The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots have had several months to prepare for this game, but that doesn’t mean both teams are entirely healthy. Owing to lingering injuries from last season, as well as some accrued during camp and preseason, there are question marks remaining. Both teams have released their Sunday reports.
Seattle Seahawks Lead With One Non-Participant
The lead story for the Seahawks today was the inclusion of starting safety Ty Okada, who did not participate in practice today with a hamstring injury. The timing is not great here, as the Seahawks have other issues at the safety position, and are naturally thin at the spot anyway. If Okada is out, D’Anthony Bell might be a full-time starter alongside Julian Love.
There were four limited participants, including Nick Emmanwori (ankle), Tory Horton (hamstring), and Anthony Bradford (knee). Based on the information we have, I believe that Bradford is fine to play, Emmanwori will sit, and Horton could go either way. But in the case of Nick and Tory, it’s really good news that they’re even limited at this juncture. Also limited was Josh Jones (knee).
We also had full participation from A.J. Barner (oblique), Julian Neal (quad), and Emanuel Wilson (hamstring), so little concern there. Although I doubt Neal will offer much to the team after missing most of the offseason (and have a similar concern about Wilson), it won’t be injuries that force them to miss time. Overall, either encouraging or expected.
New England Patriots Have Concerns Too
The Patriots side was a lot smaller, but perhaps even more alarming. Only three players didn’t practice for them, but one of them is a high-profile star and another is an important offensive cog. Christian Barmore (knee) and TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) were out, and there’s been some building buzz from the New England camp that Henderson will miss the game.
While Henderson is usually the running back that comes off the bench, he provides a lot of value to the team as he and Rhamondre Stevenson work in a tandem. Henderson is a bigger playmaker, with speed and agility that Stevenson doesn’t have, while Stevenson has more power and better pass blocking. Without him, the running game is less dynamic.
But the big loss would be Barmore, who combines with Milton Williams to form the strength of New England’s defense down in the trenches. I haven’t heard much about the injury, but it’s certainly noteworthy. The Patriots need guys like Barmore to provide a lot right now, especially if Christian Gonzalez sits on Wednesday. Ben Brown (knee), the backup center, sat as well.
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