Richard Sherman, Brandon Browner face suspensions

It appears a massive body blow has been delivered to the Seattle Seahawks' playoff hopes.

NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that Seahawks starting cornerbacks Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner are facing four-game suspensions for violating the NFL's policy against performance-enhancing substances. Both players are accused of taking Adderall and are appealing the potential suspensions, according to a source with knowledge of the ruling.

The news comes on the same day the Seahawks' defense gave up 17 fourth-quarter points in a road loss to the Miami Dolphins.

The timing of the potential suspensions remains unclear, but losing both cornerbacks would be devastating for the Seahawks (6-5). Sherman is playing like one of the five best cornerbacks in the NFL. Browner is a quality starter who made the Pro Bowl last season.

The Seahawks' defense is largely defined by its physical secondary. It's hard to overstate how much the cornerbacks mean to the team's chances of playing in January.

Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.