SEAHAWKS-INJURIES
Lynch expected to play, Wagner to be game-time decision
RENTON, Wash. (AP) β After missing the last two games with a hamstring strain, Marshawn Lynch is expected to return to the starting lineup for Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers.
Linebacker Bobby Wagner will be a game-time decision.
Lynch did not start against the Chicago Bears in Week 3 due to a calf injury and then exited the game for good in the second quarter after straining his hamstring before halftime. The two games missed were the first games in which Lynch was inactive since being traded to Seattle in 2010.
Lynch participated fully in practice on Thursday and Friday.
NORTH CAROLINA-SUSPENSIONS
UNC’s Stewart, Hughes face misdemeanor assault charges
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) β North Carolina cornerbacks M.J. Stewart and Mike Hughes face misdemeanor assault charges tied to an altercation earlier this month.
Stewart turned himself in and was released on an unsecured bond Thursday night, while Hughes was arrested before being released on bond, according to police arrest reports.
UNC announced Thursday night the two were suspended indefinitely from all team-related activities for a violation of team rules, sidelining them from Saturday’s game against Wake Forest. The school’s release said it was connected to an Oct. 4 incident in Chapel Hill, while coach Larry Fedora’s statement referenced an “altercation” and that UNC had worked with Chapel Hill police to gather information.
Stewart, a sophomore, has started every game while Hughes, a freshman, has is a reserve for the Tar Heels (4-1).
PANTHERS-INJURIES
Panthers DE Allen inactive for Seahawks with back pain
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) β Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera says defensive end Jared Allen will miss Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks after sitting out the entire week of practice with a pinched nerve in his back.
Wes Horton will start in Allen’s spot.
Rivera said Allen might have played had this been a playoff off.
The Panthers also ruled out backup middle linebacker A.J. Klein (concussion) and offensive tackle Daryl Williams (knee).
Allen was injured during the Panthers’ first game against Tampa Bay in Week 4. He has been experiencing numbness in his legs ever since.
The Panthers will get middle linebacker Luke Kuechly and wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery back on Sunday. Kuechly has missed the last three games with a concussion, while Cotchery has missed two games with a sprained ankle.
LONG SNAPPER’S GIFT
Wilson man gets football from Steelers Monday night win
(Information in the following story is from: The Wilson Daily Times, http://www.wilsondaily.com)
WILSON, N.C. (AP) β A Wilson man battling liver cancer got a big lift from the Pittsburgh Steelers win over the San Diego Chargers.
Pittsburgh long snapper Greg Warren shipped one of the game balls from Monday night’s win to Richie Creech.
The Wilson Times reports that Richie Creech was diagnosed with stage 4 primary liver cancer two years ago. Sallie Creech says her husband has gotten much worse since a fundraiser earlier this month.
The couple’s 11-year-old son, Jake, said the game could have been his dad’s last game.
A family friend knew Warren, who went to Southern Wayne High School and the University of North Carolina. Warren had the ball shipped overnight to Creech.
The signed ball included a handwritten letter to let Richie know Warren was praying for him.
