The Seattle Seahawks have certainly had some injury concerns this season, especially at running back, as backups have had to play a lead role for more than half the season. That will still be the case in Week 6, but head coach Mike Macdonald's team is still healthier than its opponent, the Denver Broncos.
Seattle won't have running backs Zach Charbonnet or Jadarian Price, of course, but Denver will be missing cornerback Patrick Surtain II and safety Talanoa Hufanga (cornerback Riley Moss is questionable), which could allow quarterback Sam Darnold to have an easier time. "Could" is the key word. Denver is still sound defensively.
Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba suffered an ankle issue in Week 5 and had it taped during the game, but he will play against Denver. If Seattle had missed JSN, that would be far worse than the Broncos missing Surtain and Hufanga because Smith-Njigba gets 34 percent of Seattle's passing targets. The offense might shut down without him.
Seattle Seahawks are in better shape than the Denver Broncos in terms of health ahead of Week 6
Linebackers Chazz Surratt and Drake Thomas were expected to be out. Surratt has missed recent games with a calf issue, and his absence on special teams has been felt. Irv Charles should be a solid replacement, though. Thomas is a starter, of course, but his role will be filled by Tyrice Knight, who has starting experience.
Elite defensive lineman Leonard Williams hurt his ankle in Week 4, but played through the issue in Week 5's loss to the San Francisco 49ers. He might not have been impactful, but Williams at 75 percent is still better than most players. He was listed as limited in practice this week, but those were only guesses. The team didn't hold full practices on Monday or Tuesday.
Right guard will still be manned by rookie Beau Stephens and veteran Christian Haynes, with starter Anthony Bradford still on injured reserve with a couple of injuries. The Broncos have a very good defensive front, so how well Stephens and Haynes, who will rotate snaps, hold up could have an important bearing on whether Seattle is able to win the game.
Seahawks final injury report for Week 6:
- Running back Zach Charbonnet (knee) - Out
- Linebacker Drake Thomas (anke) - Out
- Linebacker Chazz Surratt (calf) - Out
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