SEATTLE – Thomas Rawls is not a big stats guy. “It’s legitimately bothering him”, the coach said of the pain Lynch played through November 15 in the loss to Arizona.
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Suddenly helping to rediscover the identity of the underachieving Seahawks was resting in part with the rookie.
Starting in place of Marshawn Lynch, out with an abdominal injury, Rawls posted his third 100-yard rushing game of his rookie season and the second time topping 160 yards.
Rawls did more than just take over. Chryst should have helped out Pears by chipping Avril with a tight end or a running back. 500 and found a little bit of what’s been missing. His other score came on a 31-yard catch-and-run from quarterback Russell Wilson.
“I never (run) out of bounds”. It’s just in my makeup.
Rawls ran the ball 30 times for an incredible 209 yards and a touchdown, adding another 46 yards and a score as a receiver. Rawls caught the rollout throw from Wilson, stiff-armed Michael Wilhoite and raced for the first receiving touchdown of his career. Rawls has provided Seattle with its best rushing success in 2015, going for 104 yards against Chicago and 169 yards against Cincinnati in two previous opportunities as the top back.
If Lynch sits out any additional games, CBS Sports reports that he will likely continue to be replaced in the lineup by Thomas Rawls, who had 33 touches for 255 yards and two touchdowns in the game against San Francisco.
And there is a chance the job could be Rawls going forward. Seattle and Tampa Bay are both a game out at 5-5, followed by a whole mess of teams at 4-6.
Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll said Friday he expected Lynch to play Sunday, but he was shut down after struggling to get through pregame warmups. “We rested him all week, and we rehabbed him all week long, and really the first time we took a real look at it was out here in pregame, and he just couldn’t get going”. Rawls showed Seattle what life could be like without Lynch and is was not awful.
Seattle’s roaring first half out to a 20-0 lead was a cure for what had been ailing them all season.
“We look real familiar again”, Lockett said.
-QB Blaine Gabbert is the team’s unquestioned starter after Colin Kaepernick was placed on injured reserve this week, but Gabbert said it doesn’t change his approach. “Especially versus a good football team like that, you can’t come away with field goals”. It was his first three-touchdown, no-interception game since the divisional playoff game against the Carolina Panthers past year. Wilson completed 12 of his 13 passes in the first half, with two touchdowns to Lockett, and finished 24 of 29 for 260 yards and three touchdowns. In the team’s hunt for a third consecutive Super Bowl appearance, Seattle moved a game back of the Atlanta Falcons for the NFC’s final playoff spot. Seattle has now won four straight regular-season games against the 49ers. It was Lockett’s second career touchdown; the rookie third-round pick had his first at San Francisco last month.
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RUSH DEFENSE: A-minus. The 49ers managed just 37 yards on 12 carries from Shaun Draughn.
