Coffee & Cigarettes: Seahawks links for Thursday

LINKS!

Justin Hunter: Focus is a Skill | The Rookie Scouting Portfolio
Much is expected of the great football prospect. Especially when one of them is a rising junior with the NFL-ready physique, the athleticism, and the budding technical skill to win battles with NFL defensive backs like Eric Berry during summer workouts. Potential like that is seductive to anyone who watches it.

Week 10 - Carroll Press Conference Wednesday
Pete Carroll discusses preparations for the New York Jets as they look to continue their success at home in Week 10.

Breaking down Russell Wilson's rapid rise as Seahawks quarterback | Seahawks | The Seattle Times
No one is calling for Matt Flynn to start for Seattle anymore. At least not loud enough to hear, and certainly not like it was in September when the Seahawks' offense was about as potent as the Mariners'. But over the first nine games, the most important trend for Wilson has been the way he eliminates flaws in his performance.

Signature Stat Snapshot: Time To Throw | ProFootballFocus.com
The best place to start is which quarterback has the longest time to throw. Now to explain what ‘time to throw’ is, we record the time from when the ball is snapped to the point where the quarterback has either thrown a pass or can no longer throw a pass (has been sacked or scrambled past the line of scrimmage). While logic would say that Michael Vick would be the one holding onto the ball the longest, it’s actually rookie Russell Wilson who leads the way in this regard with Michael Vick second (though the difference is negligible). Meanwhile nobody takes less time to throw than Tom Brady who has a marginally lower time to throw than Matt Hasselbeck. Here’s the full list.

Quarterback performance on third and fourth downs
So far this season, teams have converted on 37.2% of all pass plays on third or fourth downs. Looking at success rates on these downs helps to identify which quarterbacks are keeping drives alive for their teams and coming through in the most important situations. For example, Peyton Manning leads the league with an impressive 52.6% rate. How impressive is that?

Listen to podcast - Pod Player - MyNorthwest.com
Coach Pete Carroll tells "Brock and Salk" about the play of quarterback Russell Wilson and the defensive adjustments the Seahawks made in their 30-20 win over Minnesota.

Seahawks.com Blog | Wednesday in Hawkville: Leon longing for return to end zone
"Would I like to return a touchdown against the Jets? Yes," Washington said today, punctuating the obvious statement with a huge smile before adding, "Would I like to return a touchdown against the Rams? Yes. Would I like to return a touchdown against the 49ers? Yes."

Seahawks activate Thurmond from PUP list | Seahawks Insider
As expected, the Seattle Seahawks activated cornerback Walter Thurmond from the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list to the active roster this afternoon.

Seahawks.com Blog | Carroll: "Wait and see" on status of Wright, Carpenter
The focus quickly turned toward the Seahawks’ Week 10 opponent – the Jets, who Carroll said have a "very complex style of play across the board." "They’re very difficult scheme-wise on defense for our offensive guys," Carroll continued. "We’re challenged by their scheme."

Life in the fast Lane
The week before in Detroit, Lane made like Willie Mays with an over-the-shoulder basket catch of a 42-yarder by Ryan at the Lions’ 4-yard line. As easy as the Seahawks’ rookie cornerback is making this look, downing punts inside the 10-yard line is anything but easy. "I know I couldn’t do it," said Heath Farwell, the most consistent player on the Seahawks’ special teams that have been extra special this season. "It takes a lot of skills, but also a lot of hard work."

Guest Post: Is RGIII 18 times better than Russell Wilson? " Seahawks Draft Blog
The Washington Redskins gave up an unprecedented amount of draft capital to grab Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III. At the time, most national pundits were on board with the move and many Seahawks fans looked on longingly as the Redskins secured their "franchise QB". Who could blame them? The quarterback position is the most important in any major american sport. RGIII has a unique blend of athletic ability, deadly accuracy, and even media appeal.

NFC West: Injury situations that matter - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Seattle Seahawks: Guard James Carpenter (concussion), receiver Braylon Edwards (knee), running back Marshawn Lynch (back/wrist), defensive end Red Bryant (foot), linebacker K.J. Wright (concussion), defensive lineman Clinton McDonald (groin) and safety Kam Chancellor (quadriceps) did not practice Wednesday. Defensive tackle Jason Jones (ankle) was limited. Receiver Doug Baldwin (ankle), guard John Moffitt (knee) and center Max Unger (finger) were full participants. Seattle is a little more beat-up than it has been to this point in the season. Having a bye in Week 11 should help the team recharge for a stretch run. Jones hasn't played since Week 7. Seattle's nickel pass rush has missed him. The fact that he is practicing, even on a limited basis, should be encouraging for the Seahawks. Having Baldwin back allowed Seattle to release receiver Charly Martin and re-sign him to its practice squad. The Seahawks have activated cornerback Walter Thurmond from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. He helps with depth and gives the team another option in the nickel role, possibly affecting Marcus Trufant.

Going beyond Sanchez-Wilson comparison - NFC West Blog - ESPN
New York Jets coach Rex Ryan said some interesting things about quarterbacks Mark Sanchez and Russell Wilson on Wednesday.

Jets must deal with noise as well as Seahawks - Seahawks News - MyNorthwest.com
"Notoriously, this is a tough place to play," Ryan said. "When you think of an indoor-type atmosphere, it's kind of like the noise level that you get there, even though it's an outdoor stadium. But that doesn't make a difference."

Cold Hard Facts - Podcasts - MyNorthwest.com
John Clayton gives his mid-season report on the Seahawks and explains why he has them ranked 11th in the NFL (6:26). He also tells us his biggest concern for Seattle against the Jets (17:53), and shares his thoughts on the Colts rallying around coach Chuck Pagano (1:31).

Rex Ryan doesn't blame Pete Carroll for trying to keep Mark Sanchez at USC | New York Daily News
"I did not blame Pete Carroll one bit because if I had that young man as my quarterback, I’d say whatever it took to get the guy to stay with me. Like, "Oh you’re not ready son. As far as you know you’re not ready to play." Deep down he knew he was ready," said Ryan.

Rex Ryan says Pete Carroll knew "deep down" Mark Sanchez was ready | Seahawks Blog | The Seattle Times
This one takes a little history to understand. Like way back in 2009 when Pete Carroll was at USC and Mark Sanchez decided to enter the NFL Draft with one year of eligibility remaining.

Jason Jones, Braylon Edwards on schedule to play vs. Jets | Seahawks Insider
Defensive end Jason Jones also will be involved in some portions of practice today, according to Carroll, and could practice tomorrow fully depending on how his ankle handles it. "We are planning on those guys playing in the game, unless something causes a setback," Carroll said.

Ryan on QB situation: ‘We’re business as usual.’ | Seahawks Insider
"We’re business as usual," Ryan said. "Mark Sanchez is our quarterback. He’s a young, talented athletic young man. When given time to throw the football, he can make all of the throws. We’re fortunate to have him. "And then we have Tim Tebow, who’s an outstanding football player. So we feel really good about our quarterbacks."

Matt Hasselbeck not laughing at $15K horse-collar fine - NFL.com
"It's funny to other people, not funny to me," Hasselbeck told The Tennessean. "We have rules in place and obviously I was trying to play within the rules, I wasn't trying to hurt anybody or anything like that. "I have been getting a lot of jokes today. Everyone likes to make jokes. We'll see. The guy who got tackled probably didn't even notice. There was nothing violent about the hit."

Five Seattle Seahawks Predictions- Schedule Preview, Seahawks Blog, NFC West
Seven games remain for the Seattle Seahawks to make their run in the NFC. They’re 5-4 on the year, and they’re coming off a solid ten-point victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Currently second place in the NFC West, the Seahawks can make a push toward the postseason with three divisional opponents left on their schedule.

Seahawks Second Half Predictions - 2012 NFL Season, NFL Playoffs, NFC West, Seahawks
Starting with this past weeks matchup with the Minnesota Vikings, the Seattle Seahawks have officially gotten into the weak part of their schedule.

St. Louis Rams Progress Report: Where Do Things Stand Heading into Week 10? | Bleacher Report
A Week 9 bye couldn't have come at a better time for the St. Louis Rams. They are currently on a three-game losing streak that has pushed them into last place in the NFC West. Ever since wide receiver Danny Amendola left the Rams' Week 5 game against the Cardinals, St. Louis' offense hasn't been the same.

San Francisco 49ers Progress Report: Where Do Things Stand Heading into Week 10? | Bleacher Report
The 49ers should be well rested and healthy considering they are coming off of a

Jake Locker expected to start for Tennessee Titans - NFL.com
Tennessee Titans quarterback Jake Locker is expected to start this week, coach Mike Munchak told reporters Wednesday. Locker missed the past few weeks with a shoulder injury.

Seattle Seahawks Blog - Hawk Blogger: A Defense To Be Proud Of
The headline read "Seahawks defense showing signs of decline," in the Seattle Times sports section today. Danny O'Neill wrote a factual article that described how poorly the Seahawks defense has performed against the run in the last ten quarters, when compared to the first six-and-a-half games of the season. Mike Salk has been leading the "this defense is not elite" charge on the radio since last weeks loss in Detroit. It is understandable. Seattle set a high bar. You may be surprised, however, how impressive Seattle's results are when additional context is layered into the picture. People are tossing the "elite" label out the window far too soon, and far too easily.

The Shutdown Corner Midseason All-Underrated Team: The Defense | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
Inside Linebacker: Bruce Carter, Dallas Cowboys/Bobby Wagner, Seattle Seahawks When Sean Lee went down for the season, many thought that the Dallas Cowboys' defense would hit the rocks, but Carter is the main reason it hasn't. He was especially effective last Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, racking up 10 tackles and proving tough to stop from any angle. Carter is also an effective blitzer, and you can expect to see him doing that a lot when the Cowboys reduce their down linemen and bring more standup pass-rushers to fill the gaps. Wagner played from sideline to sideline at Utah State, and the Seahawks frequently expect the same of him. There's been little dropoff for the rookie -- his coaches are very impressed with his ability to grasp concepts and make them go on the field. Near-misses: Donald Butler, San Diego Chargers/Mason Foster, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Scout Talk: Offensive Tackle prospects | National Football Post
How NFL front office men are ranking the top offensive tackles in the April draft

Top 5 Interior Offensive Linemen Draft prospects | National Football Post
NFP takes a close look at the five best interior offensive linemen.

Analysis Notebook: Week 9 | ProFootballFocus.com
How did Doug Martin tear through the Oakland Raiders on his way to 251 yards and four touchdowns? Sam Monson takes a look in this week's Analysis Notebook

32 Observations: Week 9 | ProFootballFocus.com
Seattle Seahawks: Bobby Wagner has 11 run stops in the third quarter which is more than any other player. He also has 11 run stops in the fourth quarter which is also more than any other player.

Niners are very healthy coming out of the bye | ProFootballTalk
It's been nine days since the 49ers last played a game. In that time, all injuries have healed to the point that no players were limited in practice on Wednesday. The practice report contains seven names. All players fully participated in practice, despite their injuries.

Week 10 Target Watch: NFC - Targets and Touches - Rotoworld.com
Which players got all the targets in Week 9? Chet Gresham analyzes every NFC team.