Coffee & Cigarettes: Seahawks links for Tuesday

Welp.

Sizing up the early NFC playoff standings - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The NFC playoff picture is taking shape heading into the final six weeks of the season.

All-22: The Rams Run Wild - Niners Nation
We analyze more coach's film, highlighting the Rams' running game success and the 49ers' early struggles.

Juron Criner: "Trust Me" | The Rookie Scouting Portfolio
Whether it was in a stadium, the park, the street, or your friend’s back yard, I know you’ve been in a situation where you knew you could take the man assigned to you. All you had to do was convince your quarterback. The fewer the words, the better. "Trust me."

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | FO Mailbag: The Effect of Rest on Game DVOA
Let's tackle the easiest part first. Since divisional realignment (2002-2011), NFL teams have played 1,331 games on atypical rest (i.e., not seven days), which translates to 4.2 games per team per season. Therefore, looking at team trends amounts to small sample size theater. Also, looking at yearly trends devolves into small sample size theater once we realize that, for instance, there are an average of only 12.2 total games per season played on four (11.2) or five days (1.0) rest.

Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints among playoff picks - NFL.com
Seattle will make the playoffs -- one way or another I picked the Seattle Seahawks to win the NFC West before the season started, and I have not given up on that possibility. Seattle (6-4) remains undefeated at home, where it will get one more shot at the division-leading San Francisco 49ers (6-2). San Francisco, meanwhile, has games against the Saints, Chicago Bears and New England Patriots. Seattle has the toughest defense to prepare for in football and a rapidly improving rookie quarterback. In short, I like the Seahawks to stay ahead of all of the wild-card contenders. But don't be surprised if the Niners, and not the Seahawks, wind up taking that last wild-card spot.

G James Carpenter (concussion) still not cleared, Seahawks otherwise healthy | HeraldNet.com - Seattle Sidelines
"James has a couple of tests he was doing this afternoon, then we'll find out Wednesday if he's cleared to go," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. ". . . He's had a lot of time to break, and we just want to make sure we've got everything squared away. We'll see what happens."

Seahawks.com Blog | Monday in Hawkville: Seahawks return rested and energized
The day after having the bye week off. The Seahawks held their first full practice since Nov. 9, a "Bonus Monday" session where they began focusing on Sunday’s game against the Dolphins in Miami. They were refreshed, rested and energized. And it showed.

Updated top 50 watch list: 19th November " Seahawks Draft Blog
A month ago we had a look at some of the players to keep an eye on as the college season progressed. As we get closer to the finish line, it’s time for one final list.

Rams' sagging D in NFC West perspective - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Quarterbacks aren't quite everything in the NFL. Football remains a team sport. Offensive shortcoming aside, the St. Louis Rams' defense deserves its share of the blame for a 27-13 defeat to the New York Jets in Week 11.

Seahawks return from bye week - Seahawks News - MyNorthwest.com
"For as good as we can play on defense at times to be at 40 percent, that's not good enough for us. We need to knock that thing down," Carroll said. It's an area Carroll focused on during the week off to evaluate how they can improve over the final six weeks of the season. Carroll said they broke down what they were doing in a given situation and how teams are attacking them in those situations. "We came to some conclusions that we wanted to fix some things," Carroll said. "...There's a couple spots in the third down areas where we haven't been as effective, so we're trying to focus on that."

OL Carpenter still not allowed to practice | Seahawks Insider
"We’ve done a lot of things this year that are different to what we’ve done in the past," Carroll said. "We’ve taken a more holistic look at the athletes in general – everything from their rest, to their eating habits, to the way we bring them back – in every phase of it. … I don’t know if that has anything to do with it at all, but we’ve tried to take care of these guys from the time they came back to us in OTAs throughout in a little different manner." But eight-year veteran linebacker Leroy Hill provided some different reasoning. "I don’t care how the offseason is, what’s going to happen on the field is going to happen," Hill said. "But with a little bit of luck, we’ve been healthy. That’s all you can ask for this late in the season, is to have a completely, pretty much healthy team. "So all of the weapons are there, we can do everything we want to do and that’s just thanks from up above, too."

Injury roundup: Byron Leftwich injury creates dilemma - NFL.com
The Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback problems intensified Monday with the news that Charlie Batch will start in place of ailing Byron Leftwich. Gregg Rosenthal examines that and Week 11's other major injuries.

RG3 tops list of five throws that explain Week 11 - NFL.com
Every Monday, Gregg Rosenthal picks the throws that defined that week's slate of games. Week 11 was highlighted by Washington Redskins rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III.

Greg Schiano, Buccaneers have NFL eyeing college ranks - NFL.com
The college coach is back en vogue. Or, more specifically, the right college coach. Chip Kelly almost took the Buccaneers job before a change of heart sent him back to Oregon to chase this season's college national title. Kelly is a super-hot name in NFL circles right now, and conventional wisdom says he'll go pro after this year. Personally, I think Kelly will be successful. But those looking to recreate the early successes enjoyed by Schiano with the Buccaneers, Jim Harbaugh with the San Francisco 49ers and Pete Carroll with the Seattle Seahawks might be chasing fool's gold.

2013 NFL Draft: Utah DT Star Lotulelei primed to go No. 1? - NFL.com
Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei has the raw talent to go No. 1 overall in the 2013 NFL Draft, but there is a potential red flag. Bucky Brooks breaks it down in his College Stock Watch.

NFL Prospects Rising and Falling | National Football Post
NFP takes a look at four prospects whose stock is on the move.

Five from Sunday: Week 11 demarcation line, look backs, wondering why - NFL -
Three teams with 4-5 records win and keep playoff hopes alive. Three others drop to 4-6 and into all-but-done status. Pat Kirwan explains why, his Week 11 formulas, more bold TEs and perplexing whys in Five from Sunday.

Are advanced statistical analysts the next Pete Gogolak – Part I
You know the name Pete Gogolak, don’t you? The former Buffalo Bill placekicker is a famous figure in football history for two reasons. First, he played a key role in the merger between the AFL and NFL in the 1960s.1 He’s also remembered for what he did on the field: Gogolak is widely credited with being the first soccer-style kicker in pro football history.

Mike Mularkey went for it on 4th and 10 in overtime
With 2:36 remaining in overtime, the Jacksonville Jaguars were at the Houston 47-yard line. It was 4th-and-10, following two short incomplete passes that were sandwiched around a run for no gain. Surprisingly, Mike Mularkey kept his offense on the field. The only similar example I can find of such an aggressive move in this situation came in 2009, when Carson Palmer and the Bengals convinced Marvin Lewis to go for it with 1:04 left in overtime, facing 4th and 11 at the Cleveland 41. Suffice it to say, this was something you don’t see everyday.

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | Audibles at the Line: Week 11
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).

Dinner with Andre (and Matt) - The Morning After - Rotoworld.com
Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson set records, but which other players stood out for better or worse? Chet Gresham recaps the Week 11 action.