DE Red Bryant joined C Max Unger in undergoing concussion protocols Monday after the Seahawks’ 27-24 overtime win over the Tampa Bay Bucs, coach Pete Carroll said. He gave no indication of results or availability for the 10 a.m. Sunday match against the 2-6 Falcons in Atlanta, where the Seahawks were eliminated in January from the NFL play0ffs.Unger left the game in the fourth quarter, replaced by Lem Jeanpierre, who finished the game, including the drive in OT that led to the game-winning field goal. The timing of Bryant’s injury was not clear.
Unger “had a good day today,” Carroll said, but was preparing to go without him and Bryant Sunday.
“I think we should,” he said. “We have to get Lemuel ready to play and that’s how we have to think about it. Because we won’t know until Thursday likely, and it might be all the way to Friday, so we have to plan like those guys aren’t going to be there. If they pop back in and they can do it, then they will.”
Regarding two other injured players, offensive tackles Russell Okung and Breno Giacomini, neither is likely available for Sunday. Both will practice this week, but only Giacomini is eligible to play. Okung becomes eligible to play next week.
“It’s asking a lot of a player to return to a game after one week of practice,” said Carroll at team headquarters in Renton of Giacomini’s chances. “We’re kind of being cautious.”
WR Percy Harvin will again be at practice, but Carroll maintained a wait-and-see attitude.
Carroll said after a near-shutdown on the Monday night game against St. Louis, the offensive line did very well in providing the running game that brought back the Seahawks from a 21-0 deficit in the second quarter. Seattle finished with 198 rushing yards, 125 by Marshawn Lynch.
“You could see in the Wednesday practice the urgency . . . that we were really disappointed in St. Louis,” he said. “We did it beautifully this week. We were very aggressive and Marshawn and Robert (Turbin) took advantage.”
Carroll touched on two other NFL topics that developed over the weekend: The controversy over hazing that erupted in Miami when Dolphins tackle Jonathan Martin quit the team apparently over harassment by teammates, and the health pressures on coaches after Houston’s Gary Kubiak and Denver’s John Fox each were hospitalized.
“We don’t allow hazing here,” he said. “It’s posted from the start. We did it in college too. I didn’t feel like there was any place for it. In the past, it was kind of an old-school operation. It’s not to say there aren’t some rituals, like (rookies) carrying helmets, but we don’t have the time for that. Rookies and freshmen are too much of what’s going on to be separated like that.”
Asked if he would know if hazing were going on, Carroll said, “I asked around to make sure we’re OK. I think we’re in really good shape, but I wanted to make sure my information is right.”
He analogized to the growing awareness of the consequences of concussions as an example of past NFL practices that are no longer.
“Sometimes you have to take a step back to take a step forward,” he said.
Regarding his high-stress occupation, Carroll said the most important health requirement for survival is rest.
“It like people who own their own business and lots of other jobs,” he said. “There’s a lot of stress. We give everything we have to the cause, as a lot of people do. When you burn the candle at both ends, you pay the price. The biggest issue is fatigue.
“These coaches are the same guys (who as players) shook off concussions and came back early from injuries. We’re our own worst enemies. We push so hard. Sometimes somebody has to tap you on shoulder.”
Asked whether he was being more pro-active, Carroll said, “I am trying to do better. There’s a lot of people who count on me. Nutrition and rest are the most important. For being at mid-season, I’m feeling pretty good. I feel ahead of it a little.
“For players and coaches, we are way more intense about the benefits of good rest than we’ve ever been. I’m doing better than I have in the past.”
1 Comment
I remember when Chuck Knox became head coach of the Seahawks he quelled any and all rookie hazing on the team, saying that he didn’t want any possibilities of players having grudges with one another when they should be supporting each other. That they’d always have one another’s back. Doesn’t look like that’s the case with the Dolphins.
A lot has been coming out recently on life in the NFL. Like Bountygate, this is something that mostly likely isn’t unique to the Dolphins but might be accepted without question and it’s time to stop.