Seahawks Dodge Bullet, Bobby Wagner ‘Determined’ to Play

Though they held on for a 30-24 victory over the Panthers on Sunday, the Seahawks depleted defense lost two more key starters to injury as safety Quandre Diggs and linebacker Bobby Wagner exited with ankle sprains.

While Diggs has a significant ankle sprain and will likely miss at least one game, Wagner’s prognosis looks to be better. The four-time All-Pro wasn’t wearing a walking boot after the game and after the initial injury scare, he told reporters he was “fine” in his post-game press conference.

Coach Pete Carroll offered similar optimism on Monday, though he indicated Seattle will have to carefully monitor all of their injured players during the week to ensure he’s ready to play against Arizona in Week 16.

“He’s feeling pretty good. That’s all I can tell you right now. We’re going to have to wait on a number of guys until we get into the work of the week and see what affect that has. He’s pretty determined about playing.”

Losing either player for any period of time would be a major blow for the Seahawks, but as evidenced on Sunday, Wagner remains their most irreplaceable component on defense.

After Panthers quarterback Kyle Allen hit receiver D.J. Moore on a quick hitch, Wagner’s right leg got caught awkwardly underneath him when he was blocked by Jarius Wright during pursuit. He laid on the turf for a moment with trainers examining him before walking off the field under his own power and did not return.

Cody Barton, who had played the majority of Seattle’s defensive snaps replacing injured starter Mychal Kendricks, replaced Wagner at middle linebacker for the remainder of the game. Shaquem Griffin and Ben Burr-Kirven received snaps at the strongside linebacker position.

Playing against an opponent missing five defensive starters and closely resembling a preseason unit, Allen and the Panthers capitalized, promptly scoring two touchdowns in less than a two minute span to trim the Seahawks lead to 30-24. What once looked to be a blowout suddenly was a one score game with 3:14 left in regulation.

Prior to Wagner’s injury, the Panthers produced just 268 total yards on 58 plays, or less than five yards per play. Following his departure, they flew up and down the field with ease, amassing 146 yards on just 14 plays and averaging nearly 11 yards per play.

“It was tough,” Wagner said about watching the defense struggle without him. “You see the offense driving down the field and putting points up, so it’s hard to get out there. It’s not really a position I’m used to, but I try to listen to the doctors. I know they have my best interest.”

Some have opined Wagner hasn’t been quite as dominant in 2019 as past seasons, but he’s still one of the elite linebackers in football. He’s once again ranked among league leaders in tackles and his presence as a field general in the middle of the Seahawks’ defense can’t be replaced.

While other injuries certainly affected Seattle’s defensive performance to close out Sunday’s game, the struggles slowing down a bad Carolina offense further illustrated how essential Wagner is to their success.

Assuming Wagner won’t miss any time and won’t be negatively impacted playing at less than 100 percent, the Seahawks should be thanking their lucky stars. A more severe injury certainly would’ve thrown a wrench into postseason plans, as this team wouldn’t have a shot at winning a playoff game without their superstar linebacker calling the shots.