Coffee and Cigarettes: Seahawks Links for Tuesday

Hello everybody!

Joe Theismann: Seahawks should stand pat at QB - Blog - MyNorthwest.com
A few months ago, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that the Seahawks would spend their first-round pick in April's draft on a quarterback. They passed on doing so the previous three drafts despite having four first-round picks and long-term uncertainty at the position. Surely, this would be the year they finally pulled the trigger on a quarterback, right?

Sports Radio Interviews " Blog Archive " Mike Holmgren Says He is Setting the Foundation in Cleveland Properly
Mike Holmgren joined KJR in Seattle with Dave "Softy" Mahler to talk about how the city of Cleveland has treated him since joining the Browns franchise, what the philosophy is in Cleveland in terms of his rebuilding process, what he thinks about Colt McCoy as his quarterback of the future, what he thinks about playing a quarterback right away nowadays, and what the team plans to do with Peyton Hillis this offseason.

Sports Radio Interviews " Blog Archive " Tom Brady: Josh McDaniels Obviously Has Some Inside Information on the Broncos
Tom Brady joined WEEI in Boston with Dennis and Callahan to discuss the Tim Tebow phenomenon, working with McDaniels again, comparing O’Brien and McDaniels, O’Brien taking the Penn State gig, the last meeting a few weeks ago with Denver, how this year’s Patriots team compares to last year’s and McDaniels’ inside information on the Broncos.

Wild-card Judgements: Another disappointing finish for Falcons - NFL - CBSSports.com News, Rumors, Scores, Stats, Fantasy Advice
1. Like it or not, the Atlanta Falcons, Mike Smith and Matt Ryan are on the clock after their latest setback -- and not because the loss was egregious (which it was) -- but because it was another playoff failure. For the record, the Falcons are 0-3 under Smith and Ryan in the postseason, and you start to wonder not only when they're going to come around, but if they will. "You get what you earn in this league," Smith said after Sunday's 24-2 loss. "We earned a 10-6 record in the regular season; we were 0-1 in the playoffs. We did not play our best game and we are going to ... starting tomorrow ... do everything in our power to rectify the 10-6 record from the regular season and the 0-1 record in the postseason. That is the only way I know how to approach it."

Wild-card thoughts: Texans' offseason decisions pay off big - NFL - CBSSports.com News, Rumors, Scores, Stats, Fantasy Advice
1. Houston Texans -- Congratulations on their first playoff victory. They followed their script of taking the ball out of T.J. Yates hands and running the ball 35 times for 188 yards. J.J. Watt had the play of the game with his interception return for a touchdown. Going into the draft, Gary Kubiak targeted Watt as a guy he wanted; he loved his hustle and effort. The Texans needed a cornerback in the worst way but felt they could get one in free agency instead of taking Prince Amukamara in the first round. Brilliant maneuver by the Texans. Yates was also a player the Texans targeted because they wanted to develop a young QB behind Matt Schaub. They didn't want to spend a pick before the fourth round on him, but when he was there in Round 5, they made their move. The Texans rested Arian Foster (24 carries, 153 yards) the week before and they told me he really looked fresh in practice, and it showed in the game. The Texans will play the Ravens next. The Texans lost 29-14 when they played earlier this season, but trailed only 16-14 going into the fourth quarter. They played without Andre Johnson, and their defense is better now. They have a chance to win this game.

Texas A&M going after the Denver Broncos - CBSSports.com
On Sunday the Denver Broncos, and Tim Tebow in particular, were blowing the minds of football fans across the country while beating the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the NFL playoffs. It was pretty much a wonderful day to be a Broncos fan, but it was also a day that may find the team in court soon. That's because after the Broncos beat the Steelers in overtime there was this tweet from Texas A&M's Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Jason Cook.

Bill Barnwell breaks down Tim Tebow's epic game and the coaching woes in Atlanta - Grantland
The Broncos quarterback had a playoff performance for the ages, by any definition

Charles P. Pierce on Jason Pierre-Paul, Osi Umenyiora, and the New York Giants' domination of the Atlanta Falcons - Grantland
A report from the Meadowlands

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | Audibles at the Line: Wild Card Weekend
Each Sunday, the FO staff sends around e-mails about the games that each of us are watching. We share information about the games that the rest of the group might not be watching, ask questions, and keep everyone else informed about which games they might want to tune into (if they can).

How did Andre Johnson beat Pacman Jones deep? | National Football Post
Breaking down the CB's technique vs. the double-move.

Cosell Talks: 49ers vs Saints a Battle of Old vs New : NFL Films Blog
The most compelling divisional playoff matchup features the Saints and the 49ers. Two 13-3 teams, two division winners. One expected, the other a surprise. The game is fascinating and significant because it transcends this singular moment in the 2011 season. In a very real sense it reflects the evolution of NFL football over the last 3-4 decades.

Seattle Seahawks Blog - Hawk Blogger: Most Improved Since 2009
After comparing the improvement of teams from last year to this year, I was curious which team has improved the most since Pete Carroll and John Schneider came aboard following the 2009 season. The following shows team strength from the end of 2009, compared to this past season. For Seattle, that was the Jim Mora, jr. season.

The Real Robinson Report - Clips from Week 9 - YouTube
Mike Rob takes you in the locker room and turns his camera on the media in this recap. More videos to come.

17 Power, A Seattle Seahawks Blog: 17 Blurbs: Wild-Card Round
15. That Atlanta-based model that Pete Carroll has in mind for his team? It still isn't getting anywhere in the postseason.

Will Hawks pay price? | Seattle Seahawks - The News Tribune
In professional football – as well as in many other callings – nothing says love quite like a bundle of money. And now is the best time to show it, in a private and personal setting, before others can flash their bankrolls.

Quinton Coples at three-technique? " Seahawks Draft Blog
Pete Carroll says he wants to improve the team’s pass rush, but the first round isn’t filled with a lot of top-end defensive line options. North Carolina’s Quinton Coples entered the season with a lot of hype but didn’t live up to expectations. He started slowly with just two sacks against James Madison in his first four games and he was a non-factor in the team’s first defeat to Georgia Tech. Coples was subbed in and out regularly, spelling with Donte Paige-Moss and interestingly was kept out of crucial early down’s. Thing’s picked up late in the year and he finished with five sacks in his last seven games. However, it may be too late to save his dwindling draft stock.

Chandler Harnish could be a sleeper in Seattle " Seahawks Draft Blog
Before Christmas, Kip highlighted quarterback Chandler Harnish as a possible option for the Seahawks in April’s draft. I hadn’t had any access to Northern Illinois game tape, but having read Kip’s review I made sure to watch last night’s GoDaddy.Com Bowl between the Huskies and Arkansas State. It was an impressive performance from the quarterback and left me wanting to learn more. I’ve included game tape above which highlights every snap he took in a victory over Toledo, while I also referred to this video against Army.

Run and Stun
It took the Seahawks longer than they wanted or expected to get where they had hoped to be as an offense in 2011, but their stretch run gives them a running start heading into 2012.