Seahawks win battle against Rams but secondary gets hit hard by injuries

Not everything went well for the Seattle Seahawks in Thursday’s massive win against the Los Angeles Rams.

And I’m not talking about two interceptions and four sacks, or the 581 yards allowed, or the zero turnovers forced, or the zero sacks on Matt Stafford. The 2025 Seattle Seahawks are far from the first elite team in NFL history to play an embarrassing game that still somehow results in a victory. We need only look at our own franchise’s history to understand that.

The 2013 Seahawks allowed over 475 yards and amassed only 270 of their own in a week four game against the Houston Texans, needing overtime to just barely squeak a win against a team that ended up going 2-14. Five weeks later, their defense got pushed around by Mike Glennon and Mike James, going down 24-7 before waking up just in time to pull out another OT win that sent Tampa Bay to an 0-8 start.

I seriously doubt any Seahawks fan thinks about either of those games now as anything other than trivia, given that a few months later they were holding the greatest offensive in NFL history to eight points and winning a super bowl by five touchdowns. It’s the nature of sports. No matter how advanced our understanding of the game is, stochastic elements will never be removed completely.

Rather, I’m talking about the injuries sustained throughout the game. Three injuries, all in the secondary, and all with different amounts of information available to us right now concerning them. Let’s eat our dessert first, and open things up with the definite good news.

Nick Emmanwori left after a play late in the fourth quarter, immediately raising concern with Seahawks fans due to a quick departure to the locker room that implied something serious. However, after the game, Macdonald said that Nick was being checked for a concussion, passed protocol, and was prepared to re-enter the game had there been another defensive possession in overtime.

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (12) runs for a first down against Seattle Seahawks safety Coby Bryant (8). — Nov 16, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (12) runs for a first down against Seattle Seahawks safety Ty Okada (39) and safety Coby Bryant (8) during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

That being the case, it can be safely assumed that Emmanwori is perfectly healthy and should be ready to go next week when the Seahawks travel to Carolina to play the Panthers. And it’s a good thing too, for while Emmanwori had his issues on Thursday night, he remains an irreplaceable part of the defense and is trying to put together a defensive rookie of the year campaign, which can’t be done in street clothes on the sideline.

The news is less positive on the other two. Starting safety Coby Bryant, just four days after his game-sealing interception against the Indianapolis Colts, sustained a knee injury that took him out last night, and was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game. Macdonald did mention after the game that the injury doesn’t look season ending, but that can always change in the days following a game.

And even if it does hold, it sounds like the injury might cost him some games, which would be a blow to a secondary that just recently got their other starting safety back in Julian Love. The silver lining is that the backup safety, Ty Okada, got plenty of work during Love’s absence and even proved to be a capable player. D’Anthony Bell and Quandre Diggs are available as well.

I would not downplay the loss of Coby, however, who was having a very effective season and is currently on track to make the pro bowl. There has to be a reason why the team seemed to make offering him a contract extension a priority over Charles Cross, Ken Walker, Tariq Woolen, and others. Clearly, Macdonald seems something of great value in him.

Speaking of Tariq Woolen, he went down with a knee injury of his own last night. There’s not yet any official word on how severe it was, nor how long it might keep him out, but it was significant enough to take him out of the rest of the game. Given his recent superb play, losing Woolen for any period of time down the final stretch of the season is certainly a big deal.

Expect to see a lot more Josh Jobe if Woolen misses time, and while I’ve noticed a significant chunk of the Seattle fanbase is very down on Jobe in recent weeks, I’m personally comfortable with this. He’s built up a good amount of experience over the last two years and his coverage numbers are shockingly strong, particularly for a player on a two million dollar cap hit this season.

Dec 7, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen (27) on the field against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Beyond Jobe, Nehemiah Pritchett would be the next man up at corner, and will probably get at least a little action in any games Woolen misses. I was a big fan of Pritchett in college, but his NFL experience has been sparse to this point and mostly bad, with his most notable impact on the Seahawks coming in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game earlier this season where Baker Mayfield targeted him on several big plays.

Last night was the most important game of the season for Seattle, but the important games do not stop. The Carolina Panthers will be either fighting tooth and nail for their playoff lives or be trying to maintain a slight edge in the NFC South when Seattle plays them, and the San Francisco 49ers may very well have a shot at the NFC West come the season finale. They need these guys back sooner rather than later.

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