Links, just for you. Yes, you.
Week 8 Sunday picks: Key matchups define the season's halfway mark - Yahoo! Shutdown Corner
This week, ultra-talented and ultra-mouthy Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman renamed himself "Optimus Prime" on Twitter, all the better to steel himself for the upcoming battle with Calvin "Megatron" Johnson. Sherman doesn't really need such conceits, as he and the rest of the Seattle secondary have played wonderfully this season. On the other side of the ball, Matthew Stafford has not played well at all this year, and Detroit's "What? Run the ball?" offense is in a lot of trouble as a result. .
Seattle's defensive line is looking to recover from the pounding given to it by Frank Gore and the San Francisco 49ers' offensive line two Thursdays ago, and Detroit's secondary should provide an easy path even for Seattle's receivers, who were dropping passes in that 49ers game as if Koren Robinson and Jerramy Stevens were still on the roster.
Pick: Seahawks 23, Lions 13
Seattle Seahawks At Detroit Lions: Matchups To Watch - 12th Man Rising
1) Calvin Johnson vs Richard Sherman - Or Megatron vs Optimus Prime, if you'd rather use nicknames. This matchup has gotten all the press leading up to the game, and there's a good reason why. Johnson is the game's best receiver right now. Sherman is the young dominant corner who's not afraid of taking the trash talking away from the field, but who's play has certainly backed up all the talk. This matchup will certainly have a big say as to which teams wins this game.
Seahawks can make second-half road smoother by winning at Detroit - The Seattle Times
Detroit may be the more desperate team entering Sunday's game, but that doesn't mean there's no urgency for Seattle.
"We have to find a way," coach Pete Carroll said. "We found a way in Carolina, and we have to find a way (in Detroit)."
Seahawks have their hands full with Megatron - HeraldNet
Sherman doesn't say that to be disrespectful of Johnson's considerable talent; he just believes in Seattle's defense, and to him that means if the Seahawks take care of their own business, the opponent shouldn't matter. Sometimes sticking up for himself and his team has gotten Sherman a bit more attention than he was intending -- such as when some postgame trash talking directed at Tom Brady became a national story. But the confidence and the swagger Sherman and several of his teammates possess are part of the reason this defense has performed so well, and part of the reason that this Megatron vs. Optimus Prime battle is so intriguing.
"We have to play him really well, I hope our corners can match up, and I think our guys have as good a chance as anybody," Carroll said. "Our guys will be as big of corners as he sees. ... So we'll see what happens. They'll be ready to go and we'll see if we can get some plays made. Our guys are tough too, so we'll give them some problems. We'll see how it goes when matchup time comes.
Seahawks' Tate looks to shake off drops - The Olympian
Carroll did not say which receiver will start against the Lions today, going only so far as noting that both Tate and Edwards will see playing time.
"Both of those guys will play at that spot," Carroll said. "I know that Golden was really disappointed in his game and he wanted to get back going and on track. He didn't feel good about some of the plays where the ball wasn't coming to him.
"He's worked very hard to make sure that he was competing every single play to be in the right spot and do the right things. He put together a solid week, so I'm expecting him to make some plays for us."
Keys to victory in Seahawks-Lions matchup - The Seattle Times
Pass, present and future. The Seahawks have run the ball on 55 percent of their plays from scrimmage, the highest rate in the league. But Seattle has shown a willingness to throw more in the first quarter. Is it just a coincidence the Seahawks scored on four of their five first-quarter possessions over the previous three games? What's the lesson there? Don't be afraid to keep passing.
Russell Wilson's Case For Rookie of the Year - International Business Times
When Head Coach Pete Carroll drafted Russell Wilson out of Wisconsin in the 3rd round of this years draft, it would seem he would have to settle for a place warming the bench, as high priced free agent Matt Flynn loked to be the man handling the Seattle Seahawks offense.
Seahawk defenders match Megatron's size in Detroit - AP
Seattle can match up cornerbacks Brandon Brower and Richard Sherman, both of whom are at least 6-3, with Johnson and can have 6-3 safety Kam Chancellor lurking nearby.
"That's like a junior college basketball team," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. "They've got some length and some size."
Eight really random things and whatever else is going on around the NFL... - NFL.com
How can you not love Seahawks CB Richard Sherman? Dude changed his Twitter name to Optimus Prime in anticipation for his much-anticipated rumble with Megatron this week when they play the Lions. He trash-talked Tom Brady on Twitter after his team took down the Patriots. Oh, and according to ProFootballFocus.com, he's one of the league's highest-performing CBs. That's how you do it. That's how you make a name for yourself. You talk trash, play your butt off, talk more trash, then shut another guy down. Sherman puts up, then doesn't have to shut up. Obviously big test this week, and one wonders if he woke a sleeping giant in Lions WR Calvin Johnson. But CBs have to have a certain mentality, able to exist on an island and have the confidence to not worry about getting beat. Well, Sherman has the confidence. And he's really learned the one way to draw people's attention to Seattle: Shout. That's what he's done, essentially shouting to the NFL that we should pay attention to him. And so, we will. I have no doubt that Sherman is pissing some people off with his brash ways. Who cares? Talk all the trash you want if you're gonna bring it. Plus, he's a West Coast guy who got up early to be on NFL AM. So, you gotta love that.
Week 8: Seahawks at Lions - Seahawks.com Blog
Seahawks C Max Unger and OGs James Carpenter and Paul McQuistan vs. Lions DT Ndamukong Suh: A Pro Bowl selection last season and NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2010, Suh can be a handful. And dealing with him will be an across-the-interior-of-the-line assignment as Unger, Carpenter and McQuistan will all have to block him at some point - at times in tandem. "He's a good inside player," Unger said. "We've got to be able to handle him, and to do that we've got to bring our A game. We've got to know where he is on every snap, there's no question about that." Suh, who was born in Portland, has 3.5 sacks this season, to go with the 10 he produced as a rookie and four more last season.