12th Man Rising
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Seahawks Germain Ifedi just can’t catch a break in preseason

By Todd Vandenberg

SEATTLE, WA - MAY 28: Seattle Seahawks' first round draft pick Germain Ifedi throws out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game between the Minnesota Twins and the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field on May 28, 2016 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - MAY 28: Seattle Seahawks' first round draft pick Germain Ifedi throws out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game between the Minnesota Twins and the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field on May 28, 2016 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /
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Seahawks right tackle Germain Ifedi has come under serious fire over the past year for his play. Just when things were looking up, they took a downturn.

Hopefully that downturn isn’t very big, and doesn’t last for very long. Germain Ifedi, the right tackle for your Seattle Seahawks, has had a few problems at the position. Last year, he made a few too many penalties. Like, the most in the league. And during much of camp, he was getting blown up, as he did against the Los Angeles Chargers. Seattle seemed to be looking for solutions everywhere to the Ifedi issue.

Happily, it turned out they had the solution all along. No, it wasn’t George Fant, although he did get some work on the right side. The solution was Germain Ifedi, oddly enough. It seems that the challenge of Fant coming over to his side of the ball lit a fire under Ifedi. Actually, I don’t think that was it. Ifedi has always been competitive. You don’t make that many penalities by not trying, after all.

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I think that things just finally started to click for him. Mile Solari was brought in specifically to help the Seahawks offensive line in their technique. A lot of that is predicated on less zone blocking and more power blocking, which happens to fit Ifedi’s wheelhouse perfectly.

After playing something less than a perfect game against the Chargers, Ifedi rebounded with a rock solid performance versus the Minnesota Vikings. We won’t count the obvious hold the refs missed. The Vikings have one of the league’s best defensive lines, so Ifedi’s performance means a lot.

In fact, he played so well that Seattle moved Fant back to the left side of the ball. Once again, Ifedi looked like an actual NFL starting tackle. As the Rock might say…Finally, Germain Ifedi has come back to his potential! Okay, he wasn’t exactly ever there before, but he was reaching it.

Just when things are looking up, they come crashing down

So when he limped off the turf of CenturyLink Field Thursday night, you had to feel for the guy. Seriously, can he not catch a break? Fortunately, it doesn’t appear he had a break of any sort. As reported by Liz Matthews for the USA Today Seahawks Wire, Pete Carroll said it’s a turned ankle.

"“He did turn his ankle,” coach Pete Carroll told reporters after the game. “I don’t know how serious it is but he did turn his ankle so we’ll have to see how that goes.”"

Carroll also said he expected Ifedi to need the full week before the season opener to rest his injury. Hopefully this doesn’t turn out to be more serious, such as K.J. Wright’s scoped knee. That in itself has to be taken as good news, though. Three weeks ago, who would have thought we’d be worried if Ifedi would be ready to play the Denver Broncos in week one?

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