‘Kicking the tires on their trusty old workhorse’: What the national media are saying about the Seahawks, Marshawn Lynch and more

Just a normal Monday around here, nothing to see.

Ehhhh, except:

• The Seahawks melted down Sunday, getting blasted by a four-win team, 27-13.
• They dropped out of first in the NFC.
• They lost star running back Chris Carson and fellow running back C.J. Prosise for the season, as well as left tackle Duane Brown for at least a couple of weeks.
• Marshawn Lynch is visiting Seattle on Monday for a possible reunion with the Seahawks.
• The 49ers are next — in a game flexed to Sunday Night Football — and they’re fresh off a strong performance against the Rams on Saturday night.

That’s all, really.

So, there’s nothing to talk about in this space. Nope, nothing at all.

Here’s what the national media are saying, though:

Over at Yahoo Sports, Frank Schwab takes a look at the NFC West playoff picture:

The 49ers are still looking at the NFC’s No. 1 seed with a win next Sunday. They defeated the Saints and Packers already this season.

That means that New Orleans and Green Bay could be rooting hard for Seattle next Sunday night. The NFC is loaded, and a 12-win team could find itself without a first-round bye. And an 11- or 12-win team out of the NFC West will be a wild-card team.

The Seahawks can still win the NFC West with a win next Sunday night. But their road to the Super Bowl might have gotten tougher with a bad loss to the Cardinals.

ESPN’s Brady Henderson recaps Sunday’s disaster, including the Seahawks’ case of fumblitis:

Troubling trend: Wide receiver David Moore’s lost fumble following a first-down catch in the third quarter was the Seahawks’ 14th lost fumble of the season. The most in the league entering Sunday was 15. Arizona drove for a field goal after that Seattle turnover. Losing 14 fumbles in a season won’t sit well with any head coach, but it has got to rankle the defensive-minded Pete Carroll, especially given how much he emphasizes not turning the ball over. Moore’s numbers have regressed after a breakout 2018 season.

CBS’s John Breech points out a rarity — the Seahawks are a home underdog against the 49ers, a rare occurrence for Seattle:

In the early odds for Week 17, the Seahawks have opened as a three-point dog to the 49ers, marking just the sixth time since 2013 that the Seahawks have been a home underdog. In the five previous games, the Seahawks have gone 2-3 straight up and 3-2 against the spread (ATS). Despite the injuries, the Seahawks will still have Russell Wilson, which is kind of a big deal when you consider that he’s never lost to the 49ers at home in his career (7-0 straight up, 6-1 ATS). Wilson is also 16-2 straight up over the course of his career in home prime-time games. Those numbers are a big reason why the Seahawks rarely are a home underdog.

NFL.com’s Nick Shook says the Seahawks are smart to at least complete their due diligence on Lynch:

Even with the All-Pro level of play from quarterback Russell Wilson, these Seahawks still need a reliable running game. They’re at least kicking the tires on their trusty old workhorse, a wise move before proceeding to scan the waiver wire, especially with the playoffs starting a week early thanks to their rematch with San Francisco arriving Sunday night. There’s no time to rest.

The San Jose Mercury News’ John Becker digs into the possible return to the Seahawks from Lynch’s point of view:

First things first, Lynch is technically a free agent and eligible to sign with any team. When Lynch stepped away from football again in April, he suggested if he ever returned it would only be for Oakland. But that was before the Seahawks’ running backs room was decimated by injuries. … Those who have dug a little deeper into a possible Lynch reunion in Seattle may point out that his mom, Delisa Lynch, re-tweeted a story Sunday night of the Seahawks’ vast running back injuries. It was the first tweet about the Seahawks all season long by Marshawn’s mother. It’s almost as if she already knew something was in the works.