Prepping for Feisty Eagles, Seahawks Believe in George Fant

Facing a strong Philadelphia defensive line with several capable edge rushers, Fant will likely be holding down the fort protecting Russell Wilson’s blind side for a second straight week.

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Ramping up preparation for Sunday’s wild card rematch against the Eagles, the Seahawks are holding out hope All-Pro left tackle Duane Brown will be ready to return from minor knee surgery.

According to coach Pete Carroll, Brown is “going for it” trying to work his way back this week, but he won’t practice on Wednesday. His status remains uncertain and the team will be waiting until the end of the week to determine if he’ll be available in Philadelphia.

If the 34-year old veteran isn’t healthy enough to play, the Seahawks have plenty of confidence in George Fant, who would be making his second straight start as Brown’s replacement.

Back in the starting lineup after second-year tackle Jamarco Jones struggled mightily in Brown’s stead during a Week 16 loss to the Cardinals, Fant held up well against the likes of rookie sensation Nick Bosa and a talented 49ers defensive line that had produced 47 sacks coming into the season finale.

Referencing how well Fant performed in Brown’s absence earlier in the season against the Ravens as well as his impact as an additional tight end, Carroll saw carry over in his latest start, as the former college basketball star looks much more comfortable in his fourth NFL season.

“Played very solid, very confident,” Carroll said on Monday. “Played physical football and got out on the perimeter and did some nice blocks and did some things that we like doing with Duane. That’s a really good sign for us. We’re really happy because we need him to come through and he came in and did a nice job going against one of the best pass rushing groups in the NFL.”

In a bit of a surprise given San Francisco’s overall athleticism on defense, Seattle found success running outside against its bitter NFC West rival last Sunday. As Carroll mentioned, Fant’s ability to get to defenders on the perimeter helped create running lanes for speedy rookie Travis Homer, who finished with 62 rushing yards on just 10 carries.

Fant also played well in pass protection, helping limit the 49ers to a single sack against Russell Wilson and keeping Bosa at bay. While the Seahawks star quarterback was hit nine times, several of those hits came after extending the play and weren’t necessarily the fault of the offensive line.

With Fant and the entire line stepping up in the second half, Seattle scored touchdowns on three consecutive drives to trim San Francisco’s lead to 26-21, including two touchdown tosses by Wilson. A last-minute drive nearly ended in victory, as tight end Jacob Hollister was stopped mere inches from the goal line on fourth and goal.

As Carroll attested, regardless of whether Fant or Brown is in the lineup on Sunday, whoever starts will face another stiff test from the Eagles. Despite injuries ravaging their roster, the defensive line remains one of the best in the league led by defensive tackle Fletcher Cox.

In a 17-9 victory in Week 12, the Eagles sacked Wilson six times, thwarting several promising offensive drives for the Seahawks in the process. To win on the road again, Fant will need to rise to the occasion against the pass rushing trio of Derek Barnett, Brandon Graham, and Vinny Curry, who combined to produce 20.0 sacks this season.

No longer the inexperienced player he was when he signed as an undrafted free agent in 2016, Carroll has seen enough in recent weeks to remain hopeful Fant will be able to do just that on the biggest stage in postseason play.

“He handled what he needed to handle pretty well for the most part,” Carroll said. “It just gives us some confidence moving forward. We’re a little uncertain how that was going to look, particularly this past week. These guys coming up are good, too. They rush like crazy, so we’re going to need him.”