Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch has a 50 percent chance of playing Sunday and will be a game time decision against the Arizona Cardinals, according to NFL reporter Ian Rapoport. While Lynch is uncertain to play Sunday, Cardinals wide receiver John Brown is expected to play, according to Rapoport.
The Cardinals sit in first place in the NFC West, and Sunday's game looks to be a crucial game for both teams. Lynch is questionable with an abdominal injury that is reportedly very painful. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll was confident on Friday that Lynch would be able to play against the Cardinals, according to NFL reporter Edward Lewis. Seattle will likely see how warm ups go for Lynch before they make a decision, but Lynch and Carroll know how important this game is to their season.
If Lynch can't play, expect Thomas Rawls to get the start. The rookie running back out of Central Michigan is averaging 5.4 yards per carry, but whichever running back plays Sunday night faces a tough Arizona defense. The Cardinals defense is ranked third in the NFL in terms of yards given up per game, and they give up just an average of just 90.1 rushing yards per game.
Arizona's offense will get a boost Sunday night, as speedy wide receiver Brown returns to the lineup. Brown hasn't played since Oct. 26 against the Baltimore Ravens and has been dealing with a sore hamstring. The Cardinals receiver has 37 receptions for 562 yards and has scored three touchdowns. Brown faces a tough matchup against Seattle's Secondary, but quarterback Carson Palmer is likely happy to have one of his top receivers back in the lineup Sunday night.
