Tuesday notebook, Week 4: what changed for Sunday against the Chargers
This week’s Tuesday notebook is a day late. It covers everything from Monday and Tuesday that changes the picture for Sunday, 1:25 p.m. against the Chargers at Lumen Field, before the first practice report of the week posts this afternoon.
Where things stand
Seattle is 2-1 after the 33-31 loss at Washington, second in the NFC West behind 3-0 San Francisco; the Rams and Cardinals are 1-2. The Chargers come in 0-3 after a 24-16 loss at Buffalo. Mike Macdonald on Monday, a day after the franchise-record twelve-game winning streak ended: “You can tell they’re upset, which they should be, but you can feel the resolve, you can feel the eagerness to get back at it on Wednesday.”
Injuries
- Julian Love (calf) is day to day. Macdonald on Monday: “He did some extensive work this morning and it went well, so we’ll see how that translates to Wednesday and moving forward.”
- Ty Okada (hamstring) has missed three games, and Macdonald said Monday it was “too early right now to kind of make any declarations.”
- Zach Charbonnet is still on the physically unable to perform list. Macdonald said Monday afternoon an answer on opening his practice window would come “by sometime tomorrow”; the team had not announced one by Tuesday evening. He cannot play until the 49ers game on October 11 either way.
- Rashid Shaheed, Nick Emmanwori and Brandon Pili have had no update since Sunday. Shaheed was hurt on a fourth-quarter kickoff return, Emmanwori left with a hamstring injury and came back, and Pili (concussion) was inactive.
With Love and Okada out, AJ Finley made his first career start at Washington next to Rodney Thomas II. Macdonald’s verdict: “The guys played good football, they communicated.” The first practice report is due this afternoon on the injury report.
Roster moves
- Monday: safety Maxen Hook and running back Velus Jones Jr. reverted to the practice squad after their game-day elevations.
- Tuesday: Seattle released nose tackle Uso Seumalo from the practice squad, six days after signing him, and signed defensive tackle Gary Smith III, an undrafted rookie from UCLA who was with the Raiders in camp.
The roster is checked against the team’s official page every Tuesday. This week it stands at 53 active, 6 on injured reserve, 1 on the physically unable to perform list, 18 on the practice squad and 1 exempt.
The line
The number moved back to Seattle by 7 on Tuesday morning, with the total down a point to 42.5 and a moneyline of Seattle -355, Los Angeles +280 (DraftKings, 9:43 a.m.). It opened the week Monday at 6.5 and 43.5. Through three games Seattle is 1-1-1 against the number we published each game morning and 2-1 to the under; our odds page has every game and grades our picks. It is here because fans ask, not as advice.
What the Chargers said
Jim Harbaugh on Monday, after the loss at Buffalo: “We have the right players. We have the right players at every position.” His staff is focused, he said, on scheme and effort rather than personnel. The defense forced five turnovers at Buffalo and sacked Josh Allen four times; the offense has scored 14, 14 and 16 points. Tackle Trey Pipkins III went on injured reserve Saturday.
CBS has the game with Andrew Catalon, Logan Ryan and AJ Ross. The game day guide has gates, the Sounder game trains and the Corgi Cup, and our Week 4 preview has the pick.
Around the league
Chicago, Seattle’s Monday night opponent at Lumen Field on November 2, beat Philadelphia 27-7 on Monday Night Football with Case Keenum starting for the injured Caleb Williams. Our scouting post has what that means.
This week
Practice reports Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons, with game statuses on Friday. Practice-squad elevations usually post Saturday. Kickoff is Sunday at 1:25 p.m. on CBS.