NFL-Seahawks running back Lynch ruled out of wild card clash

Jan 8 (Reuters) - The Seattle Seahawks will be without running back Marshawn Lynch for Sunday's wild card playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings, the National Football League team announced late on Friday. Lynch, a five-time Pro Bowler, missed the final seven games of the regular season following hernia surgery. He recovered well enough to rejoin the team for practice this week, and Seattle coach Pete Carroll told a local radio station on Friday that Lynch would play at Minnesota, a remark that obviously was premature. Lynch has the second-most career rushing touchdowns among active players, with 74, and his absence is obviously bad news for the Seahawks. The team, however, has played well without Lynch, winning six of its past seven games to earn a wild card spot with a 10-6 record, and is a betting favorite to beat the Vikings. (Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by John O'Brien)