Seahawks snap counts vs. Panthers: Thomas Rawls takes a back seat

Rookie running back Thomas Rawls was only on the field for two offensive plays Sunday, which marked Marshawn Lynch's return to Seattle's backfield after a two-game absence.

BY BRADY HENDERSON

Oct 20, 2015, 10:47 AM Updated: 10:54 am

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Thomas Rawls played only two snaps Sunday as Marshawn Lynch returned from his two-game absence. (AP)

(AP)

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said last week that rookie Thomas Rawls would still factor into the Seahawks backfield rotation once Marshawn Lynch returned from his injury and resumed his role as the team’s primary ball-carrier. Rawls only played two snaps Sunday, which was more of a product of circumstance as opposed to Seattle’s intention.

Here are the position-by-position snap counts from Seattle’s loss to Carolina along with a few notes:

OFFENSE (61 total)

Running backs

Marshawn Lynch: 50 (82%)
Will Tukuafu: 22 (36%)
Fred Jackson: 8 (13%)
Thomas Rawls: 2 (3%)

Will Tukuafu handled fullback duties as Derrick Coleman was still suspended by the team.

Wide receivers

Doug Baldwin: 40 (66%)
Jermaine Kearse: 36 (59%)
Tyler Lockett: 33 (54%)
Chris Matthews: 18 (30%)
Ricardo Lockette: 16 (26%)
B.J. Daniels: 1 (2%)

Nothing surprising here as the playing-time distribution among Seattle’s receivers has been fairly consistent this season, though it figures to change to some degree once Paul Richardson returns from the Physically Unable to Perform List.

Tight ends

Jimmy Graham: 51 (84%)
Luke Willson: 27 (44%)

No. 3 tight end Cooper Helfet didn’t play on offense.

Note: Quarterback Russell Wilson and Seattle’s starting offensive linemen played all 61 snaps while Alvin Bailey was on the field for one play as an extra tackle.

DEFENSE (73 total)

Defensive backs

Earl Thomas: 73 (100%)
Kam Chancellor: 72 (99%)
Richard Sherman: 71 (97%)
Cary Williams: 71 (97%)
DeShawn Shead: 34 (47%)

The snaps that Sherman and Williams missed came in goal-line situations, when teams typically sub out cornerbacks for either an extra linebacker or defensive lineman.

Linebackers

K.J. Wright: 73 (100%)
Kevin Pierre-Louis: 69 (95%)
Bruce Irvin: 65 (89%)
Mike Morgan: 6 (8%)

Morgan hadn’t played a single defensive snap this season until Sunday, when Bobby Wagner’s absence bumped him one spot up the depth chart at linebacker.

Defensive linemen

Michael Bennett: 62 (85%)
Cliff Avril: 58 (79%)
Ahtyba Rubin: 48 (66%)
Brandon Mebane: 48 (66%)
Demarcus Dobbs: 26 (36%)
David King: 13 (18%)
Cassius Marsh: 12 (16%)
Will Tukuafu: 1 (1%)

Dobbs returned after missing the last two games and saw an increased role with Jordan Hill and Frank Clark sidelined.