Kenneth Walker, Al Woods, Shelby Harris all maybes — and all needed — for Seahawks vs 49ers

Kenneth Walker is taking steps toward what the Seahawks hope is restoring their lost running game.

The rookie lead back participated in Seattle’s light practice Monday afternoon. It was his first time on any field since he got hurt early in a game at the Rams eight days earlier.

The Seahawks’ hope is Walker is able to return from an unusual ankle injury to start Thursday night against San Francisco.

“We are going to go day to day, see how it happens here. See how [he] handles the walk-through today,” coach Pete Carroll said mid-afternoon Monday.

“And then we will just take it one day at a time.”

There are only two more of them before the Seahawks (7-6) try to revive their playoff contention against the 49ers (9-4).

A win by San Francisco in a rematch of its 27-7 win over Seattle in week two would give the 49ers the NFC West title. The 49ers lead the Seahawks by two games plus, for now, the head-to-head tie-breaker, with four games remaining in the regular season.

The Seahawks trail the New York Giants (7-5-1), whom they’ve already beaten, by a half game for the conference’s seventh and final playoff spot.

Number-two back DeeJay Dallas sounds more unlikely to play Thursday than Walker. Carroll has said Dallas has a high-ankle sprain. Those injuries often take three or more weeks to return from. Dallas was injured on the final play of the first half in Seattle’s rally past the Los Angeles Rams Dec. 4.

Walker missed Seattle’s home loss to Carolina this past weekend. His return would put the Seahawks in better playoff position than they are now. He has nine touchdowns in the 7-1/2 games since he replaced injured Rashaad Penny as the No. 1 running back.

Seattle’s running backs Travis Homer and Tony Jones gained just 28 yards on 10 carries. That is not how Carroll has built or wants this team to play and win. With running like that, quarterback Geno Smith has to be perfect to win. He wasn’t against Carolina. He threw two interceptions for the first time this season.

Walker was injured after three rushes against the Rams. Carroll has said the second-round draft choice from Michigan State is dealing with an old injury, a sore spot on the inside of his ankle. It is not a high-ankle sprain of ligaments or a lateral, conventional ankle sprain either, Carroll has said.

Penny is out for the season. He broke his fibula in a game at New Orleans Oct. 9.

Who will be the 49ers’ QB?

Not running the ball and not stopping the run, grunt work of toughness fundamental to football, are why the Seahawks have lost three of their last four games since they were 6-3 and atop the division. All three losses have been to teams with losing records.

Tampa Bay, Las Vegas and Carolina ran straight at, around and through Seattle’s defensive front. Power, outside and inside zone read, fly sweeps, quarterback runs — all that and more have worked as the Seahawks have allowed 161, 283, 171 and 223 yards rushing the last four games.

Seattle is 31st in the league in rush defense (160.5 yards against per game). Only 1-11-1 Houston is worse (by 5 yards per game).

This is the worst Seahawks run defense since the first half-dozen seasons of franchise history. Only the expansion team of 1976 (205.8 yards rushing allowed), the 1977 team (177.5) and 1981 Seahawks (175.4) allowed more yards on the ground than this Seattle defense is surrendering.

San Francisco bulled relentlessly 45 times for 189 yards Sept. 18, when the Seahawks wilted in a 20-point loss in Santa Clara.

Quarterback Trey Lance started that game for the 49ers. He is out injured for the season. Jimmy Garoppolo appears likely out for the season with a foot injury. Brock Purdy, the last player selected in this year’s draft, got an oblique injury in his first career start Sunday, the Niners’ blowout of Tampa Bay.

Josh Johnson, signed last week, could start for San Francisco on Thursday in Seattle. Niners coach Kyle Shanahan told media in the Bay Area Monday of Purdy’s injury that forced him out of the final 13 minutes against the Buccaneers: “I think it was a challenge for him, just talking to him and seeing him after the game.

“I think he really toughed it out and did some real good things with it. I know he’s sore today. Hopefully the MRI will be good and it will give him a chance to play Thursday.”

All of which makes it even more likely San Francisco runs the ball at least 40 times in Seattle.

That makes the availability of Al Woods and Shelby Harris seemingly critical to the Seahawks.

Al Woods, Shelby Harris injuries

Seattle’s two veteran run-stopping defensive linemen are injured.

Woods missed the second half of the Panthers game with a sore Achilles. Carroll said it’s not an Achilles tear but “somewhat of an old injury” that is nagging the 35-year-old captain.

“It’s not an Achilles-rupture sort of thing, but he’s got a sore Achilles,” the coach said. “So we need to see what happens, see how he goes this week.”

Harris remained sick Monday. He was so ill Sunday he missed the game. Carroll thinks it’s similar to a 48-hour virus that went through Seattle’s locker room the last two weeks. If so, that bodes well for Harris to play Thursday.

“We’ll see if he can get through it,” Carroll said.

Carroll and defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt moved Woods more outside to a “five-technique” end position opposite the Panthers’ tackle in the first half against Carolina. It was like Carroll did with tackle Red Bryant a decade ago. It was to get Woods in the running lanes for the Panthers’ zone-read plays at the tackle gap.

That worked well Sunday. With Woods outside as an end in the 3-4 scheme, Seattle allowed Carolina 78 yards on 22 rushes (3.5 yards per carry) in the first half.

After Woods went out injured, the Panthers rushed for 145 yards on 24 carries (6 yards per rush) after halftime.

“He did a nice job and factored in,” Carroll said. “It was unfortunate that we didn’t have him.”