“The worst thing you can do in a bad situation is panic.”

That’s what Seahawks cornerback Shaquill Griffin said about trying to remain poised under pressure, and he may soon get his biggest test at that should he get the call to start opposite Richard Sherman in Seattle’s Week 5 game against the Rams.

Shaq Griffin ‘learning something new every day’ from Richard Sherman

Head coach Pete Carroll said the Seahawks likely won’t know the status of starter Jeremy Lane, who suffered a groin pull in Week 4, until the end of the week. Should Lane be held out, Griffin and third-year pro Justin Coleman would see extra playing time, with Griffin likely starting at right corner and Coleman playing at nickelback.

Griffin, 22, has two passes defensed and 15 tackles through four weeks. Sherman in training camp had high praise for Griffin, calling him mentally sharp and incredibly coachable. Griffin said he tries not to overthink bad plays, which is a mindset he had to learn to adapt after a tough freshman season at Central Florida.

“I feel like my whole freshman year of college was like that,” Griffin said. “If I messed up on a play, I kind of put myself down and it felt like it was holding me back. And it got to a point where I’d rather just play fast and try to make plays and make up for it than sit here and give up more plays because I feel bad about the first one.”

He had a trying moment last Sunday when he surrendered an 18-yard touchdown pass from Jacoby Brissett to Colts wide receiver Donte Moncrief. The score gave Indianapolis a 15-10 lead, though Seattle later came out with the win after scoring 36 points in the second half.

“I don’t like losing, and one play is not going to define who I am,” Griffin said of the play. “I remember (Earl Thomas) coming to me after the game saying ‘They finally got you, huh Shaq?’ I said, ‘Yeah, but they woke up something different. I can’t wait until the next game comes.’”

Rams quarterback Jared Goff, who like most quarterbacks who face the Seahawks’ defense isn’t likely to throw in the direction of Sherman, will test Griffin. Griffin, though, says he’s ready for the challenge.

“I love that,” Griffin said. “You know, (Sherman is) getting tired of him not getting any targets. But, I said sooner or later, they’re going to stop throwing at both of us. So, I said (to Sherman), ‘You better be prepared for that, because they’re about to go at both of us. If I get a chance to learn what I’m learning and get better, teams are going to be scared of both sides and there’s going to be nowhere to throw,” Griffin smiled.

“He said, ‘O.K., I like that.’”