Through the various suspensions imposed on members of the Seahawks over the past two years, internal dysfunction largely has been avoided.
But with the Seahawks one win away from, for all intents and purposes, nailing down the top seed in the NFC, news of a pair of new suspensions has prompted a reaction.
“Everyone should realize where this team is,” receiver Golden Tate told ESPN 710 on Tuesday regarding the punishment imposed on cornerback Walter Thurmond and cornerback Brandon Browner. “You are affecting way more than yourself. I feel like that was kind of a selfish move on both those guys part.”
Tate technically is right; any player who breaks the rules and makes himself unavailable to his team has committed a selfish act. But calling out a teammate publicly may not be the best way to go, because others in the locker room may not see things differently.
And so now, as the Seahawks try to come together and find a way to beat the Saints, the home team next Monday night possibly will be trying to resolve some unexpected and uncharacteristic in-house drama. Coupled with the fact that they won’t have Thurmond or Browner (who’s missing time with a groin injury), the Seahawks could be ripe for an upset.