Coffee & Cigarettes: Seahawks links for Saturday

Links!

Seattle Seahawks' Golden Tate takes delayed route to big time - NFL - Sporting News
The play was creative. It was explosive. It was quintessentially Tate, whose career hasn't gone the way anyone expected, but is starting to really take off in his third season. "That's what we've said all along," said Darrell Bevell, Tate's offensive coordinator with the Seattle Seahawks. "If you can get it to him and get it in his hands, that's when he's really dynamic."

Seahawks taking page from college playbook for their offense | Seahawks | The Seattle Times
So Wilson watches, waiting to see which path the opponent chooses against Seattle's zone-read option, a play with a complicated name that belies a simple premise. If the defender stays put, Wilson gives the ball to Lynch. If he comes barreling off the edge in pursuit of Lynch, Wilson pulls back and runs free around the edge. The goal is to neutralize that defender with a decision instead of a lineman. "It really does call for very specific discipline for the defense," coach Pete Carroll said.

QB Flynn’s offseason decision right one | Seattle Seahawks - The News Tribune
"It’s been extremely tough, definitely," Flynn said. "But I’ve tried to take in every day, and try to better myself as a player, better myself as a quarterback, and try to improve on the things I can improve. "So it’s really the only way you can take it – just try and be the best teammate you can be."

Seahawks' Bryant doesn't practice, Carpenter a full go - Blog - MyNorthwest.com
Running back Marshawn Lynch, still listed with a back injury, continues to be a full participant in practice. Carroll was asked about Lynch's durability during the Wednesday press conference. "Our guys have managed him real well on our days, and building him back up each week," Carroll said. "He's looked fit and fast and everything looks great. He looks like he's in great shape right now. So it's going fine and I'm not worried about it at all honestly. "I told him we're going to give it to him more."

For Thomas, every day is for giving thanks
Before Earl Thomas became a Pro Bowl safety for the Seahawks and a father, football and what it has allowed him to do for his family made every day Thanksgiving Day.

How good is California receiver Keenan Allen? " Seahawks Draft Blog
Keenan Allen is one of the toughest guys to work out. He definitely looks the part. Allen’s listed at 6-3, 210lbs by ESPN, although Scout.com had him at 6-2 during recruiting. Either way he’ll handle the physical nature of the NFL and shouldn’t have too much difficulty competing with the bigger corners we’re seeing in the pro’s.

Final Word: NFC West - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Fateful QB decision: If carried out as expected, the San Francisco 49ers' move to replace Alex Smith with Colin Kaepernick will be the most scrutinized decision in the NFL this week and perhaps all season.

Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll before the Dolphins game - Seattle Morning News at KIRORadio.com
Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll says his guys need to win against the Dolphins on Sunday. He says the offensive line is back in good shape.

Matt Flynn: 'No regrets' | Seahawks Blog | The Seattle Times
Matt Flynn will get a look at the path not traveled on Sunday when the Seahawks play at the Dolphins, the other team he visited as a free agent before signing with Seattle. The quarterback says he has no regrets about his decision to become a Seahawk. Flynn has spent the year as Seattle's back-up quarterback, and on Thursday he was asked about both his decision to sign with Seattle and his feelings about this season.

Pete Carroll finds another passing prodigy | wilson, carroll, first - Sports - The Orange County Register
As he once did with Matt Barkley, the Seattle Seahawks coach has put his trust in a first-year quarterback. Russell Wilson is making that decision look brilliant.

Direct Snap: NFL should eliminate PAT kicks - Yahoo! Sports
While NFL fans continue one of their favorite pastimes – the second-guessing of New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick – a broader question needs to be considered following the injury to star tight end Rob Gronkowski. Instead of debating whether star players should play on special teams, the deeper issue: At a time when the NFL is so concerned about player safety, why does the league continue to have conversion kicks?

Stick a fork in them: 2012 Detriot Lions - NFL.com
The Detroit Lions have more talent than any team to be forked so far this season, but they couldn't put it all together and found out how hard it is to go from good to great.

Defensive players question NFL discipline; Week 12 X-factors - NFL.com
Discipline levied on Baltimore Ravens star Ed Reed struck a nerve with defensive players around the NFL. Albert Breer reports that many defenders feel like second-class citizens in a first-class league.

The Shutdown Corner Week 12 NFL Preview Podcast with Greg Cosell | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
Once again, it's time to gear up for this week's slate of NFL games with analysis from the best in the business -- Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN's "NFL Matchup." Greg gives you a sense of the week's upcoming games you won't get anywhere else, based on his conversations with players and coaches past and present, and his OCD-level evaluation of coach's tape. Since the podcast was recorded on Friday morning, we started by reviewing the three Thanksgiving games.

NFP Friday Buzz | National Football Post
After the performance of Colin Kaepernick Monday night, Greg Roman might be a hotter head coaching candidate than ever. Of course Kaepernick’ success mostly is a reflection of Jim Harbaugh, but other teams are becoming increasingly interested in seeing if the Harbaugh magic can be tapped into.

How did Brady beat the Jets' blitz? | National Football Post
Taking a look at Edelman's 56-yard TD catch.

Peek at the Week: Smith out, Cutler back -- what's next for Niners, Bears? - NFL - CBSSports.com News, Rumors, Scores, Stats, Fantasy
Alex Smith will likely watch from the sidelines as Colin Kaepernick starts for the 49ers. The Bears expect Jay Cutler back as Chicago tries to rebound. Clark Judge wonders how the QBs respond against surging teams.

Stanford Shows Oregon Its Own Brand of Old-School Football - The Triangle Blog - Grantland
It can’t be overstated just how impressive Stanford's 17-15 overtime victory over Oregon was. Stanford almost entirely shut down Oregon and its record-setting offense, the same offense that shredded the Cardinal 53-30 last season. Last year, Oregon's victory kept Stanford out of the national championship conversation. This year, the Cardinal might have returned the favor.

Back to School: How Mike Shanahan Is Using RG3's College Offense With the Redskins - The Triangle Blog - Grantland
In an otherwise grim day for rookie quarterbacks, Robert Griffin III's debut against the New Orleans Saints went about as well as it could possibly go. He went 19-for-26, threw for 320 yards with two touchdowns, and, most importantly, led the Redskins to a 40-32 Week 1 win. Following the win, many were quick to applaud the Redskins’ approach, which seemed to allow Griffin to get comfortable with quick, easy throws. But the real hero of Washington’s offensive success wasn’t Kyle or Mike Shanahan. In fact, he isn’t even on the staff. It was Art Briles, Griffin’s college coach at Baylor, and, based on what the Redskins showed in Week 1, the team’s de facto co–game planner along with Washington’s head coach.

3TFO: Seahawks @ Dolphins, Week 12 | ProFootballFocus.com
Coming off of their bye you would think the Seattle Seahawks would have an advantage over the Miami Dolphins in this Thanksgiving weekend encounter. However, after playing on Thursday night the Dolphins also got a ‘half’ bye entering this home game, and as a result both teams had more time than usual to recover and get ready, something that should be reflected on the field for better or worse.

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | Under Pressure: Decision Loops
BETTER OFF CALLING IN SICK The Bears offensive line has been a problem for years, but they haven’t had many days worse than the one they turned in on Monday night against the 49ers. Aldon Smith picked up 5.5 sacks, and the blame could be shared nearly equally between left tackle J’Marcus Webb and right tackle Gabe Carimi.

Give an assist to Jones
While discussing Jason Jones the other day, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll mentioned the defensive tackle’s knack to "get into cracks." Say what? Jones is 6 feet 5 and weighs 276 pounds. Get into cracks? Is this guy a graduate of the Harry Houdini School of Illusions?