The Seattle Seahawks are 5-2 after yet another impressive showing by their defense.

And that latest win came without their best players in the secondary, both of whom have struggled to stay on the field this year.

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Cornerback Devin Witherspoon missed his fifth game of the season on Monday night with a knee injury, while safety Julian Love was out for the fourth time this season and third game in a row with a hamstring injury.

The Seahawks beat the Houston Texans 27-19 even without the two Pro Bowl players, and the good news is with Seattle’s bye coming up this weekend, the runway is clear for both to return in their Week 9 Sunday Night Football game at Washington on Nov. 2.

Speaking on the Seahawks Radio Network pregame show Monday on Seattle Sports, general manager John Schneider said the upcoming bye factored into the decision to hold both Witherspoon and Love out of action against Houston.

“It’s that point in the season, you know, you have to look at late November, December, January as well. And so we’re just doing a smart thing with those guys,” Schneider told Seahawks broadcaster Steve Raible. “They both really want to go, but working with… our medical staff and really listening to those guys too and how they feel about their bodies, we don’t want to put them in harm’s way. So with ‘Spoon and Julian, we expect those guys to play against Washington with that extra week. The guys, as you well know, they need this extra week to take care of their bodies and go see their families.”

Witherspoon and Love should be joined by some other teammates returning from injury at Washington.

Following Monday’s win, head coach Mike Macdonald said the Seahawks expect them as well as outside linebacker Derick Hall, who has missed the last two games with an oblique injury, to be back for Week 9. And in a press conference Tuesday, Macdonald also mentioned rookie fullback Robbie Ouzts, who is on injured reserve with an ankle injury, as a candidate to come back against Washington.

The Seahawks are tied for first place in the NFC West with the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams, with all three at 5-2 on the season.

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