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FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | SITE NEWS: Expanded Drive and Pace Stats
We're proud to introduce expanded drive stats and new pace stats here on FootballOutsiders, compiled each week by our friend Jim Armstrong. The main drive stats page now serves as a central spot for six stats given for offense, defense and net:
Who wins — Seahawks or San Francisco? | Sportspress Northwest
Harbaugh was a human dial tone in his obligatory teleconference. Then again, his last appearance in town was after a 42-13 pasting by the Seahawks. Best to shut up.
Is SEA undergoing a change in offensive philosophy? | Seattle Seahawks
Sunday showed signs of a Seahawks team that is going to play a different game than what we saw in 2012. Russell Wilson set a career regular season record for passing yards in a game with 320 and Marshawn Lynch picked up a mere 43 yards on the ground.
Carroll doesn't see read-option rule like Harbaugh - SFGate
Surprise: Jim Harbaugh and Seattle head coach Pete Carroll disagree about something.
Anthony Dixon of San Francisco 49ers calls Seattle Seahawks the She-Hawks - ESPN
San Francisco 49ers running back Anthony Dixon apparently isn't worried about tweeting bulletin board material for the Seattle Seahawks ahead of the teams' Sunday night showdown.
Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch changes direction - ESPN
When the San Francisco 49ers meet the Seattle Seahawks in the biggest game of this weekend, the major storylines won't be hard to predict. The two star quarterbacks (San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick and Seattle's Russell Wilson) will receive ample attention while the NFL's hottest rivalry will be hyped to maximum effect. Probably running far behind all that hoopla is the importance of Seahawks Pro Bowl running back Marshawn Lynch. He's the epitome of everything Seattle has become, and he's only just beginning to show the world what he's really all about.
San Francisco 49ers getting their shot for redemption in Seattle against Seahawks - San Jose Mercury News
When the 49ers visit Seattle on Sunday night, they'll be getting a chance to show that last December's 29-point blowout was an anomaly.
Hawks fans ready for record roar | Local News | The Seattle Times
Guinness World Records will have a representative at Sunday’s Seahawks-San Francisco game to see (hear, actually) if fans can set a “loudest crowd roar” record.
49ers prediction: Can’t see a Harbaugh team getting blown out again, but Seattle’s nearly invincible at home, so… | Talking Points
This was going to be my 49ers-Seattle comment on the NFL Picks item, but it got so long that it seemed much better and clearer to break it out into an item of its own and keep writing and well, this is a fairly large game so it deserves extra commotion, anyway… So here’s the prediction:
San Francisco 49ers – Niner Insider Blog – SFGate.com » Did Harbaugh honk? 49ers’ Thomas doesn’t dismiss possibility
Niners practice-squad safety Michael Thomas, who has been with Harbaugh for five of the past six years at Stanford and San Francisco, knows the head coach better than most in the locker room. So Thomas was posed the question: Do you believe Harbaugh laid on his horn? “Is it true or is not?” Thomas said, laughing. “I don’t know. To be honest, I’m like y’all. If it is true, I can see coach Harbaugh doing it. But the same time, I don’t know if it’s true or not.”
Niners Hoping for Special Effort on Kickoff Coverage | NBC Bay Area
Seahawks' Kearse had a 107-yard kickoff return in exhibition season
The All-22 All-Stars: Bobby Wagner, the Seahawks' Tackling Machine - The Triangle Blog - Grantland
The All-22 All-Star Team is an attempt to provide some insight on the NFL's 22 most underappreciated players. Some will be All-Pros who haven't fully
Will the Hall call Walter Jones, Shaun Alexander and Mike Holmgren?
The list of 126 nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2014 includes three Seahawks from the most successful five-season run in franchise history: Shaun Alexander, Walter Jones and Mike Holmgren.
Person of Interest: 49ers' Colin Kaepernick - 710sports.com
Putting the microscope on one player from the Seahawks' upcoming opponent, this time San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick. - Blog 710 ESPN Seattle at 710sports.com
49ers coach Jim Harbaugh is right about one thing - 710sports.com
Bob Stelton and Dave Grosby discuss the importance of Sunday night's Seahawks-49ers matchup, which Seattle coach Pete Carroll has insisted is no bigger than any other game. - Blog 710 ESPN Seattle at 710sports.com
QBR and Sam Bradford - NFC West Blog - ESPN
ESPN Insider Mike Sando posted an interesting look at the disconnect between Rams quarterback Sam Bradford's glistening traditional quarterback rating and the very average number he registered in his total QBR last week against Arizona.
Arizona Cardinals QB Carson Palmer prefers 'more options, less time' - ESPN
Last week, the Arizona Cardinals' offensive line didn’t give quarterback Carson Palmer much time to throw the ball. It didn’t matter. In his first outing as a Cardinal, he threw for 327 yards, completing 26 of 40 passes at St. Louis.
Double Coverage: Rams-Falcons - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Atlanta wide receiver Roddy White drew a lot of attention in the offseason when he compared the Falcons’ offense to “The Greatest Show on Turf."
Five questions, five answers: 49ers | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times
Time for our weekly look at the opponent, asking five questions and getting five answers from Eric Branch, who covers the 49ers for the San Francisco Chronicle. You can follow Branch on Twitter at @Eric_Branch.
Seahawks know old foe Boldin well | Seattle Seahawks | The News Tribune
RENTON — A new playmaker at receiver for San Francisco, Anquan Boldin already has provided his share of nightmare matchups for Seattle Seahawks cornerbacks in years past.
Colin Kaepernick makes 49ers even more dangerous as a pocket passer | The MMQB with Peter King
SAN FRANCISCO — Ever had a conversation with someone who was present in body only? Someone who had a far-off look in his eyes and followed your questions with awkward silence? Someone who smiled and apologized, then did the same thing minutes later? That was 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Rom...
Luke Kuechly tops inside linebacker rankings - NFL.com
Luke Kuechly transformed the Carolina Panthers' defense last season. Chris Wesseling explores if Kuechly is ready to overtake Patrick Willis as the NFL's top inside linebacker.
49ers have a healthy Smith for this trip to Seattle | CSN Bay Area
Defensive lineman Justin Smith may not be worth 29 points, but the 49ers feel a lot better knowing their most impactful defensive player will be on the field Sunday night against the Seattle Seahawks.
Giants add Allen Bradford off waivers | ProFootballTalk
The Giants dodged a bullet when running back Da’Rel Scott left practice Wednesday with a knee injury and they signed Brandon Jacobs for a second tour of duty earlier this week, but that didn’t stop them from claiming a running back off of waivers on Thursday.
San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks: The NFL's best rivalry - NFL.com
When it comes to pure talent, pure entertainment and pure hatred, nothing compares to Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers in 2013. Adam Schein spotlights juicy subplots for Sunday night.
Brandon Jacobs says 49ers were 'scared' to release me - NFL.com
Brandon Jacobs called his season with the San Francisco 49ers a "curse." On Wednesday, the New York Giants running back said the 49ers were "scared" to release him last season.
FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | Film Room: Peyton Carves up the Ravens
Peyton Manning eviscerated the Baltimore Ravens defense in Week 1 of the NFL season. Manning threw for a record seven touchdowns and wasn't intercepted, so it doesn't take much insight to say that he played well. However, his display went further than that. Manning didn't just throw for seven touchdown passes, he showed off the true value of elite quarterback play.
Thursday afternoon notes and Wilson video | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times
A few quick notes to pass along prior to practice today. …
NFL Picks - Straight Up - Week 2 - CBSSports.com
CBSSports.com's host of NFL experts provides expert picks, grades and analysis for each game during the season.
NFP power rankings | National Football Post
The Denver Broncos retain the top spot after a dominant Week 1 performance against the defending champs.
The rise of the zebras | National Football Post
Mike Pereira’s media ascent has brought more attention to the world of NFL officials.
USC leads all colleges on Week One NFL rosters | ProFootballTalk
At a time when the glory days have seemed to pass Southern Cal's football program by, Trojans fans can take some comfort in the fact that the great players who used to play for USC are still playing in the NFL. Not much, but some.
New York Times: Post-Week 1, 2013
For the past few years, I have written a weekly in-season article for the New York Times’ football blog, The Fifth Down. The Fifth Down has been folded into the regular sports section, so you can find my weekly articles on the NYT Sports Page. The main subject in my article this week revolved around Chip Kelly’s NFL debut and the failure of the running game in week one. But since today is also game day, here is an excerpt about a bit of trivia for the Jets-Patriots game:
Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome through the eyes of the men who know him | The MMQB with Peter King
Ozzie Newsome, Hall of Fame tight end and architect of the Ravens’ two Super Bowl champions, doesn’t talk much about himself, but listen to the men who know him and you’ll learn something of the esteem in which he’s held throughout the league
Matt Flynn, Kevin Kolb represent reason behind new approach to QB acquisition | The MMQB with Peter King
As the season kicked off last weekend, two quarterbacks who were each once designated as the future of two different NFL franchises did not play. Kevin Kolb and Matt Flynn present curious cases of well-paid and well-liked players each twice handed the keys to a franchise, yet were unable to keep...
Seahawks and 49ers ready to renew the NFL’s best rivalry | Audibles - SI.com
It is the NFL’s most compelling current rivalry, led by two coaches whose personal and professional beefs with each other go back to the days when the Pac-12 was the Pac-10. Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh couldn’t be more different personally, but they prefer very similar brands of football. The hyperactive Carroll, who never met a press conference he didn’t like, and the usually tight-lipped Harbaugh, each subscribe to the same basic tenets: If you lead with a great defense and strong running game, and mix in an increasingly explosive passing game while minimizing mistakes, you will be tough to beat.
NFL Films Preview: Seahawks vs 49ers
NFL Films previews the Week 2 matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks.
2013 Advanced NFL Power Rankings, Week 2: Eagles, Redskins on the move in opposite directions - SBNation.com
After just one week of games played, teams are already on the move up and down the rankings. Find out which teams soared, while others are faltering.
Advanced statistics from the Green Bay Packers Game: Kyle Williams - Niners Nation
We kick off a new, weekly installment of reviewing the last game through a statistical lens.
49ers vs. Seahawks: Might want to wrap up on those Marshawn Lynch tackles - Niners Nation
The 49ers biggest challenge on Sunday could very well be running back Marshawn Lynch. What should the 49ers do to try and contain Beast Mode?
Seattle Seahawks Blog - Hawk Blogger: PODCAST: Previewing The 49ers Game With Softy
I jumped on the phone for my weekly conversation with Softy as we discussed what matters and what does not for this Sunday. It was a solid 20 minutes of Seahawks chatter. Hope you enjoy it.
Seattle Seahawks Blog - Hawk Blogger: San Francisco Yet To Solve Seahawks Defense
Colin Kaepernick threw for 412 yards, three touchdowns and led his team to 34 points in the 49ers season opener against a true championship caliber Green Bay Packer team. Anquan Boldin managed over 200 yards receiving, and Vernon Davis caught two touchdowns.