The Seattle Seahawks have had to overcome more than their fair share of adversity this season. They stumbled out of the gates to a 4-5 record through the first nine games, lost star running back Marshawn Lynch for six games and counting due to a sports hernia and hamstring issues, frustrated newly-acquired tight end Jimmy Graham by failing to find a consistent role for him in their offense (before Graham was shelved for the season upon suffering a torn patellar tendon in Week 12), and witnessed a sizable regression from the once-untouchable Legion of Boom. Now, they will be without talented rookie running back Thomas Rawls for the rest of the year as well.
Rawls suffered a broken ankle in the first quarter of Sunday’s 35-6 victory over the Baltimore Ravens and is out for the remainder of the season, according to NFL insider Adam Schefter of ESPN.
The 22-year-old Rawls, an undrafted rookie, had been enjoying a breakout first-year campaign in Lynch’s absence with 786 rushing yards and four touchdowns in twelve games. His 5.6 yards per carry ranked first in the league amongst qualified backs this season, and he also caught a total of nine passes for 76 yards and a receiving touchdown.
The Seahawks will likely rely on journeyman DuJuan Harris or veteran Fred Jackson for the bulk of carries Rawls now leaves behind. But neither is a viable option in the backfield if the 8-5 Seahawks, who are currently clinging to a Wild Card spot, have any hope of defending their NFC Championship this postseason.
Looks like Pete Carroll is going to have to pray to his lucky stars that the currently week-to-week Lynch makes a healthy return to action as quickly as possible.
