and had to be helped off the field without putting weight on the injury. Moffitt was replaced by Lemuel Jeanpierre, but Carroll said they would decide this week between Jeanpierre and veteran Paul McQuistan about who would start this week when Seattle travels to St. Louis.

"He's been working so hard at it and has been such a big part too. He's a good character in the locker room and all and a good guy and really right at the cusp of when we're starting to improve," Carroll said of Moffitt. "He would have loved to have been part of this as we finish the season."

Along with Moffitt, the Seahawks saw wide receivers Sidney Rice and Doug Baldwin, and strong safety Kam Chancellor leave with concussions. Baldwin and Rice were lost making diving attempts at passes, while Chancellor got hurt on a helmet-to-helmet collision with Anquan Boldin in the fourth quarter where Chancellor was penalized.

All three were feeling better on Monday, Carroll said, but their availability for Sunday's game at St. Louis won't be known until later in the week.

"We're not going to know until Thursday or Friday on these guys whether they'll be able to play or not because of the process that they have to go through, but it's a good sign that they're not having the headaches and they're not feeling really uncomfortable in just doing normal things," Carroll said.

After previously knocking off the New York Giants last month on the road, the Seahawks put together another complete effort in shocking the Ravens and knocking them from first place in the AFC North. The Seahawks defense made Baltimore one-dimensional as the Ravens nearly abandoned the run game after falling behind 19-7 early in the second half. Seattle forced a pair of turnovers on special teams and kicker Steven Hauschka was perfect on five field goal attempts.

And Lynch continued his bullying running on a day the Seahawks needed a back who could put up with the constant pounding from the Ravens vaunted defense. Lynch carried 32 times for 109 yards and touched the ball on Seattle's final seven plays before quarterback Tarvaris Jackson twice took a knee to run out the clock.

In the past two weeks, the Seahawks have gone against two of top run defenses in the NFL in Dallas and Baltimore, and have produced back-to-back 100-yard games from Lynch. The last Seattle running back to accomplish that feat was Julius Jones back in the early stages of the 2008 season.

It was the first time in Lynch's career he's topped 100 yards in consecutive games.

"He came off the field in the first quarter in the Dallas game and could tell something was different - he could feel the line of scrimmage was different - and he talked about it," Carroll said. "So it's just movement in a good positive direction for us."

Beyond the injuries, the other concern coming out of the victory is the continued problems with penalties. Seattle was penalized 13 times on Sunday, with another three penalties declined by the Ravens. It was the third straight game Seattle - who has the second-most penalties in the league - was flagged 10 or more times and the fifth time in nine games. The 13 penalties were the most for the Seahawks since having 13 in 2002 against Oakland.

Carroll made a point during a team meeting on Monday of writing out on a whiteboard all the offenders. There wasn't just one player or one area that was getting flagged. Carroll jokingly called it a "global situation."

"It was cool to see that we could overcome it," Carroll said. "The smarts didn't work out, but the toughness did and the grit did and the finish did."

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