Bradley Sowell wasn't expecting to play as much as he did last week in his first game back from a knee injury, but after replacing Garry Gilliam at right tackle after just one offensive series, Sowell remained at that spot the rest of the game, playing 60 of 63 plays.
Sowell admits he felt a little rusty at times having missed Seattle's previous four games, but he was more than happy to stay on the field to show to the team and to himself that he was all the way back. And on Wednesday, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll announced that Sowell, who started the first six games of the season at left tackle, will start this week's game at right tackle.
"It feels good," Sowell said of being back. "Obviously I had a rough month dealing with my knee. I felt really good, but I just couldn't make it back. I kept trying each week, and it always felt a little funny or something, then finally last week I got a chance to come back. They put me in there pretty quick, a lot quicker than I thought they were, and it just kind of went from there."
Sowell isn't returning to his spot at left tackle because the Seahawks are excited about what they've seen from rookie George Fant since he took over in Sowell's absence, so in the name of getting the best five players on the field, they had Sowell and Gilliam compete for the starting job on the right side.
"With George's movement and consistent improvement from week to week, and as you know everything in this program is about competition, we were just trying to find the best five guys to get on the field," offensive line coach Tom Cable said.
And as much as Sowell didn't like being out, him having time in practice the past couple of weeks to make the transition to right tackle, a position he hasn't played in a game since his rookie season, is what allowed him to win that job.
"The injury that he had with the knee was a bit of a blessing," offensive line coach Tom Cable said. "It gave us some extended time to train him and get more reps. Had we forced it and had him play earlier, he may not have been quite as ready."
Sowell admits he feels more comfortable at left tackle having spent more time there, but said, "Wherever they need me, I'm good to go with it."
The Seahawks switching to Sowell doesn't mean the line is set going forward—"it's always competition," Cable noted—but he has shown enough in practice and in last week's game to get the starting nod this week.
"I think you see in that game his physical-ness, his strength, obviously his length and size," Cable said. "All those things kind of fit what we're trying to do. It was pretty obvious right when he went in that it was a good thing."
And like everyone else on the line, Sowell knows he and his teammates need to be better than they were last week against Tampa Bay when Russell Wilson was sacked six times, and they're confident they'll be able to turn things around beginning this week.
"We've just got to do better, do a better job protecting, get off the ball better," Sowell said. "I think we'll be fine, we just had an off night, and we'll get better as we go.
"It is, it certainly is (fixable). I just feel like we've got to target things better, we've got to get off the ball better—we had a couple time we were late off the ball. It's all stuff that's correctable. We went against good D-lines this year and held up better than that. It's just one of those off nights, but I think we'll certainly fix it and come back ready to go."
Take a look at the Carolina Panthers players you can expect to see when the Seattle Seahawks take the field in Week 13 on Sunday Night Football at CenturyLink Field.
Carolina Panthers free safety Tre Boston (33) is seen prior to an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
Carolina Panthers' Kurt Coleman (20) makes his way onto the field during introductions before an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016. The Panthers won 23-20.(AP Photo/Bob Leverone)
Carolina Panthers cornerback Daryl Worley (26) watches from the sideline during an NFL game against the Los Angeles Rams on November 6, 2016. The Panthers defeated the Rams 13-10. (Kevin Terrell via AP)
Carolina Panthers' James Bradberry (24) takes the field during introductions before an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016. The Vikings won 22-10. (AP Photo/Bob Leverone)
Carolina Panthers defensive end Kony Ealy (94) looks on from the sidelines during a week 2 preseason NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Saturday, Aug. 20, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn. The Panthers won 26-16. (Scott Boehm via AP)
Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis (58) rests during an NFL game against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, Nov. 27, 2016, in Oakland, Ca. The Raiders won the game, 35-32. (Greg Trott via AP)
Carolina Panthers' A.J. Klein (56) during introductions before an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 25, 2015. The Panthers won 27-16. (AP Photo/Bob Leverone)
Carolina Panthers rookie linebacker Shaq Thompson (54) warms up prior to the NFL Super Bowl 50 football game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016, in Santa Clara, Calif. The Broncos defeated the Panthers 24-10. (Jim Mahoney via AP).
Carolina Panthers middle linebacker Luke Kuechly (59) pursues the runner during an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
Carolina Panthers defensive end Wes Horton (96) walks off the field after the Carolina Panthers defeat the Chicago Bears in an NFL football game in Charlotte, NC, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2014. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn)
Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Kawann Short (99) during pre-game introductions before the game against the New Orleans Saints, Thursday Nov. 17, 2016, Charlotte, NC. The Panthers defeated the Saints 23-20. (Al Tielemans via AP Images)
Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Star Lotulelei (98) during an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals at Bank of America Stadium, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016 in Charlotte, N.C. The Panthers defeated the Cardinals 30-20. (Perry Knotts via AP)
Carolina Panthers defensive end Charles Johnson (95) during pre-game introductions before the game against the New Orleans Saints, Thursday Nov. 17, 2016, Charlotte, NC. The Panthers defeated the Saints 23-20. (Al Tielemans via AP Images)
Carolina Panthers' Fozzy Whittaker (43) gets his teammates fired up before an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016. The Panthers won 23-20.(AP Photo/Bob Leverone)
Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart (28) looks on prior to an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
Carolina Panthers fullback Mike Tolbert (35) during warm ups prior to an NFL football game at Bank of America, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016 in Charlotte, N.C. The Vikings defeated the Panthers 22-10. (Perry Knotts via AP)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) smiles as he runs off the field after a game against the New Orleans Saints, Thursday, Nov.17, 2016 in Charlotte,N.C. The Carolina Panthers won 23-20. (Logan Bowles via AP Images)
Carolina Panthers tight end Ed Dickson (84) looks on prior to an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. (19 watches from the sideline during an NFL game against the Denver Broncos on Thursday, September 8, 2016. The Broncos defeated the Panthers 21-20. (Kevin Terrell via AP)
Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen stands on the sidelines during an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016, in Los Angeles. The Panthers won 13-10. (AP Photo/Ryan Kang)
Carolina Panthers guard Chris Scott (79) looks on from the sideline during the 2016 NFL week 5 regular season football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016 in Charlotte, N.C. The Buccaneers won the game 17-14. (Paul Spinelli via AP)
Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Daryl Williams (60) looks on during the 2016 NFL week 1 regular season football game against the Denver Broncos on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016 in Denver. The Broncos won the game 21-20. (Paul Spinelli via AP)
Carolina Panthers offensive guard Tyler Larsen (69) does a low five during the 2016 NFL preseason football game against the New England Patriots on Friday, Aug. 26, 2016 in Charlotte, N.C. The Patriots won the game 19-17. (Paul Spinelli via AP)
Carolina Panthers guard Trai Turner (70) on the sideline during an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings at Bank of America, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016 in Charlotte, N.C. The Vikings defeated the Panthers 22-10. (Perry Knotts via AP)
Carolina Panthers guard Andrew Norwell (68) watches from the sideline during an NFL game against the Los Angeles Rams on November 6, 2016. The Panthers defeated the Rams 13-10. (Kevin Terrell via AP)
Carolina Panthers tackle Mike Remmers (74) looks on during the football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, December 13, 2015 in Charlotte, NC. (AP Photo/Kent Smith)
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Devin Funchess (17) during warm ups prior to an NFL football game at Bank of America, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016 in Charlotte, N.C. The Vikings defeated the Panthers 22-10. (Perry Knotts via AP)
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin (13) celebrates after a catch against the San Francisco 49ers in an NFL football game Sept. 18, 2016 in Charlotte, N. C. (Al Messerschmidt via AP)
Carolina Panthers long snapper J.J. Jansen (44) runs upfield during an NFL game against the Los Angeles Rams on November 6, 2016. The Panthers defeated the Rams 13-10. (Kevin Terrell via AP)
Carolina Panthers punter Michael Palardy (5) kicks during the game against the New Orleans Saints, Thursday Nov. 17, 2016, Charlotte, NC. The Panthers defeated the Saints 23-20. (Al Tielemans via AP Images)
Carolina Panthers kicker Graham Gano (9) warms up prior to a game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Sep. 17th, 2016 in Charlotte,NC. (Logan Bowles via AP Images)
