Tatupu lost for season

SEATTLE – Already dealing with key injuries, the Seattle Seahawks took another hit Sunday, losing middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu for the season with a torn left pectoral muscle.

Seattle coach Jim Mora announced Tatupu would miss the rest of the season and need surgery following Seattle’s 27-3 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Tatupu, a three-time Pro Bowler, appeared to get hurt while tackling Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald late in the second quarter. Tatupu walked off holding his left chest area and with his left arm appearing limp.

“The Lofa thing is tough. It’s a blow to our team. It’s a blow to him as a man. He’s such a competitor, he loves to play,” Mora said. “This is such an important part of his life and I don’t know if he’s ever experienced anything like this, at least this early in the season. It’s going to be tough on him.”

While most of Seattle’s injury problems have been on the offensive side, and specifically the offensive line, Tatupu’s injury is a big loss for a defense that has posted two shutouts this season, but was also picked apart by Arizona on Sunday.

Along with Tatupu’s loss, Seattle played the second half without defensive end Patrick Kerney after he aggravated a groin injury. Mora said Kerney was injured on the final play of the first half and couldn’t go in the second half. Kerney had a pair of sacks and a forced fumble before being sidelined.

The two-time Pro Bowler was first injured on Oct. 4 at Indianapolis, then missed last week’s win over Jacksonville.

Seattle was without four other starters again on Sunday. Entering the weekend, 12 starters had missed at least one game due to injury this season.

But the Seahawks get their bye next week and are hopeful of having a number of starters – offensive linemen Sean Locklear and Rob Sims, and linebacker Leroy Hill – back when they play on Nov. 1 at Dallas.