Two starters out on Detroit’s O-line means prime chance for Seahawks’ pass rush

SEATTLE No surprises for the Seahawks’ in early pregame warmups -- unless you can’t an added opportunity as a surprise.

Detroit left starting center Travis Swanson and starting right tackle Riley Reiff inactive for Saturday night’s NFC wild-card playoff game at CenturyLink Field. Swanson is missing his fifth consecutive game with a concussion. Reiff missed last week’s Lions loss to Green Bay with a hip injury, then practiced more on Thursday.

That means rookie third-round draft choice Graham Glasgow, who has been the Lions’ left guard, will start at center again for Detroit. Second-year man Laken Tomlinson, who’s been a backup guard for much of the regular season, will be Detroit’s left guard.

That means a prime chance for Seattle’s Pro Bowl defensive ends Cliff Avril (a former Lion) and Michael Bennett, plus situational rusher Frank Clark (10 sacks) to control the game by disrupting the passing of Detroit’s Matthew Stafford.

Stafford went through pregame warmups with a protective device over his passing hand and what looked to be heavy tape or even a splint over his injured middle finger. He entered Saturday night having turned the ball over five times in 14 quarters since injuring that finger.

Avril, Bennett and Clark getting past the Lions’ shuffled offensive line to Stafford before he and his receivers Golden Tate, Anquan Boldin and Eric Erbon try to exploit the absence of three-time All-Pro free safety Earl Thomas out. Steven Terrell was making his sixth career start Saturday, all since Nov. 27, for Thomas.

Thomas was on the Seahawks’ sideline during prgame warmups, in street clothes. So was NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. No, Richard Sherman didn’t talk to him, either.

The complete list of inactive players:

Seattle: WR Kasen Williams, RB C.J. Prosise, RB Terrence Magee, LB Ronald Powell, OT Rees Odhiambo, TE Nick Vannett, DT Tony McDaniel. Prosise (broken scapula) and McDaniel (concussion) are the only injured Seahawks inactive.

Detroit: QB Jake Rudock, WR Jace Billingsley, CB Alex Carter, FB Michael Burton, LB Antwione Williams, Swanson and Reiff.

It was 38 degrees before the game, with a 30-percent chance of snow showers in the second half.

This story was originally published January 7, 2017 at 4:48 PM with the headline "Two starters out on Detroit’s O-line means prime chance for Seahawks’ pass rush."