A Grip on Sports: Though the Seahawks won again, their fans once more await news of a possible injury

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Nice things just seem to slip through our hands here in the Pacific Northwest. Examples abound but we’ll stay away from the past today and focus on the present – and how it impacts the future.

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• The Seattle Seahawks were once the best team in the NFL. Not that long ago. They no longer are. In fact, after an offseason of tumult, it seemed as if they were destined for a major remodel. A down-to-the-studs remodel.

Russell Wilson gone. Bobby Wagner gone. Duane Brown gone. Chris Carson gone. In other words, veterans who had carried the load, figuratively and literally, torn from of Seattle like a flimsy roof in in hurricane.

What was left didn’t seem strong enough to stand strong against the NFC West, not too long ago the best division in the NFL.

Turns out, at least in the first half of the season, the Seahawks have built something special. Their 37-23 victory in the mansion of the NFL, Los Angeles’ So-Fi Stadium, not only knocked the Chargers back a bit but us as well. The offense continued its early season run – it may be the best in the league. The defense showed recent changes have been a needed tonic after a slow start. Even the special teams, a liability the past couple weeks, didn’t hurt.

The Hawks are 4-3 and, believe it or not, in first place in the West.

And yet here Seattle fans are, on a Monday morning, hoping against hope they haven’t lost their most-imposing bauble, receiver DK Metcalf, to a knee injury.

Metcalf went up for a touchdown pass Sunday. Didn’t come down with it. Got up, seemed a little off, and walked to the Seattle bench. Within minutes word came he had a knee injury and would not return.

(As an aside, not too long after, a Charger defender tried to jump in the same area of the So-Fi turf and his knee gave out. J.C. Jackson didn’t get up. He had to be carted off. His season is done.)

How bad is Metcalf’s injury? It wasn’t known Sunday. Pete Carroll shared the news X-rays were negative but that isn’t the best way to ascertain the severity of a knee injury. An MRI is needed. It will be done. Seahawk followers are not breathing today.

Nice things have happened to Seattle in the first seven weeks. But some bad things have as well. Rashaad Penny is out for the year. Jamal Adams is as well. Tyler Lockett has been banged up. Now Metcalf’s status is up in the air.

Nice things just don’t seem to last in this part of the world.

• Once more the Hawks’ rookie class showed its worth. Kenneth Walker III was Sunday’s star – 168 yards on 23 carries, including a 74-yard touchdown run – but all the others had a hand in the win.

Seattle was playing a third-string right guard for much of the game but the offensive line still held up, in large part due to the rookie tackles. The defensive backfield, with a couple more rookies playing extensively, did a good job limiting Justin Herbert and the Chargers’ passing game.

Maybe this group of first-year players can buck the trend. Can actually settle in and be the nice thing that lasts.

• We searched our memory last night. Back to the days of Wilt Chamberlain and Richie Ashburn. Nope, we’ve never rooted for a Philadelphia team in our life. Not Dr. J’s. Not Mike Schmidt’s. Not even Bobby Clarke’s. Heck, we’re not all that fond of cheesesteaks.

But we will be rooting for the Phillies in the World Series. Have to. Our moral code requires it. Even if the Astros sweeping to a championship would make the M’s season-ending series seem better.

That can’t be the standard here. No sir. We feel Houston cheated its way to at least one World Series title and wasn’t really punished. That forfeits the Astros’ ability to ever be the “good guys.”

Which, in the world of sports logical, puts that mantle on Bryce Harper and the Phillies.

The Astros are the better team. They will probably win. So be it. We’ll be crossing our fingers and hoping Philadelphia does.

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WSU: Around the Pac-12 and college football, Jon Wilner looks back in the Mercury News in the weekend that was. … He also shares his poll ballot. … The best game this week probably comes Thursday when the Cougars host Utah, also coming off a bye. … There seems to be some thought Washington’s defense figured out some things this weekend. We are of the mind it played California and that made all the difference. … The Bears now have to face Oregon, which is ranked as high as its been all season. The Ducks’ offense seems akin to the Chip Kelly era. … Kelly needs to get his UCLA Bruins back on track. … Colorado may never be on track this season. At least it looked that way against Oregon State. … Arizona State’s loss to Stanford seems to have turned everyone against the interim coach. What a fickle fan base. … USC will be rested when it travels to Arizona. … In basketball news, the conference’s media day is this week, which means the preseason poll will be out. … Washington picked up a commitment from a local player.

EWU and Idaho: Around the Big Sky, Idaho State did not play well in its home loss to Northern Arizona. 

Preps: Brett Rypien was a star at Shadle Park. He started but didn’t star yesterday when he replaced Russell Wilson in the Broncos’ loss to New York. His performance leads off the S-R’s weekly look at NFL locals.

Seahawks: Dave Boling has watched a lot of Seattle seasons. He’s seen the best of the best at running back. He even talked with Curt Warner yesterday about Walker. … The win gives the Hawks the national recognition no when professes to care about. … Next up is the 6-1 New York Giants. For some reasons, the Hawks are favored. … We have quite a few stories and columns to pass along from Los Angeles.

Mariners: What does the future hold? Maybe these answers will help us understand.

Kraken: Chicago rallied late and pinned a loss on Seattle. The power play has been a problem lately.

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• We ate the best fish tacos yesterday. Well made, with fresh cole slaw and a crema that was out of this world. The reason? It’s our way of saying the Chargers should still be in San Diego. Los Angeles isn’t really their home. Until later …