Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch, who has been hampered by injuries and illness the past two weeks, will play against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday, coach Pete Carroll said Wednesday.
Lynch’s problematic back gave him trouble in Kansas City in Week 11 and he was sick to his stomach last Sunday in Seattle’s 19-3 win over the Arizona Cardinals. But Carroll said he “had a really good week” of practice and will bring his tough running style Thursday as the Seahawks and 49ers renew one of the league’s most physical rivalries.
“The tempo really helped him get through and he came out of last week feeling pretty good,” Carroll said. “So he’s in good shape this week.”
The Hawks will be without tight end Cooper Helfet, however. Helfet scored the only touchdown in the game Sunday, but he sprained his ankle late and won’t travel with the team to San Francisco.
The Seahawks also might make a couple of moves on their offensive line, with left guard James Carpenter probable after missing three games with a sprained ankle and Lemuel Jeanpierre seeming likely to play a lot, if not start, at center.
With Max Unger and Stephen Schilling out, third-stringer Patrick Lewis has been starting at center. Jeanpierre was Unger’s backup the past two seasons and was re-signed recently after spending the first 10 weeks recovering from an injury.
“He seems to be back in the groove,” Carroll said. “He’ll play more than he did last week.”
Fantasy Update: Lynch has been one of the best fantasy players all season long and he’s a must-start regardless of the opponent. He may not roll up huge numbers on the ground but expect him to sniff the end zone on a couple of occasions.