Raiders visit London to unleash Beast Mode on Seahawks
Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch recently flashed back to one of his most forgettable moments as the man who was Beast Mode for the Seattle Seahawks.
This weekend he flies to London with the Raiders to revisit those Seahawks – and no doubt that forgettable moment – when the teams play at Wembley Stadium Sunday.
The flashback occurred last Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers. With the Chargers leading, 20-3, the Raiders had a first-and-goal on the 1-yard line.
So, it was no surprise when they lined up with three tight ends on the line and Lynch in the backfield. After all, Lynch was leading the league with 20 broken tackles going into that game.
But all that was broken on this play was his spirit. Quarterback Derek Carr faked to Lynch then threw the ball right at defensive end Melvin Ingram III. It was Carr’s third end-zone interception of the season, and eighth overall, ingloriously tying him for the league lead.
For Lynch it was a horrible flashback to Super Bowl XLIX when he was the star running back for the Seahawks. Near the end of the game, on a second-and-goal from the 1-yard line – after he carried four yards on first down – Lynch ran to the left flat as a decoy. Quarterback Russell Wilson tried a quick pass to the right, but undrafted rookie cornerback Malcolm Butler, now with the Tennessee Titans, barged through the intended receiver and intercepted the ball.
Last Sunday’s result was all too familiar. This time he was on the field as a decoy on play-action. He was obviously agitated after the pick. He angrily ripped off his helmet and on his way to the sideline yelled into the helmet, apparently thwarting lip-readers.
Lynch avoided chatting with the media, but he did offer a remark for an ESPN reporter on the way out of the locker room.
“I done seen it happen to me on the game’s biggest stage,” Lynch said. “Now it’s happened in a regular-season game. It’s alright, though.”
Yeah, sure it is Marshawn. Regardless, that certainly sets the stage for Lynch facing his former team this Sunday in London. His former head coach in Seattle, Pete Carroll, is saying all the right things, despite the reality that their parting was not upbeat.
Lynch, who was being displaced as a starter, announced his retirement via twitter in February of 2016. In April of 2017 he signed with the Raiders. Many people did not expect him to have much impact. But last season he gained 891 yards rushing with seven touchdowns. He goes into Sunday ninth in the league with 331 yards rushing.
“I think he looks really, very much the same,” Carroll said this week. “I really like the way he is playing. I mean last year and this year. He looks in the same style, in the same mode, aggressive and explosive. He’s averaging over four yards a carry. I think he’s doing pretty good.”
With Carr struggling as he adapts to his fourth offensive coordinator in five seasons, it might seem logical to take the heat off him by running Lynch and hard-hitting Doug Martin, a two-time 1,000-yard rusher, more. Lynch has carried 77 times and Martin only 27 (for 99 yards).
It might be a good idea that somebody should carry some more, regardless if it is Lynch or Martin.
Carr needs some of the weight lifted from his shoulders.
SERIES HISTORY: 53rd regular-season meeting. Raiders lead series, 28-24. Formerly rivals in the AFC West, both teams have enjoyed long winning streaks against one another, including the then-Los Angeles Raiders winning eight straight games against the Seahawks from 1990 to 1993. Since Seattle relocated to the NFC West in 2002, the two franchises have split four meetings, with the Seahawks capturing a 30-24 victory in the most recent matchup in 2014. Seattle and Oakland have also split two playoff contests, with the Raiders winning the 1983 AFC Championship Game and the Seahawks enacting revenge in the wild-card round the following season.
