Seahawks get mixed news on DK Metcalf, Devon Witherspoon injuries | Notebook

Good news for the Seahawks: Cornerback Devon Witherspoon was a full participant in practice on Thursday after unexpectedly popping up with a foot injury.

Bad news: DK Metcalf continued to be a spectator.

Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald hoped on Wednesday that Metcalf would be able to participate in practice a day later as he continued to recover from a MCL sprain in his knee suffered two weeks ago against Atlanta.

Thursday ended up being the fifth consecutive practice day that Metcalf did not participate, raising the possibility that he could miss a second straight game on Sunday when the Seahawks host the Rams.

There was a noticeable lack of downfield passing last week against Buffalo with Metcalf not on the field. The Seahawks’ longest pass play was a 20-yarder to backup tight end AJ Barner and Buffalo’s defensive backs played very aggressively knowing the Seahawks were without their best deep threat.

“We want DK anytime we can have him in there. He obviously changes the complexity of the football game,” offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said Thursday.

Grubb said he believed the inability to stay on the field early in the game is what kept the Seahawks from generating many big plays. Grubb said it felt like the first time all season the offense never found consistency.

“We just couldn’t sustain drives. It was tough to get in a groove and we just never found our rhythm, which was the first time I thought all season that we hadn’t,” Grubb said. “It didn’t matter what game it was prior to this one — the Buffalo game — at some point we caught our rhythm and we took off and were able to advance the ball against anyone. So this was a little bit uncharted territory and it was just a tough game.”

Tight end Noah Fant (groin) and nose tackle Cameron Young (knee) also did not participate on Thursday after both were limited in practice a day earlier.

Nacua an injury concern for the Rams

There’s uncertainty around the status of one of the Rams’ most important offensive weapons after former UW wide receiver Puka Nacua left practice on Thursday because of a knee injury. Nacua was scheduled to meet with the media, but Rams reporters were told the wide receiver was unavailable. Nacua was listed as limited on the injury report.

Nacua, who started his college career at UW before transferring to BYU, just returned from a sprained knee suffered earlier this season. Nacua had seven catches for 106 yards last week against Minnesota in his first game since Week 1.

Holmgren, Knox semifinalists for Hall of Fame

Former Seahawks’ coaches Mike Holmgren and Chuck Knox were announced as part of the class of nine coaches who are semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Thursday.

The nine coaches were whittled from an original group of 14 that was reduced to 12 earlier this month. A committee will meet Nov. 19 where one of the nine will be selected to receive consideration from the full Hall of Fame selection committee for possible induction in Canton.

Knox coached the Seahawks from 1983-91, leading the Seahawks to their first playoff appearance in franchise history in 1983 and first division title in 1988. Knox was 80-63 in the regular season with the Seahawks and 186-147-1 overall in his coaching career.

Holmgren took the Seahawks to their first Super Bowl appearance in 2005 before falling to Pittsburgh. He won five division titles and was 86-74 in the regular season over his 10 seasons with the Seahawks. Holmgren had a 161-111 regular season record combined between Green Bay and Seattle.

The other seven: Bill Arnsparger, Tom Coughlin, Dan Reeves, Marty Schottenheimer, George Seifert, Mike Shanahan and Clark Shaughnessy.

This is the first time Knox has advanced this far in the process, while Holmgren reached this point last year. This year marked a change in the selection process where coaches were separated from other contributors, meaning at least one coach will advance to consideration by the full selection committee each year.