Seahawks at Browns
THE STORY: The Seattle Seahawks have had a bye week to consider the possibility but still have yet to name a starting quarterback for Sunday’s visit to the Cleveland Browns. Tarvaris Jackson suffered a strained pectoral muscle in a win over the New York Giants on Oct. 9, and Charlie Whitehurst finished out that game. Whitehurst has been getting the bulk of the reps in practice this week, but Jackson has not been ruled out. The Browns have lost two straight sandwiched around a bye, dropping them into a big hole in the AFC North. Quarterback Colt McCoy is completing just 55.8 percent of his passes and isn’t getting much help from the running game.
TV: FOX, 1 p.m. ET. LINE: Browns -3, O/U 41.5
ABOUT THE SEAHAWKS (2-3): Seattle exploded for a season-high 424 yards in their 36-25 road victory over the Giants, with Whitehurst going 11 for 19 in relief of Jackson. Whitehurst threw the go-ahead touchdown pass with just over two minutes remaining, hitting Doug Baldwin with a 27-yard pass. The Seahawks could catch a break in the passing game on Sunday, as Browns cornerback Joe Haden is questionable with a sprained knee.
ABOUT THE BROWNS (2-3): Cleveland got burned on special teams for a pair of touchdowns in last Sunday’s 24-17 loss to the Oakland Raiders, surrendering a 101-yard kickoff return and failing to sniff out a fake punt. The Browns held the ball for nearly 10 minutes less than the Raiders and have had trouble controlling the ball due to a rushing game that ranks 30th in the NFL, averaging 81.6 yards. Top back Peyton Hillis has been limited to a total of 16 rushes and 60 yards over the past two games due to illness, hamstring issues and a reported contract squabble. He is questionable for Sunday.
EXTRA POINTS:
1. Browns linebacker Scott Fujita could miss the game with post-concussion symptoms.
2. Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch rushed for a season-high 98 yards two weeks ago and has scored in two straight games.
3. Browns tight end Benjamin Watson needs 29 receiving yards to reach 1,000 for his career.