Seahawks start second week game against Steelers

Timing is paramount, and time is running out for the Seattle Seahawks.

Carroll: Seahawks' Lockett and Iupati to play Steelers

On paper, the Seahawks have the spirit of a team of 10 or 11 victories, especially after the exchange of Jadeveon Clowney. But the Seahawks have made enough changes so that it takes time for everyone to work well in attack and defense.

And when it comes to time, the Seahawks face these changes in two difficult weeks of traveling to Pittsburgh, then come home to face Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. Pete Carroll has his hands full at this time to sort the Seattle defensive line, security position and youth to wide receiver and offensive line.

Here's what to look for in Sunday's game against Pittsburgh.

Seahawks at Steelers in preview

• Lano Hill should return to starting training with safety. Tedric Thompson, who struggled last week, is struggling with a thigh injury and is doubtful for Sunday.

Hill was to finish last year as the Seahawks were safe before hitting the hip late in the season. The wound required surgery, forcing Hill to spend three months out of bed, bedridden and unable to do much. So he became aware. He did not train until the last weeks of training camp and it took him some time to regain his weight. Sunday, he should have the chance to test where he is.

• It will be an interesting game for the defensive line. Ziggy Ansah is expected to debut. Naturally, he will be participating in what would be not only his first game with the Seahawks, but also his first match since the end of his shoulder surgery since a shoulder injury with the Detroit Lions.

Jadeveon Clowney, the other new Seahawks defense team, made an impressive debut. He was on the field for 48 shots on goal and caused a lot of damage to the line of scrimmage. His pressure opened the door to defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson, who had a career day after the start of the Bengals' double draw against Clowney.

The initial impact of Ansah will provide insight into the quality of the pass with two Pro Bowl defense tips.

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• Jamar Taylor should play the cornerback instead of Ugo Amadi. He just signed again this week and in this case, the time for Seattle could not be better. Amadi has a shoulder injury and is a rookie, while Taylor has 41 shots in the NFL and knows the Steelers well because of his two years with the Cleveland Browns, who play Pittsburgh twice a year.

• An interesting decision to follow is the way the Seahawks use their nickel defense. Last Sunday, the Seahawks used twice their set of three linebackers they opted for nickel packages with Amadi playing the slot machine. Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright and Mychal Kendricks are the three best linebackers that Carroll has known since coming to Seattle in 2010, and it's hard to say how Pete will balance these sets.

• Tyler Lockett must have a good game. Seattle's top receiver was only targeted twice in the Bengals game and only caught one pass, though he had a big win and was finally hit. Lockett has covered many of the routes that the Bengals have been able to cover, and it is worth noting that the Steelers struggled to stop the Patriots' quick crosses in the middle of the field during the first week. For the Seahawks to win in Pittsburgh need a great Lockett game.

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• Offensive goaltender Mike Iupati (foot) will make his full debut with the Seahawks after a brief appearance in Week 1. The Seahawks' offensive line fought the Bengals 5-2 defensive system. They could not run. They could not go in bulk. They only ran 49 games. Russell Wilson has only 20 assists and 14 shots. But Iupati's presence gives the Seahawks one of the most physical offensive lines in football.

Follow John Clayton of the ESPN Seattle 710 on Twitter.

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