So who decided that Marshawn Lynch wasn't ready to play on Sunday?
Marshawn Lynch, according to Seahawks coach Pete Carroll.
Seattle's workhorse back "just didn't feel like he had it," Carroll said after the team's 10-9 wild-card win over the Vikings.
"We finished practice (on Friday), and I went right to you guys, to talk to the media, just going on what I had seen," Carroll said, per ESPN.com. "But when he went back to his locker and sat down, he just didn't feel it. He didn't feel like he could go, and that's it. He just didn't feel like he had it. There wasn't enough time to build the confidence that he needed to come in and do something."
After missing nearly two months due to a core muscle issue that ultimately required surgery, Lynch was described last Monday by Carroll as being "ready to go" before practicing fully all week.
That wasn't the case, as NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that Lynch knew something was still not right with his body after spending the previous month rehabbing. Beast Mode felt pain flare up during the week, before ultimately telling team officials that he wasn't going to be at his best against the Vikings just as players were boarding the plane to Minnesota.
With Christine Michael in the fold and playing well, the Seahawks are in good position with or without their lead runner. Still, having Lynch back in time for Sunday's tilt with the Panthers would turn this backfield into a raging headache for opponents.
