Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll expects running back Marshawn Lynch to play this weekend, and he will return to his normal workload, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
"He should be ready to go," Carroll said. "We're going to do the week so that he'll practice full go tomorrow and Friday. He went through the walk-throughs today, he's going to run today for conditioning purposes. He looks great, he looks like he's ready to go."
Lynch has only rushed for 128 yards in three games and is averaging just 3.4 yards per carry, his lowest in his career. That can't all be blamed on Lynch, as the Seahawks' offensive line has had plenty of struggles this season, and talks of changes have already been out there. Seattle has given up the most sacks in the league with 22, and if they don't correct that issue soon, it could be a long season in the Pacific Northwest.
On the positive side, Lynch saw Sunday what rookie running back Thomas Rawls did in his absence. Rawls rushed for 169 yards with a touchdown on 23 carries. Rawls may not see as many snaps this weekend, but Seattle likely knows they have their future back and insurance if anything happens to Lynch this season.
Lynch will be the starter. "I think he's earned that," said Carroll, via Pro Football Talk. "But Thomas will be there for him when Marshawn needs a break. We'll jump in and be excited to see what Thomas will do too. He's really made a big statement about how he fits in with our style of play and we're thrilled about that, so we won't hesitate. There's always been a rotation there to some extent, we want to keep Marshawn as fresh as we can and keep him at a really high tempo, so we'll do that like we've done in the past, but Thomas will be the number two."
Watching tape will likely show Lynch the holes Rawls was able to find last week, and he will likely try to find the same holes this weekend against the Carolina Panthers. Lynch is likely a sure play for this weekend and will probably be trying to prove himself again as a dominant back. Rawls will likely get some carries, but it will be difficult to produce against the Panthers sixth best rush defense in the league.
