SEATTLE — Just as everyone expected before the season began, two of the NFL’s most productive running backs will be on display when Pittsburgh makes a rare visit to the Pacific Northwest to face Seattle.
Marshawn Lynch and Le’Veon Bell, right? Nope. Hopefully they’re somewhere comfortable while watching their backups — the Seahawks’ Thomas Rawls and the Steelers’ DeAngelo Williams — on Sunday.
The Steelers will visit Seattle for the first time since 2003 and both teams could use a victory to help their playoff standing. Pittsburgh (6-4) currently holds one of the two wild-card spots in the AFC, while Seattle (5-5) is one game behind struggling Atlanta for a wild-card spot.
Bell and Lynch will be spectators due to injury, leaving Williams and Rawls as the workhorses for both teams. Bell was lost for the season on Nov. 1 to a knee injury, while Lynch underwent abdominal surgery earlier this week and is out at least three or four weeks and possibly longer.
Rawls has rushed for 604 yards while stepping in at various times with Lynch slowed by injuries. Rawls ran for 209 yards last week against San Francisco, the second-most in Seahawks history. Williams has run for 534 yards and scored five touchdowns, filling in when Bell was suspended at the start of the season and taking over following Bell’s injury.
Rawls is averaging 5.98 yards per carry, leading all running backs; Williams is eighth at 4.99 yards per carry.
“He certainly gives us a chance to run the ball like we like to and our hopes are very high that he’s going to do very well,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said of Rawls.
Unlike two weeks ago against Cleveland, the Steelers will have Ben Roethlisberger under center from the start. Roethlisberger got a week of rest thanks to the bye to let a foot sprain heal, but he’ll continue to wear a brace on his left knee due to an MCL sprain earlier in the season.
The fact Roethlisberger will start should give plenty of opportunity for Seahawks fans to continue expressing their displeasure over the outcome of the Super Bowl 10 years ago.
“Since (the Seahawks) won their Super Bowl and went back to back, I think I haven’t heard nearly as much as I did early on,” Roethlisberger said.
Here’s what else to watch as the Seahawks and Steelers meet for just the 18th time:
TRAILING AROUND: Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman has followed the likes of A.J. Green, Torrey Smith and Dez Bryant this season.
The Seahawks may not be able to do that against the Steelers because Pittsburgh’s passing attack is more than just Antonio Brown. Martavis Bryant is coming off the best game of his career with 178 yards receiving two weeks ago against Cleveland. Brown is going to get his catches — he has 27 in the past two games — but limiting Bryant and others such as tight end Heath Miller will be the challenge for Seattle’s secondary.
“They like to take their shots, so it’s going to be a fun game,” Sherman said.
EYES FRONT: The AFC North race appeared to be over when the Bengals rallied for a 16-10 win in Pittsburgh on Nov. 1. Heading into Thanksgiving, however, Cincinnati’s lead over the Steelers is down to two games, with a rematch set in The Jungle on Dec. 13. Just don’t expect Pittsburgh to get caught looking ahead.
“We can’t really worry about what (the Bengals) doing,” defensive end Cam Heyward said. “It’s a little bit like whatever is going on over there doesn’t apply to us. We have to take care of our business to even have that apply to us.”
TOUCHDOWN JIMMY: In his last 11 games against AFC opponents, Seattle tight end Jimmy Graham has 12 touchdown catches. That might just be a statistical quirk, but Graham may have something to prove against the Steelers. The last time Graham faced the Steelers, he was the most important decoy on the field. He had zero catches against the Steelers last season while still with New Orleans. It’s one of three games since 2011 where Graham didn’t have a catch.
BRACING FOR THE 12TH MAN: The Steelers have played in Seattle just once since 1994 and haven’t won in the Northwest since 1983. Roethlisberger isn’t exactly worried about the environment, even though Pittsburgh is just 5-9 in games played in the Mountain and Pacific time zones over the last decade.
“Every place we go is hostile,” Roethlisberger said. “So we’re going to treat this like it’s a great football team, which it is, and go in there to a great environment and try to play our best.”
