Does Joe McKnight Need Some Armor?

If bad news comes in threes, No. 4 should be out of the woods.

First, sophomore tailback Joe McKnight missed practice with the-itch-that-shall-not-be-identified. Then he missed time when a door was slammed on his hand. Finally, he sat out after hyperextending his elbow. Yeouch. Every Day Should be Saturday (a popular blog with some language we can't link to today), quipped:

Keep Mr. McKnight away from all wet linens, slippery floors, and rogue parrots. Obey these instructions to the letter.

Through all of it, McKnight has shown flashes of brilliance. At Saturday's scrimmage, the elbow injury appeared to happen on a 56-yard punt return. He was clearly in pain as he got up. When Coach Pete Carroll went to congratulate him, McKnight had to reach across his body with his left hand to complete a high-five.

That may seem like minutiae, but a few plays later McKnight reeled off a 63-yard kickoff return. Considering he couldn't lift his arm just minutes before, it was an extraordinary effort. Now if he can just stay injury free (or at least hold onto the ball) ...

-- Adam Rose
Photo by Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times
[Note: I'm about 90% sure the punt return was first, followed by the kick return ... could be the other way around. If anybody has that in their notes somewhere, please drop me a line.]