Coffee & Cigarettes: Seahawks links for Tuesday

Happy Tuesday, you guys.

Sheldon Richardson – Seattle’s ideal 2013 pick? " Seahawks Draft Blog
There are two reasons why I think Sheldon Richardson could end up being Seattle’s ideal 2013 draft pick. Firstly, the team needs to find a way to create more pressure using its base defense. The second reason was all down to something Pete Carroll said in one of his press conferences last week. Red Bryant was a major doubt for the Chicago Bears game due to injury. When asked who would replace Bryant at defensive end, Carroll answered Alan Branch. Greg Scruggs would fill in at three technique.

Seahawks’ playoff chances looking pretty good after victory in Chicago | Seattle Seahawks & NFL News - seattlepi.com
To keep their playoff hopes alive, the Seahawks desperately needed a win in Chicago on Sunday. And they got one, beating the Bears 23-17 in overtime at Soldier Field.

The Evolution of A Quarterback: Matt Barkley
When the USC Football season started, quarterback Matt Barkley was regarded as the Top Quarterback in college and possibly the number one pick overall in the 2013 NFL Draft. At this time, USC was also picked to run the table on the way to a National Championship and Matt Barkley was expected to win the Heisman Trophy for a storybook ending. That was then and this is now. USC ended the season on a four game losing streak and finished with a 7-5 record. To make matters worse Matt Barkley was injured in the UCLA loss and his availability for the Hyundai Sun Bowl game is in doubt.

NFL - The Seattle Seahawks are a dangerous team with an improving Russell Wilson - ESPN
Going to Chicago and beating the Bears is a huge sign of progress for the 2012 season, as well as the big picture, for the Seattle Seahawks. Russell Wilson, Seattle's rookie quarterback, was fantastic on Sunday. But the bigger question is where this win leaves Seattle. Can the Seahawks challenge for the NFC West? Are they a playoff-caliber team? If so, can they make noise in the postseason? And just how far has Wilson come in his maturation since Week 1?

JENSEN: Bears’ vaunted defense fails to fluster Seahawks rookie QB Russell Wilson - Chicago Sun-Times
Marshawn Lynch isn’t easily impressed, so he patiently considered the question posed to him as he dressed in the visitors’ locker room at Soldier Field on Sunday. Which play by Seattle Seahawks rookie quarterback Russell Wilson impressed him the most?

Jeff Fisher's Rams built to beat Jim Harbaugh's 49ers - NFL.com
Jeff Fisher is shaping his St. Louis Rams team -- especially his feisty young defense -- to compete with and defeat Jim Harbaugh's San Francisco 49ers. So far, so good.

Ryan Lindley struggles mightily in second NFL start - SB Nation Arizona
Should he have been replaced by the man he replaced?

Why Harbaugh is going with Kaepernick - SFGate
"Athletic instincts, accuracy, timing, decision making ... " Harbaugh began. A month later, Harbaugh was posed the same question at a fan forum, "First of all a competitive guy - a winner. Somebody that has great athletic instincts ... "

Seattle Seahawks 25, Chicago Bears 17: A Critical Reassessment - SB Nation Chicago
The Bears lost their third game in their last four tries on Sunday when Russell Wilson and the Seahawks shredded the vaunted Chicago defense in crunch-time. Are the Bears still a Super Bowl contender?

The Bear Trap, Week 13: Russell Wilson was more perfect than Jay Cutler, and Earl Bennett could have used some Adderall - SB Nation Chicago
The Bear Trap is a weekly look at the Bears; the good, the bad, and everything in between.

Struggle In New York
Fitzgerald tried to laugh and he smiled, but the reaction was devoid of joy. "You gotta laugh to keep from crying," he said.

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | Audibles at the Line: Week 13
Vince Verhei: Seahawks take a 10-7 lead into halftime (barring something wacky in the last 5 seconds here). I'm surprised about that overturn just because I don't think the video evidence was indisputable either way.

Monday Musings: I was wrong about Seahawks' rookie QB Russell Wilson - CBSSports.com
I was wrong about Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson. The kid is damn good. I wasn't sure if a 5-foot-11 quarterback could be successful in the NFL. And when he won only one game on the road in his first five, I still wasn't sure. But his play against the Bears on Sunday convinced me that this kid could be a heck of a quarterback. His last drive in the fourth quarter for the go-ahead score was impressive, but his game-winning drive in overtime topped it. He won the game by throwing a touchdown pass to Sidney Rice, but he made some other really impressive throws -- including one on the run on third-and-12. Wilson's ability to get away from pressure and throw on the move was remarkable. He threw for 293 yards and ran for 71 against the Bears. Wilson has nine touchdown passes and no interceptions in the last four games.

Where will Tyrann Mathieu be drafted? | National Football Post
Russ Lande breaks down Tyrann Mathieu's draft status.

QBR ranks: Wilson! Kaepernick? Oh, my - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks (85.4 QBR, 104.9 NFL rating). Wilson completed 23 of 37 passes (62.2 percent) for 293 yards with two touchdowns, zero interceptions, two sacks, 13 passing first downs and a 10.6-yard average pass length (8.8 was average for Week 13). He had nine rushes for 71 yards and five rushing first downs. He had no turnovers and even recovered a teammate's fumble about 10 yards downfield. Seattle used the read-option play during the fourth quarter and overtime to a degree they had not done previously. I'll take a closer look at that as time permits.

Fantasy football risers/sliders -- Russell Wilson makes statement - David Sabino - SI.com
Russell Wilson, Seahawks -- The knock against Wilson was that he couldn't win a big game on the road, but by going into Chicago and beating the mighty Bears defense in comeback fashion, passing for 293 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for another 71, you'd have to say that he passed his test with flying colors. The news gets brighter next week when he tries to remain undefeated at home in Seattle against a woeful Cardinals team that has lost eight straight games.

Sports Radio Interviews " Blog Archive " David Vobora’s Advice to Brandon Browner and Richard Sherman: "If You are in Fact Innocent, then Fight it; Fight it at All Costs"
David Vobora joined 710 ESPN in Seattle with The Kevin Calabro Show to discuss being suspended in 2009 for violating the NFL’s performance enhancing drug policy, the disreputable Florida supplements company that he bought supplements from that caused him to fail a drug test without even knowing it, the NFL appeals process not being that receptive, the stigma attached to his name after being involved in the situation and his advice to Brandon Browner and Richard Sherman of the Seahawks.

Sherman appeal hearing set for December 14 | ProFootballTalk
For Sherman, he’ll definitely be available on Sunday against the Cardinals. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Sherman’s appeal hearing will be conducted on Friday, December 14.

John Schneider, Seahawks GM, joined Adam Schein and Rich Gannon on The SiriusXM Blitz and talked about the development of QB Russell Wilson in his rookie season. - SiriusXM Sports
JOHN SCHNEIDER, SEAHAWKS GM, JOINED ADAM SCHEIN AND RICH GANNON ON THE SIRIUSXM BLITZ AND TALKED ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF QB RUSSELL WILSON IN HIS ROOKIE SEASON.

Breaking down the Seahawks' use of the zone read on their final two possessions | HeraldNet.com - Seattle Sidelines
In leading the Seahawks to a comeback win in Chicago, Russell Wilson was a quarterback making good use of his options. And that’s not just because Wilson used his full array of targets, completing passes to Anthony McCoy, Marshawn Lynch, Doug Baldwin, Zach Miller, Sidney Rice, Golden Tate, and Michael Robinson on Seattle’s final two touchdown drives.

Colin Kaepernick to Start vs. Miami
He also took responsibility for not vetoing the option play call designed for the team’s return specialist to find the open space against a Rams defense that had been crowding interior running lanes. If given the opportunity to do it all over again, Harbaugh, who listens to the play calls as they go into the quarterback’s helmet, would have changed the play. "It starts with me," he said. "I should have not let the play be called." "Too much chance on the play to go sideways and backwards at that point of the game," Harbaugh reasoned. "I take responsibility for that."

Revisiting Max Hall as Cards choose QB - NFC West Blog - ESPN
With a trip to Seattle on the schedule in Week 14, Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt isn't saying whether Lindley will start against a Seahawks team that is 5-0 at home.

Russell Wilson saves the day for Seahawks — twice | Jerry Brewer | The Seattle Times
This is Wilson's show now, and I'll go ahead and say it: This is his team, too. After he made the Bears look like Northwestern in a 23-17 overtime victory at Soldier Field, after he drove the Seahawks 97 yards to take the lead with 24 seconds left in regulation and followed with an 80-yard drive in overtime to prove the first was no fluke, Wilson graduated from young marvel to the undisputed man.

Seahawks know they have the quarterback - NFC West Blog - ESPN
"He's a born leader," Bears receiver Brandon Marshall said. "I listened to the guy talk. I watch how he conducts himself, how he handles himself. That's a guy I can watch and learn from."

Marshall wins battle, but Seahawks win war | Seattle Seahawks - The News Tribune
ven though Marshall put up good numbers, Chicago’s loss was bittersweet. "This game was personal," Marshall said. "Any time a team goes one-on-one, I take it really personal. I take it as a sign of disrespect. I’m going to tell you the truth. I wanted to have a big game and also wanted to win. "I wouldn’t be satisfied with a win and 20 yards because that’s the type of player I am. I want to compete and I want to dominate."

Carroll calls Seahawks' late rally 'a big group effort' - Blog - MyNorthwest.com
"We talked so much about Russell, [but] 11 guys in that huddle and the 13, 14 guys that were rotating in played incredible football down the stretch along with him, and it took everybody," he said. "The offensive line protected great, we were doing cadence things, we were checking plays off, we were changing protections from one side to the other. All of that happened. "That was a beautiful dance that went on out there, and everybody was part of that."

Report: Cards are having "internal conversations" on Ray Horton | ProFootballTalk
You know that thing we said earlier about the possibility that no head coaches will be fired during the season? That could be wrong.

Report: Richard Sherman's appeal scheduled for Dec. 14 | Seahawks Blog | The Seattle Times
What's the news: Cornerback Richard Sherman has an appeal hearing scheduled for Dec. 14, according to ESPN reporter Adam Schefter. He is appealing a positive test for a banned substance that violated the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs, which would result in a four-game suspension. There has been no date set for an appeal for cornerback Brandon Browner, according to Schefter.

Jake Locker gets after Texans defender over block - NFL.com
Tennessee Titans quarterback Jake Locker let Houston Texans defensive end Antonio Smith know he didn't like the blind-side block that injured his center Sunday. Smith brushed the quarterback off.

Montee Ball will make impact in NFL, regardless of draft position - NFL.com
Montee Ball surprised many folks by staying at Wisconsin for his senior season. Bucky Brooks says this decision proved wise, as Ball improved significantly in 2012. But where will he be drafted?

NFC playoff picture: Seahawks, Packers make strides - NFL.com
The Seattle Seahawks haven't been themselves on the road this season, but rookie quarterback Russell Wilson took his team into Soldier Field on Sunday and made believers out of many with a gutsy 23-17 win over the Chicago Bears. The victory lifted the Seahawks (7-5) into the driver's seat for the final wild-card spot. Seattle can build on that lead if they take care of business against the Arizona Cardinals and Buffalo Bills over the next two weeks. Winnable games, but potential suspensions for cornerbacks Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner loom as dark cloud on the horizon.

Teammate: Russell Wilson 'as good or better' than Andrew Luck, RG-3 | National Football Post
Seahawks quarterback shining in stretch run

Five from Sunday: 'Real records' entering stretch; still QB issues? - NFL - CBSSports.com News, Rumors, Scores, Stats, Fantasy
The Falcons look great at 11-1, right? Or the Bears at 8-4? Neither is so impressive when you look at the 'real records' for every NFL team. Pat Kirwan also ponders why questions, QB issues and more in Five from Sunday.

Rice, Carpenter and Trufant all question marks this week | HeraldNet.com - Seattle Sidelines
"He's going to go through the process," Carroll said. "We want to be very careful and make sure we know what we're doing. He'll go through the whole sequence of the tests and stuff, and probably we will determine on Wednesday where he is for Thursday's practice."

Profiling Pat Studstill
On Sunday, Calvin Johnson became just the second player in NFL history to gain at least 125 receiving yards in five consecutive games. He’s also the second Lion to hit those marks.

NFL Run & Shootaround: LuckStrong - The Triangle Blog - Grantland
On any given Sunday (or Monday, or Thursday), your NFL Run & Shootaround crew will be gathered around multiple televisions, making inappropriate jokes.