Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Without its safety net
Seahawks defense not same without injured vet Thomas
SEATTLE — The 12th Man — the locomotive-loud crowd at CenturyLink Field — is an undeniable help to the Seahawks, particularly on defense.
But it’s the missing man who figures to have the biggest impact — by far.
Three-time All-Pro free safety Earl Thomas has been reduced to a spectator since suffering a broken tibia Dec. 4 against the Panthers. He ran into teammate Kam Chancellor on the play as both were leaping to pick off a Cam Newton pass.
Thomas is a game-changer, a player with staggering sideline-to-sideline speed who can clean up mistakes made by teammates and keep big plays from becoming huge plays. That’s especially important against a quarterback such as the Lions’ Matthew Stafford, who finished sixth in the NFL with 4,327 passing yards and will lead his team in a wild-card-round game here Saturday.
Since Thomas was injured, the Seahawks haven’t intercepted a pass. In their four games without Thomas, they not only surrendered their first-place spot in fewest points allowed but gave up their first two 30-point games, yielding 38 to the Packers and 34 to the Cardinals.
“Earl’s a unique ... extraordinary player,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll told reporters. “No matter what position a guy plays, you miss that unique quality.”
Seahawks star Russell Wilson joins the Ravens’ Joe Flacco as the only Super Bowl-era quarterbacks to start a postseason game in each of their first five seasons. Wilson, who has seven playoff victories, trails only the Patroits’ Tom Brady (nine), Flacco (nine) and the Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger (eight) in postseason wins among quarterbacks in their first five seasons.
As the Detroit Free Press points out, the last time the Lions won a playoff game on the road, Dwight D. Eisenhower was president, Elvis Presley had just moved into a place he called “Graceland” and gas cost 24 cents a gallon.
It was Dec. 22, 1957, when the Lions pulled off a 31-27 upset of the host 49ers. The franchise has lost 10 consecutive postseason road games since.
The Lions came close two years ago, leading most of the way in Dallas before a controversial pass-interference call was overturned and the Cowboys went on to notch a 24-20 victory.
Saturday night marks the return of former Seahawks receiver Golden Tate, who has had three consecutive seasons of at least 90 catches with the Lions. He admitted this game is especially meaningful to him.
“It’s deeper than me,” he told reporters. “I want to win because this organization deserves to win. We’ve earned our way into the playoffs. … But I’d be lying if I said personally I don’t want to win as much.”
Tate was limited to three catches for 29 yards in a three-point loss in Seattle last season.
The Seahawks have lost only one game at home all season, and they’re so tough in the playoffs. The Lions need to be physical and establish the run. Still, the Seahawks hang on. Seahawks 28, Lions 27.