The Seattle Seahawks will face their biggest challenge of the season on Monday night when they take on the Detroit Lions. Seattle is 3-0, but they’ve faced the likes of Bo Nix, Jacoby Brissett, Skylar Thompson and Tim Boyle to start the season. The Lions, led by Jared Goff and Co., will prove to be a considerably more difficult opponent.
Unfortunately, the Seahawks defense will be without four of their best players along the defensive front. Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy, Boye Mafe, and Uchenna Nwosu have all been ruled OUT for Monday. Detroit will be without their All-Pro center Frank Ragnow, but without Williams and Murphy, the Seahawks won’t have their best players to take advantage of the Lions’ potential weakness up front.
The silver lining is Seattle has defeated Detroit in the last three meetings without either Williams or Murphy, but not having them is going to be a legitimate blow to this defense.
Head coach Mike Macdonald said Boye Mafe hurt his knee against the Patriots in Week 2, but says it’s “nothing major.” It would appear Seattle is being cautious with one of their best pass rushers. The season is a marathon, not a sprint to be decided in Week 4.
The good news is running back Kenneth Walker III is going to play in his first game since Week 1. The Seahawks do not have him listed on the injury report, and Macdonald confirmed it as much himself on Saturday.
Linebacker Jerome Baker, who missed Week 3 vs. his former team in the Dolphins, is listed as QUESTIONABLE. Given how depleted Seattle’s defense is, hopefully Baker will be good to go.
