By Brady Henderson

Matt Flynn could have used a strong performance Friday night to counter the momentum Russell Wilson has gained in Seattle's quarterback competition.

Instead, an elbow injury forced him to watch from the sidelines as Wilson led the Seahawks to a 44-14 rout of the Chiefs.

"Unfortunately, Matt's elbow just cropped up in the middle of the week and surprised him and surprised us about the soreness," coach Pete Carroll told reporters afterward. "He couldn't throw well enough to play today."

Carroll said the team isn't sure about the extent of the injury, which he said developed over time as opposed to resulting from a single hit. He described it as a "tendinitis type of thing" and said Flynn has never experienced elbow problems before.

Flynn didn't throw in practice on Wednesday or Thursday, the expectation being that the extra rest would allow him to play Friday. The plan was for Flynn to back up Wilson.

"He did improve a little bit from when it first flared up," Carroll said. "We thought he'd be able to throw today and play and he thought so, too, but when he got out there he just couldn't. So we made sure we held him out, and we'll go into next week and see what happens."

The Seahawks made it through the game relatively healthy. Cornerback Brandon Browner left the game with cramps in his calf. Defensive end Greg Scruggs (hamstring) and safety Chris Maragos (shoulder bruise) sustained what Carroll suggested were minor injuries.