Coffee & Cigarettes: Seahawks links for Thanksgiving

Happy thanksgiving to you. Not you /waves you out of the way. You.

Colin Kaepernick to start over Alex Smith for 49ers - NFL - SI.com
On the same day he declined to publicly name a starting quarterback, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh informed incumbent Alex Smith that Colin Kaepernick would get the nod Sunday at New Orleans, a source told SI.com. "I'm going with Kaepernick," Harbaugh told Smith per the source. "Alex, I'm sorry."

Alex Smith says 'ridiculous' to think he wouldn't root for Kaepernick | National Football Post
49ers QB still needs to be cleared to return from concussion

Sig Stat Snapshot: Dropped Passes per QB | ProFootballFocus.com
There are a lot of things that bother me in the NFL. How offensive lines take sole responsibility for the sacks their team gives up, or how much faith people put in yardage as a marker of a good (or bad) offense or defense.

Week 12 - Bradley Press Conference Wednesday
Gus Bradley talks about how the Seahawks defense looks to continue to exploit the Dolphins recent streak of turnovers.

Week 12 - Carroll Press Conference Wednesday
Pete Carroll discusses how the Seahawks are preparing for the Miami Dolphins in their first road game of the second half of the season.

Reading between the lines of the zone-read
Why have the Seahawks been able to produce positive plays by using the zone-read option, a ploy that is begrudgingly finding its way from the college game to the NFL? Leave it to Max Unger to iron out the latest wrinkle in the team’s still-expanding offense. "Because we can," the Seahawks’ center and offensive captain said through a smile in the locker room at Virginia Mason Athletic Center after the team’s "Bonus Monday" practice.

Sizing up Wilson, Tannehill before matchup - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The Seattle Seahawks might have selected quarterback Ryan Tannehill in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft had the Miami Dolphins not beat them to it. They wound up waiting til the third round before taking a quarterback. Seven months later, all parties seem to have come out OK.

Sarkisian says trust has been key to Price's turnaround - Blog - MyNorthwest.com
"I thought Keith Price showed a great deal of leadership for us this season up to this point because he could have very easily came out and said, 'I wish I got better protection' or 'I wish I knew exactly what our receivers were doing,'" Sarkisian said. "Never once did he do that. Every time it was about him and what he needs to do better."

Quick hitters from Carroll | Seahawks Insider
Carroll talked about how he and GM John Schneider evaluated Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill, whom they considered in the draft. "John had a real high grade on Ryan," Carroll said. "he was real excited about him because he was such a good athlete." They cited a big arm and a natural throwing motion. "We’re not surprised at all he’s a starter and playing good football."

Seahawks Insider podcast — Week 12 | Seahawks Insider
Eric Williams of The News Tribune and Rob Rang, senior draft analyst with NFLDraftScout.com discuss the Seattle Seahawks upcoming contest against the Miami Dolphins.

Seattle Seahawks Blog - Hawk Blogger: Play Breakdown: Seahawks Rediscover the Screen Pass
There has been some level of debate about just how good the pass protection has been for Russell Wilson. The facts are that the Seahawks have given up the 10th-fewest sacks in the NFL, but are ranked 20th in sack surrendered as a percentage of pass attempts (a big drop after they gave up four vs the Jets).

Pete Carroll on the Power of Vision
At a recent Nike WinForever Workshop, Coach Pete Carroll dove into the subject of having a vision—and how it can be so powerful. "The power of vision is extraordinary," Pete Carroll told the hundreds of guests in attendance.

ATL Film Room: Doug Martin's magic is no illusion - NFL.com
Marc Sessler takes a deeper look at Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin's explosive rookie season in the latest edition of "Around the League Film Room."

NFL Week 12 viewer's guide - NFL.com
Get predictions, fantasy implications and reasons to watch every game in this in-depth look at Week 12, which includes Carson Palmer's return to Cincinnati.

Ryan Lindley to start for Arizona Cardinals; Skelton out - NFL.com
Ryan Lindley will start over John Skelton at quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, coach Ken Whisenhunt announced Wednesday. What does the move mean for Skelton's future in the desert?

Matt Barkley doesn't resemble elite quarterback prospect in 2012 - NFL.com
Once poised to be the top prospect in the 2013 NFL Draft, USC's Matt Barkley has lost his luster. Bucky Brooks re-evaluates Barkley's game as the QB winds down his senior season.

Jim Harbaugh: Alex Smith should be cleared this week - NFL.com
Is there a quarterback controversy brewing on the San Francisco 49ers? Not according to coach Jim Harbaugh, who still won't name his starting QB for this week.

The All-22: RG3 reaping the benefits of Shanahan’s multi-tiered passing offense | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
For the second time in his rookie season, Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III was named the NFL's Offensive Player of the Week after a four-touchdown performance against the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday. Griffin completed an amazing 14 of 15 passes for 200 yards, and also ran for 84 yards on the day.

Return on investment | National Football Post
The Peyton Manning signing gets all the attention, but the Bucs’ acquisition of Vincent Jackson is paying big dividends as well.

Scout Talk: Top Guard Prospects | National Football Post
North Carolina's Jonathan Cooper and Alabama's Chance Warmack make this a strong group

All-22: How did Gore, 49ers beat up the Bears defense? | National Football Post
Breaking down the 'Double Lead' and the 'Wham.'

What QB controversy? Give the ball to Kaepernick | National Football Post
Young QB produced when given the opportunity.

Coach Killers, Week 11: Even when the Cowboys win they lose - CBSSports.com
Bears offensive line Nearly two weeks after suffering a concussion against the Texans, there are reports that Bears quarterback Jay Cutler will play Sunday. And Chicago is going to need him if they're going to remain in the playoff conversation. The biggest concern facing their postseason aspirations start with Cutler, but a close No. 2 on the list is the offensive line. Back in Week 2, the o-line was summarily abused by Clay Matthews and the Packers. Cutler was on hand for that beatdown. He missed Monday's encore performance against the 49ers, but just as the five fat guys tasked with keeping the quarterback upright struggled under former offensive coordinator Mike Martz, not a whole lot has changed with Mike Tice.

Analysis Notebook: Week 11 | ProFootballFocus.com
A few weeks ago Keenan Lewis was asked by some Pittsburgh reporters about PFF’s cornerback rankings, where neither of the Steelers’ starters showed well. He was, let’s just say, less than amused by the ranking and since that point has been on a mission with some fantastic play, grading strongly in three of his past four games, and raising his position in the PFF corner ranks to 40th overall and 27th in terms of coverage for the season.

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | Film Room: Thanksgiving Slate
Lions offense vs. Texans defense Making Detroit’s offensive struggles all the more surprising is that, this past Sunday aside, their front five this season has played better than it’s ever played. It’s always been an un-athletic group, but it’s a group that’s learned to compensate with continuity in its third year together. That continuity could be disrupted this week as a hamstring injury is likely to keep left tackle Jeff Backus out for the first time in his 12-year career. Svelte-but-raw first-round rookie Riley Reiff will get the nod in Backus’s place. Reiff is capable of protecting Matthew Stafford’s blind side, but his forte so far has been run blocking. He's mainly been serving as a sixth offensive lineman. Detroit has relied on that heavy package to buttress its run and play-action games. If they can’t overload their line this Sunday, they’ll become more predictable.

Draft Tracker: College football preview with Eddie George | NFL.com Podcasts
Former Tennessee Titans running back and 1995 Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George joins Matt "Money" Smith and Bucky Brooks on the "NFL Draft Tracker" podcast to preview a big weekend of college football action and offers his choice for this year’s Heisman. Plus, former scout and NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah weighs in on the quarterback situation in San Francisco.

Week 12 - Wilson Press Conference
Russell Wilson discusses his time to reflect during the bye week, and how he plans on improving on the road in the second half of the season.

ProFootballWeekly.com - Change is in the air in Arizona
"No question about it," a team insider told PFW. "Two or three weeks ago, I probably would have felt differently. But although Whisenhunt still has a segment of supporters, the fan base is getting pretty disgruntled, and with the threat of non-sellouts looming, there are definitely going to be some changes coming."

Thanksgiving Fantasy Matchups - Matchups - Rotoworld.com
Evan Silva examines the return of Aaron Hernandez and breaks down the fantasy matchups for this year's three Turkey Day games.

Sam Bradford isn't living up to expectations and it's driving us all crazy - Turf Show Times
The debate over Sam Bradford's contributions to the St. Louis Rams, or lack thereof, is reaching new levels of absurdity following a poor outing against the Jets in Week 11.