RENTON — Throwing five touchdown passes for a second consecutive game was enough to get Russell Wilson his second honor this season as NFC offensive player of the week.
Wilson also won it in Week 1 after throwing four touchdown passes against Atlanta.
When he tossed five last week against the Patriots, the award instead went to Dallas’ Dak Prescott, who had led a miraculous comeback against the Falcons.
But in a battle between Wilson and Prescott on Sunday, it was Wilson who got the upper hand, completing 27 of 40 passes for 315 yards and the five scores, tying a team record and career high. It easily could have been six touchdowns if not for DK Metcalf’s fumble of a sure score in the first half.
It’s the 11th time Wilson has won the award and means Seattle has had at least one player win an award each week this season — punter Michael Dickson was the special-teams honoree following the New England game.
Wilson’s 14 touchdown passes in three games are the most in a three-game stretch to begin the season in NFL history.
He is on a pace to throw 75 touchdowns, which would shatter the NFL record of 55 set by Peyton Manning in 2013.
Carroll says Tennessee outbreak shows need for continued vigilance
The big news in the NFL this week is that four Tennessee players have tested positive for COVID-19 with the league deciding to push back the team’s game against Pittsburgh to either Monday or Tuesday.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said the Seahawks continue to have no positive tests, but said the outbreak shows the need for the league to be as vigilant as it can be in battling the virus and for players and other team personnel to follow all protocols.
Carroll said he gets reports at about 12:30 p.m. every day with test results from that morning.
“We have to be stronger about it and more diligent and just not let up,” Carroll said. “It’s really a relentless pursuit. We’re going to try to maintain the edge and hold on to it as long as we can.”
Harrison waiting until next week to visit
Any thought that Seattle is saving its open roster spot this week for defensive tackle Damon “Snacks” Harrison went out the window with a report from NFL reporter Josina Anderson on Wednesday that Harrison won’t visit the Seahawks until next week.
Anderson reported Harrison instead will go into the league’s COVID-19 testing protocol over the weekend and then take his visit with Seattle. That would mean he could then sign with Seattle and be immediately eligible to practice — and hence, play the following Sunday against Minnesota — instead of visiting and then having to go through the protocol.
That suggests the Seahawks have a strong chance of getting Harrison, but not for another week.
Harrison, 31, was a first-team All-Pro in 2016 with the Giants and has a reputation for being one of the better run-defending tackles in the NFL.
Seahawks list 25 on injury report
Seattle’s injury report Wednesday listed a whopping 25 players out of 52 on the current 53-player roster.
Six were out including one new name in defensive tackle Poona Ford (groin).
The other five out were all players with known injuries: tackle Duane Brown (knee), defensive Benson Mayowa (groin), safety Jamal Adams (groin), cornerback Quinton Dunbar (knee) and linebacker Jordyn Brooks (knee).
Carroll said before practice it’s still too early to say if Adams or Dunbar will play this weekend and said of Brooks, “It’s going to be a real challenge for him to make it back.”
Carroll has already said Cody Barton will start at one linebacker spot if Brooks can’t go.
Another 12 were listed as limited, but that included three listed as “resting vets” — receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett and tight end Greg Olsen.
Others limited included running back Chris Carson, who might indeed be able to play Sunday after having his knee twisted late against the Cowboys, and right tackle Damien Lewis, who missed all but four plays against Dallas with an ankle injury but also appears to be recovering rapidly.
The other limited players were: CB Shaquill Griffin (shoulder), TE Will Dissly (Achilles), CB Neiko Thorpe (hip), S Lano Hill (back), RB Carlos Hyde (shoulder), C Ethan Pocic (knee) and G Mike Iupati (knee).
Seven others were listed as full participants but with an existing injury, including DT Jarran Reed (back), CB Tre Flowers (hand), WR David Moore (ankle), LB Cody Barton (quad), OT Cedric Ogbuehi (pec), DE L.J. Collier (wrist) and OT Jamarco Jones (elbow).
Seahawks add Neal to 53-player roster
The Seahawks made a couple of roster moves Wednesday morning, adding safety Ryan Neal to the 53-player roster and signing defensive back Damarious Randall and outside linebacker Tim Williams to the practice squad.
Neal was elevated off the practice squad last Saturday for depth in the secondary and ended up playing most of the fourth quarter at safety after an injury to Jamal Adams, and then ended up making the clinching interception with six seconds left.
Neal was returned to the practice squad Monday and could have remained there for the week and been elevated again on Saturday for the game Sunday at Miami. But the Seahawks are instead putting him straight on the regular roster.
Adams is questionable, at best, to play Sunday with a groin injury and backup Lano Hill did not suit up for the Dallas game due to a back issue and it’s unclear when he will return.
Adding Randall to the practice squad also gives Seattle another player who could be called on for this weekend to fill out depth in the secondary depending on the health of Adams and Hill.
Randall, a 2015 first-round draft choice of the Packers, has started games at all four secondary spots and has 56 starts in his career, including 11 last year for the Browns at both safety positions.
Williams was a third-round choice of the Ravens in 2017 and has played in 20 NFL games for Baltimore and Green Bay.
Williams would appear to project as depth as a strongside linebacker/rush end. Bruce Irvin is out for the season and Seattle last week used K.J. Wright as the SLB in the nickel defense with rookie Jordyn Brooks starting at weakside linebacker.
But Brooks might be out this week with a knee injury and Wright figures to return to WLB with Cody Barton starting at SLB and the team wanting some depth there. Seattle on Tuesday waived D’Andre Walker, who had been a backup at the strongside linebacker spot.
Adding Neal gives Seattle 52 players on its 53-player roster so the Seahawks still have a spot they can fill. But Seattle had just 52 players on its roster for the game against Dallas. The ability to elevate players off the practice squad is giving the team some flexibility in how to fill out its roster each week. Seattle could conceivably just leave that spot open all week or just wait a few more days before filling it.
Dolphins’ secondary battling injuries
The Dolphins, meanwhile, continue to have questions in their secondary with both starting cornerbacks nursing injuries.
Left cornerback Byron Jones, who suffered a groin injury in a Week Two loss at Buffalo, remained out of practice Wednesday. Jones signed a five-year, $82 million contract in the offseason with Miami after five years in Dallas that makes him the highest-paid corner in the NFL. Jones also is listed on the report as having an Achilles injury.
Right cornerback Xavien Howard was listed as limited with a knee injury. Also limited were backup safeties Clayton Fejedelem (pec) and Kavon Frasier (shoulder).
Also out Wednesday was backup quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with an illness.
Tagovailoa, the fifth overall choice in the 2020 draft, has yet to play while backing up Ryan Fitzpatrick.
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