Seahawks place RB Thomas Rawls on injured reserve, re-sign Bryce Brown

If one were to say that the Seahawks would be without Marshawn Lynch and Jimmy Graham at the most critical juncture of the season, most fans’ minds would have instantly shifted to 2016.

Seattle must assess whether the initial distraction of signing the embattled running back would be worth the insurance policy as the team looks to make another Super Bowl run. DuJuan Harris carried 18 times in place of Rawls against the Ravens on Sunday only to be released on Tuesday.

“Doug has been phenomenal here for the last month”, Carroll said. “I think he’ll make it. He knows how to manage this, he’s had this for a long time”. That doesn’t mean that he’s going to be the featured guy or starter or anything like that. We just have to find a way to get better.

A cursory glance might prompt you to think that the Seattle Seahawks are in trouble, especially with the void Rawls leaves in the running game. Brown and Harris figure to vie for carries, with veteran Fred Jackson continuing to work as the third-down and two-minute back.

The stat, the one about the offensive line, was met with shock and satisfaction.

Where the Seahawks (8-5) are right now, besides on a four-game winning streak that has put them squarely inside the playoff race, is down to their Plan F at running back. As opposing defenses focus more on stopping Beastmode and the read option, we will rely more heavily on Russell Wilson and the passing game.

Baldwin scored on passes of 14, 22 and 16 yards.

Carroll gave an update about Rawls’ condition on ESPN. “I don’t know how he does it”, Carroll said.

In the locker room following the loss to the Seahawks, Harbaugh spoke to his team about handling adversity, sticking together and making sure something good comes out of the season. He also tossed an interception to Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, though the pick came once the score was already lopsided in Seattle’s favor. Hopefully Harris or Brown can hold the fort down for the next couple of weeks while Lynch prepars to return.

Luckily for Seattle, they don’t face particularly stout run defenses the next two weeks. And fortunately, they play the St. Louis Rams the week after the Browns, another team that they should have no issue beating.

“It’s a good opportunity for us to bring a guy back that we’ve been training”, head coach Pete Carroll said Monday. The Ravens fall to 4-9 and legitimately out of the playoffs, meaning that some of the Ravens younger talent gets a chance to strut their stuff and show off in live game situations for the first time this season.

Perhaps their biggest challenge would the Arizona Cardinals week 17 and if the Cardinals drop their next two, the game might determine the Divisional victor. The Browns have only played once in Seattle since 1999, losing 34-7 in 2003.

-RUSHING OFFENSE: C. This is in two parts. Manziel isn’t great, but he is a wild card, and raises their status from total walkover to nuisance that must be taken seriously. After Rawls left, so did the running game success.

Carroll also offered this update on receiver Ricardo Lockette, who had neck surgery on November 2 following an injury in the Dallas game.

-Browns RB Isaiah Crowell vs. Seahawks defense.

Baldwin caught six passes for 82 yards and three touchdowns against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, and has caught nine touchdowns over the past five games. Limiting the rushing game for Cleveland will put the game in the unproven hands of quarterback Johnny Manziel.

Wilson’s first touchdown of the day came not because of his well-documented ability to run, but because of patience, time and an eventual coverage breakdown.