The Seahawks head to Los Angeles this weekend to face the Rams, and will do so uncertain about the availability of some key players. Seven players, including five starters, are listed as questionable, and Seahawks coach Pete Carroll described three of those players as true game-day decisions, but whether or not the Seahawks are short-handed on Sunday, Carroll is encouraged with the work his team put in this week in practice.
"We've had an excellent preparation of getting ready for this game," Carroll said. "This is a really good team we're playing. We understand that we have to play really good ball to be in the challenge of this, so we worked accordingly. I'm excited about the opportunity to go, we haven't played these guys too long ago, so they know us, we know them, and we'll see how this goes, but we're looking forward to this challenge."
Among the group of questionable players are strong safety Bradley McDougald (knee), right guard D.J. Fluker (calf) and running back Chris Carson (hip), all of whom came out of last week's game early because of injuries. Of that group, McDougald practiced on a limited basis Friday, while Fluker and Carson sat out the entire week of practice.
On McDougald, Carroll said, "He worked today, so we'll see how he comes out of that and I'm sure he's questionable on the chart right now. We'll figure it out. Those will go to game day."
Carroll said Carson "is a little bit better" than he was earlier in the week, "but I have nothing to report to you yet."
Fluker too will have to work out on game day at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to determine if he can go.
"Fluke is going to gameday too for us," Carroll said. "We've got to hold him out the whole time and see how he does when we work him out at the stadium."
Linebacker K.J. Wright, who has played in the past two games after missing the first six with a knee injury, is also listed as questionable, but Carroll sounded more optimistic about Wright's chances of playing.
"He worked today," Carroll said. "He did a good job today. Looks good… We're just going to make sure—any of the guys who are coming back this late (in the week), we've got to make sure that the work that they did today doesn't set them back, so in essence, we're waiting until game day, but he looked pretty good and got enough done. It looks like he's going to be ready to go."
Shamar Stephen was away from the team getting treatment on a foot injury, so the team will need to evaluate him when they get to L.A., but the defensive tackle indicated to Carroll that he will be able to play.
"He was getting treatment all week out of the area, special treatments," Carroll said. "All the reports from Shamar are that he feels great. We'll have to wait and see again, that'll go to gameday because we haven't seen him, but we're counting on that he knows his body and he's reporting pretty strongly that he's going to be OK."
Also listed as questionable were guard Jordan Simmons (calf), who practiced fully on Friday, and defensive tackle Nazair Jones (illness). Carroll said Jones is fine after practicing Friday.
Below is the full injury report for the Seahawks. The Rams have no players listed on Friday's injury report, meaning everyone on their 53-man roster is healthy enough to play.
Doubtful
CB Neiko Thorpe (groin, did not participate in practice)
Questionable
S Bradley McDougald (knee, limited participation in practice)
DT Shamar Stephen (foot, did not participate in practice)
LB K.J. Wright (knee, limited participation in practice)
DT Nazair Jones (illness, full participation in practice)
RB Chris Carson (hip, did not participate in practice)
G D.J. Fluker (calf, did not participate in practice)
G Jordan Simmons (calf, full participation in practice)
The Seahawks and Rams face off for the first game of the regular season on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023. Kickoff is set for 1:25 p.m. PT. Take a look back through history at the Seahawks' matchups against the Rams.
Los Angeles Rams kicker Tom Dempsey (10) is seen in action during an NFL game against the Seattle Seahawks Oct. 31, 1976, in Los Angeles. (NFL Photos via AP)
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Cornell Webster (38) stops Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Drew Hill (29) during an NFL pre-season game Aug. 19, 1979 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/NFL Photos)
Los Angeles Rams defensive end Jack Youngblood (85) sacks Seattle Seahawks quarterback Jim Zorn for a loss during the first quarter in this Aug. 28, 1982 photo in Anaheim, Calif. Youngblood was one of seven elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Saturday, Jan. 27, 2001. (AP Photo/Doug Pizac)
FILE - In this Aug. 13, 1987, file photo, Los Angeles Rams running back Eric Dickerson (29) breaks away from Seattle Seahawks' Joe Nash during an NFL preseason football game in Anaheim, Calif. On Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, Dickerson signed a one-day contract to retire as a member of the L Rams, reuniting the famous running back with his first NFL football franchise. Dickerson also became a vice president of business development with the Rams, who returned to Los Angeles last year after 21 seasons in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Lennox McLendon, File)
Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy (96) topples a St. Louts Rams quarterback (16) during a pre-season NFL football game in 1991. (Al Messerschmidt via AP)
FILE - In this Sept. 10, 2000, file photo, St. Louis Rams' Devin Bush tackles Seattle Seahawks's Ricky Watters during the second half of an NFL football game in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer, File)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck makes a pass against the St. Louis Rams during the first half in Seattle, Sunday Dec. 22, 2002. Hasselbeck passed for 303 yards completing 20 in 32 attempts as the Seahawks win 30-10. Behind is Rams' Troyka Jackson and Seahawks' Walter Jones. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Seattle Seahawks' Alex Bannister (85) hits St. Louis Rams' DeJaun Groce after Groce caught a punt during the first quarter in Seattle Sunday, Sept. 21, 2003. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Seattle Seahawks receiver Jerry Rice leaps to make a one-handed catch against the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Missouri on November 14, 2004. The Rams won 23-12. (AP Photo/G. Newman Lowrance)
St. Louis Rams quarterback Marc Bulger, right, is sacked by Seattle Seahawks' Lofa Tatupu in the third quarter, Sunday, Nov. 13, 2005, in Seattle. The Seahawks won, 31-16. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks' Delon Branch, right, catches a touchdown pass in front of St. Louis Rams' Travis Fisher in the forth quarter in an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 15, 2006, in St. Louis. The Seahawks won 30-28. (AP Photo/Bill Boyce)
Cornerback Marcus Trufant #23 of the Seattle Seahawks lends a leaping hand as teammate Deon Grant #24 intercepts a pass intended for wide receiver Travis Taylor #18 of the St. Louis Rams at Quest Field on October 21, 2007 in Seattle, Washington. The Seahawks defeated the Rams 33-6. (AP Photo/Paul Spinelli)
Members of the Seattle Seahawks line up one yard out of the end zone against the St. Louis Rams during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 14, 2008, in St. Louis. The Seahawks won 23-20. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Seattle Seahawks' Julius Jones (22) runs with the ball as St. Louis Rams' David Vobora falls behind in the second quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson (39) is tackled by Seattle Seahawks linebacker Aaron Curry (59) and Seattle Seahawks safety Lawyer Milloy middle, during the first quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Seattle Seahawks defensive back Brandon Browner breaks up a pass intended for Brandon Lloyd of the St. Louis Rams during an NFL game in Seattle on Monday, Dec. 12, 2011. The Seahawks won the game, 30-13. (AP Photo/G. Newman Lowrance)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson runs from St. Louis Rams outside linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 30, 2012, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Seattle Seahawks vs St. Loius Rams; Malcolm Smith
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jermaine Kearse, right, pushes Los Angeles Rams cornerback Lamarcus Joyner away as he runs the ball during the second half of an NFL football game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae Hong)
Tyler Lockett's toe-drag touchdown reception from a Russell Wilson 13-yard looping-over-the-top-pass brought a feeling of poetic ballet to the skill of catching touchdown passes. The Seahawks defeated the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football, 30-29, at CenturyLink Field, October 3, 2019.
