Notebook: Seahawks DE Ziggy Ansah practices, expected to play vs Saints

The Seahawks know they won’t be facing Drew Brees when they kick off their Week 3 game against the New Orleans Saints at CenturyLink Field Sunday; the longtime veteran underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in this thumb and is expected to be sidelined for up to six weeks.

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What they don’t know – at least not now, and not for certain – is who will replace Brees under center.

The likely candidate is Teddy Bridgewater, who not only filled in for Brees in Week 2 but who was also made the league’s highest-paid backup when the Saints re-signed the former first-round pick to a one-year, $7.25 million deal in March. There’s also Taysom Hill, a former BYU standout who plays quarterback and also acts as a utility player for New Orleans.

Saint head coach Sean Payton is remaining tight-lipped about which quarterback will get the start, but there’s a chance Seattle could see both players.

“I would think that Teddy goes, just by the structure that they’ve been in,” Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said when asked Wednesday how the team is preparing to face New Orleans. “Taysom Hill’s a nice football player and I haven’t seen him play quarterback that much, but I know he’s on the roster like that, can do that. Just have a lot of respect for him. They’ve got one of the most exciting players in the NFL in Alvin Kamara. He’s an incredible football player and they use him. Sean knows how to do all of the tricks and figure out all the spots to put him in to make him a really dangerous weapon. Michael Thomas caught 125 last year, he’s already had 20 catches. They have all kinds of stuff. It’s a very difficult challenge for us.”

At 2-0, the Seahawks are off to their best start since 2013, when they won their first four contests before falling to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5.

The Saints are 1-1 after a loss to the Rams in Los Angeles last week. The team opted to remain on the west coast; they’ve planned to spend the full week in Seattle and are practicing at Washington’s Husky Stadium.

Injury updates

The Seahawks had a crowded practice report Wednesday.

Guards Ethan Pocic (neck) and D.J. Fluker (ankle), cornerback Neiko Thorpe (hamstring), and free safety Tedric Thompson (hamstring) did not practice.

Left tackle Duane Brown, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, wide receivers Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, and K.J. Wright were likely given rest days. Wide receivers Jaron Brown (toe) and David Moore (shoulder), defensive end Quinton Jefferson (hip), left guard Mike Iupati (foot), center Joey Hunt (ankle), and defensive tackle Poona Ford (calf) were limited.

Meanwhile, defensive end Ziggy Ansah (shoulder) was a full participant at practice. The Pro Bowler and ex-Detroit Lion has yet to hit the field with his new team, but is expected to make his debut this weekend.

Today's practice report for the Seahawks. Carroll said Ethan Pocic has a stiff neck and will miss some practice time during the week (as he did today) but he's expected to play. pic.twitter.com/Up58hSyntr

— Stacy Jo Rost (@StacyRost) September 18, 2019

“He’s really champing at the bit finally to get out on the field,” Carroll said of Ansah. “We’ll see how it goes.”

David Moore also has a chance to play this weekend. The third-year receiver has been inactive ever since breaking his arm in August.

Tedric Thompson, though, could miss another week. The Seahawks rotated Bradley McDougald to free safety last week in place of Thompson, who is working his way back from a hamstring injury. Lano Hill got the start at strong safety and could see another start Sunday.

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