Seahawks likely to steer clear of Norman, test rest of Panthers’ depleted secondary
Veterans McClain, Finnegan on the spot for Carolina
Josh Norman hopes Russell Wilson throws in his direction early and often in Sunday’s divisional-round game.
But the Carolina Panthers all-pro cornerback might not get his wish.
Wilson’s Seattle Seahawks purposely avoided Norman throughout their Oct. 18 home loss to the Panthers because of his disruptive nature. Now, recent season-ending injuries to other Carolina corners have turned much of the rest of the secondary into a glaring vulnerability.
If the Seahawks throw away from Norman, the onus will be on two players who weren’t even on the team two months ago. The play of Robert McClain, a diminutive defensive back who had become impatient about returning to the league after a series of workouts with teams, and Cortland Finnegan, a nickel back who came out of semi-retirement Nov. 30, could be vital.
“I know what Josh does for us,” Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott said. “He is certainly a good football player for us. If they want to look away from Josh, it could cut the field in half, and then we can focus on the other half of the field.”
McDermott added, jokingly: “Just let me know when they are going to do that.”
The losses of Bene Benwikere, who broke his leg Dec. 13, and Charles Tillman, who tore his right anterior cruciate ligament in the regular-season finale, significantly hurt Carolina’s depth in the secondary. But the team was heartened by the play of McClain and Finnegan in aWeek 17 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that wrapped up the NFC’s No. 1 seed for the Panthers. After Tillman was injured early in the second half, McClain, who was signed Dec. 15, made seven tackles and intercepted a pass.
“We trust them,” safety Kurt Coleman said. “We are not going to put them in positions where we don’t think they can succeed.”
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said Carolina’s secondary remains a “volatile group back there, and they make plays happen all the time.”
Carroll said the Seahawks avoided Norman in October because he got off to such a torrid start to the season. He became the first cornerback to return two interceptions for touchdowns in the first four games of a season since Charles Woodson in 2008.
“You have to know where he is, that’s for sure,” said Wilson, who has been picked off only twice in the last eight games.
Panthers coach Ron Rivera said the fact thatMcClain and Finnegan are veterans gives him confidence in the duo. They have played in a combined 199 regular-season games.
“If we were talking about playing two straight-off-the-street rookies, yeah, there would be some concern,” Rivera said. “But these are guys that have played in some big games and have contributed to teams that have won football games, so there is a pretty good comfort level.”
After the New England Patriots released him Sept. 5, McClain participated in workouts for 10 teams, including the Panthers. Now the 5-9, 195-pound player finds himself in the starting lineup for a playoff game.
“It’s crazy how things happen,” McClain said.
Norman has been praising Seattle’s receiving corps, calling the one-handed catch Doug Baldwin made in minus-6 degree weather in last weekend’s wildcard win against the Minnesota Vikings “freaking nasty.”
But the combination of his stellar reputation and questions about his fellow cornerbacks could mean Norman’s involvement will be limited. Again.
“If they want to try me, so be it,” Norman said. “I would like everybody to throw my way.”