Coffee and Cigarettes: Seahawks Links for Tuesday

Seattle Seahawks news, rumors, links, info, interviews, analysis, and more!

Labrums and Logins | August: Okay, moving on.  When Zach Miller was signed away from the Raiders, we heard a lot about how awesome it was going to be to have both him and John Carlson on the field at the same time.  Unfortunately, half of that newfangled 1-2 TE punch has been spending a lot of time on the sideline as of late.  Well, now we know what's going on, and it isn't good news: according to Pro Football Weekly, John Carlson has a "labrum injury." (To continue reading, please click on "Read More" below.)   I know what you're thinking, "what's a labrum injury?  I don't remember seeing the doctors on ER treat anything like that ." (Or maybe they did, I don't know -- I never liked ER1.)  Well, I'm no doctor, but I read a novel once that had a doctor in it, so I'm pretty sure I'm qualified to tell you all you need to know about the labrum and how it gets hurt.

Jerry Brewer | Warning: Preseason hysteria is especially hazardous this year | Seattle Times Newspaper - It's a warning label that you refuse to read: Do not draw strong conclusions from NFL exhibition games. The urge is always there to ignore the instructions, overdose and overreact. It's especially difficult this year because the lockout left people hungrier than ever for football, but the teams are frighteningly unprepared to impress. There were no minicamps, no organized team activities, no news on how your favorite squad was coming together. No time for a meticulous, gradual process. And now, no time for patience, either. Just throw it together and throw it out there. And judge — quickly and decisively. The season is only 19 days away. It feels like 19 hours away, but the quality of play suggests these teams are 119 days away. What to do? Relax. Yeah, right.

Thiel: No Seahawks questions go unanswered | Seattle Seahawks: Rather than try to offer a narrative of something that had no flow, we keep pace with the arrythmia of game by offering choppy answers to some blunt questions:

Poll: Which QB should start for Seahawks? - NFC West Blog - ESPN: The Seahawks have no real starter. Jackson and Whitehurst are making backup money. The Seahawks haven't committed to either one as a long-term starter. Jackson is the starter until he is no longer the starter. Seattle will revisit the quarterback situation down the line. Carson Palmer could become an option. The team could draft a quarterback or trade for one. This is a transitional year for the team at quarterback. Not particularly dramatic.

NFL.com news: Trying to figure out Alex Smith; Texans' offense cruising - The Seahawks' offense is stuck in neutral behind a struggling offensive line. Seattle's first-team offense struggled moving the ball for the second week in a row, largely because of the ineptitude of its frontline. Yes, the Seahawks are without left tackle Russell Okung, but the failure to create a push at the point of attack is a significant problem. The Seahawks' top runners -- Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett -- amassed only 10 yards on 10 attempts. The running game was so bad that it failed to score on four consecutive runs from inside the 2-yard line against the Vikings' second-team defense. The offensive line's inability work in concert in pass protection remains a problem as well. The unit has been overwhelmed physically and tactically by opponents, and its inability to protect Tarvaris Jackson in the pocket has resulted in little production in the passing game. While Jackson can shoulder some of blame for a few errant tosses, he has been harassed and forced to flee the pocket, which has killed any and all rhythm. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll wanted to get his team off to fast start by leaning on an offense with several explosive weapons, but his leaky offensive line is preventing the unit from gaining any traction during the preseason.

Midterm report: Grading the Vikings halfway through the preseason - NFL News | FOX Sports on MSN - When Vikings coaches examined the game film from Saturday's 20-7 exhibition win at Seattle, they watched a team that is carving an identity in several areas while trying to mask deficiencies in others. The starters were on display for most of the first half, offering a glimpse into where this team is headed offensively and which young playmakers can make a difference on the 53-man roster. "We seemed to be composed and really seemed to have a handle on what we wanted to get accomplished," coach Leslie Frazier said. Here is a positional breakdown of the Vikings' starters (and a few notable others, for better or worse) as they prepare for Dallas on Saturday at the Metrodome.

Seahawks | Too many penalties, too little protection for Seahawks | Seattle Times Newspaper- There were a couple of red flags in Saturday's exhibition game. Those were just for replay reviews, though. There were too many yellow flags for coach Pete Carroll's taste as Seattle was penalized twice as often as Minnesota. August is no time to draw conclusions in the NFL, but halfway through Seattle's exhibition schedule, it's time to take inventory of what we've learned about these Seahawks and what they still must figure out:

Charlie Whitehurst Should be Seahawks Starter - Let me make this perfectly clear – I don’t know a damn thing about football. I prove this over and over again during the football season when I bet on football teams that either lose or don’t cover the spread. So keep that in mind when I say that Charlie Whitehurst should start for the Seahawks in their next preseason game Saturday night at Denver. As was suggested by several Facebook friends last night, we need to see how Whitehurst fares against first-stringers. At the same time, wouldn’t we find out more about Tarvaris Jackson if he had time to throw against second-stringers?

Sunday observations | Seahawks Insider - Some quickee thoughts after two preseason games (the skeleton of my Monday morning column in the Trib): I think those of us who suffered from Acute Football Deficit Disorder over the spring and summer, are prone to over-analyzing preseason games, and will tend toward snap judgments. So I'm trying to take some deep breaths and remember the context. After a win and a loss, the Seahawks first-team offense still hasn’t gotten the memo that the lockout has ended. However, if there was a league in which the second units competed, the Seahawks would be strong contenders.

Seattle Seahawks: Complete Report Card for Preseason Week 2 Loss | Bleacher Report - The Seahawks were unable to engineer their second straight second-half comeback, as they fell to the Vikings 20-7 in their preseason home opener. While last weeks win in San Diego was full of positives, this weekend carried a bit of a different tune. Carroll got up to the podium during his postgame presser and announced that there were few bright spots in this game, appearing to be generally disappointed with the performance. Preseason grades are based on the play of all units. How did the team grade out in Week 2?

Can a quarterback’s throwing motion be improved? | Smart Football - From recruiting, to the NFL draft, to just day-to-day coaching, no position gets more scrutiny than the quarterback and no aspect of being a good quarterback is more difficult — or mystifying — than the quarterback’s throwing motion. the question remains: Can a quarterback’s throwing motion be improved?

Kickoffs at 35-yard line could be examined after this season | National Football Post - The new kickoff rule isn’t going anywhere this season, not even this preseason even after the Chicago Bears tried kicking off from the 30-yard line. But that doesn’t mean it’s around for the long haul. NFL kickoffs will happen from the 35-yard line this season but as Peter King notes in his weekly Monday morning column at SI.com, that doesn’t mean it couldn’t be moved back to the 30 in 2012.

What is the 'smoke' route? | National Football Post - During last night’s Chargers-Cowboys game down in Dallas, I started talking on Twitter about the "smoke" route. What is it? Here’s a quick breakdown… ICON Romo and the Cowboys used the "smoke" route last night vs. the Chargers. - The true definition of a "smoke" route is a basic one-step hitch. When the QB sees the CB playing with a soft-cushion (think off-man at a depth of 7-8 yards), take the snap and get the ball to the outside. Doesn’t matter what is called in the huddle—because this is on the QB and the WR. Usually a quick hand signal, grab of the facemask, etc. Something that tells the WR to get ready.

NFL.com news: Titans, Browns have reasons for hope in regular season - I know Pete Carroll is committed to Tarvaris Jackson as quarterback of the Seahawks, but I would be nervous about his play. Some might say it is too early to judge, but, in reality, Jackson should know the offense better than anyone since he spent his entire career working with Seahawks coordinator Darrell Bevell in Minnesota.

St. Louis Rams linebacker David Vobora completes long journey from Churchill High School to NFL starter | OregonLive.com - St. Louis Rams linebacker David Vobora shook the hands of a teammate and patted one on the head before taking a seat beside them on the bench and watching the final seconds of a 28-0 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. The former "Mr. Irrelevant," a title he received for being the final selection in the 2008 NFL draft, did not get the results he was looking for in his first opening-day start in the NFL. But for Vobora, out of Churchill High School in Eugene, simply being a starter was a result worth smiling about. After all, many considered him a long shot at best to play professional football.

Seahawks Blog | Red Bryant: Big man, bigger impact | Seattle Times Newspaper - Red Bryant was helped off the field with a minute remaining in the first half of Seattle's seventh game. He never returned last season, and Seattle's run defense never recovered. Not when Brandon Mebane returned from his calf injury. Not when Colin Cole returned from an ankle injury in December.

Seahawks sign former Rams linebacker David Vobora - Seahawks News - MyNorthwest.com - The Seahawks have signed former Rams linebacker David Vobora, giving the team a player with starting experience at a position group that lacks depth behind projected starters David Hawthorne, Aaron Curry and Leroy Hill. The signing, first announced by Vobora's agent on Twitter, has been confirmed with the team by 710 ESPN Seattle's Liz Mathews. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. To make room on the roster, the Seahawks released running back Vai Taua, who had signed with the team on Aug. 14.

8/22: Time running out for Seahawks LB Aaron Curry - Blog - MyNorthwest.com - In Monday's Wrap Up video, Brock Huard and Mike Salk discuss the play of Aaron Curry and whether or not the Seahawks linebacker should be concerned about his standing with the team. Update: Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com reports that Curry has agreed to a new deal that cuts the length of his rookie contract from six years to four, making him an unrestricted free agent after the 2012 season.

Rounding up moves: Curry, Vobora, more - NFC West Blog - ESPN - Seahawks sign Vobora: The Seahawks have been looking for lower-priced veteran depth at linebacker. They considered Ben Leber, but Leber signed with the Rams. Once the Rams had Leber, they released Vobora, who started 10 games for the team in 2009 and five last season. Vobora no longer fit into the Rams' plans as the team sought to upgrade with veteran depth. Seattle has gone younger at the position. Leroy Hill, who turns 29 next month, is the oldest linebacker on the team. Vobora is 25 and two days younger than Curry.

Seattle Seahawks: Has the 12th Man Fueled a Quarterback Quandary? | Bleacher Report - Two weeks in a row, same result; Tarvaris Jackson spent his time scrambling and simply trying to survive, while Charlie Whitehurst impressed with the second team. Now, members of the 12th man are clamoring about a budding quarterback quandary—but according to Carroll, Jackson will remain the starter.

17 Power, A Seattle Seahawks Blog: Seahawks vs. Vikings Pushback: The QB's - Comparing Tarvaris Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst is like comparing circles of hell. You're hosed either way. Seattle's QB competition is not about finding a franchise QB, because barring some sudden development of skill within the next month, the current competition is not likely to magically create a franchise QB. It's about finding a game manager. Pete Carroll knows the limitations of this QB lineup and is merely seeking someone who can steward the Seahawks through 2011 without turning the ball over, keeping games salvageable by a few lucky plays.

ProFootballWeekly.com - Okung's ankle injury not as serious as feared - The Seahawks are optimistic that OLT Russell Okung's most recent ankle injury is not serious won't keep him from starting Week One.

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