Coffee and Cigarettes: Seahawks Links for Wednesday

Hump day!

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | Week 2 DVOA Ratings
A lot of NFL power ratings around the Internet have the Houston Texans on top after two big wins to start the season. The Football Outsiders DVOA ratings are in agreement there: Houston ranks third in offense and first in defense, although the Texans are just 30th in special teams. Below the Texans, the DVOA ratings probably look a lot different from ratings elsewhere.

‘It’s what we do now that counts’
But that game doesn’t mean a thing to us now. After our "Tell the Truth Monday" meetings (which happen to be today because we play on Monday night next week), we won’t discuss the victory anymore. It’s in the past. We’ve moved on. Because it’s what we do now that counts.

A perfectly special effort
"To have guys in OTAs screaming around and hustling and fired up and capturing them the way Brian did then, I just thought that was an amazing accomplishment for that time of year," said Carroll, who first saw Schneider on the practice field when he visited the Raiders during a spring session.

Russell Wilson entered NFL with, and now demonstrates his talent |
As for Wilson’s height still being an issue, my words of caution are simple: we cannot praise him for "overcoming his height" when the Seahawks win, nor blame him for "being so short" when they lose. When Drew Brees tosses four interceptions and the Saints lose, is that because of his height? If that’s the case, then how did he ever set the NFL record for passing yardage in a single season (breaking Dan Marino’s long-standing record — no height issues there)?!

Seahawks’ ‘Legion of Boom’ defense lives up to its name against Cowboys | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
It's never a good idea to give yourself a nickname until you've actually accomplished something. If you've actually done NFL deeds as if you were the Steel Curtain or the Fearsome Foursome, that's one thing ... but slapping a moniker on your team before it fits is a bit presumptuous. So the Seattle Seahawks' defense, thought by many to be one of the league's best coming into the 2012 season, found out when they allowed a Kevin Kolb scoring drive late in their eventual 20-16 Week 1 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. The "Legion of Boom" defense, as some had deemed it to be, looked like anything but against one of the NFL's least impressive quarterbacks.

Seattle Seahawks Rush Defense Isn't a Mirage - 12th Man Rising - A Seattle Seahawks Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
A year ago, the Seahawks finished the season 4th in the league at just 3.8 yards per attempt. No one seemed to notice how good the rush defense was because they were just 15th in the league in total yards given up on the ground. The discrepancy coming from the fact, even though the Seahawks rush defense was very good, teams ran the ball against the Seahawks more than all but 7 other NFL teams.

Seattle Seahawks Game Balls - Week 2 Offensive, Defensive MVP, Dallas vs. Seattle
Another day at the office for our beloved running back Marshawn Lynch as he put up 122 yards and a touchdown. He didn’t have any huge tackle breaking, ground shaking runs he’s famous for, but he did his job.

Redskins vs. Rams: Breaking Down How Sam Bradford Carved Up the Redskins | Bleacher Report
After losing a heart breaker in Week 1 to the Detroit Lions, the Rams were bound for redemption. Offensively, St. Louis played poorly against Detroit. Its execution was off, and the offensive line failed to protect the quarterback in critical situations.

Seahawks come out of Sunday's win mostly healthy | HeraldNet.com - Seattle Sidelines
"We have to wait and see how it works out," Carroll said of Maxwell. "It might not be that serious, but we don't know. But we came out pretty well for the most part.

Reading between the lines: Pete Carroll and the formula for victory | Seahawks Blog | The Seattle Times
Actual question: Has there ever been a thought that the formula for winning football has changed a little bit? That you have to be able to score in a track meet? What Carroll actually said: "No. You have to run real fast in a track meet, I think." What Carroll meant: "Look, if you're going to offer up some ham-handed analogy, it should at least make sense. You score in a pinball game, you run in a track meet and you hit people real, real hard in a football game. So decide what you're talking about here. Because we don't wear singlets or cute little spikes on a football field, and there's definitely no requirement to stay in your lane. But anyway, proceed with this line of questioning if you must.

The Brock and Salk Show on 710 ESPN Seattle - Brock and Salk - MyNorthwest.com
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll took a risk with receiver Golden Tate and TE Anthony McCoy, and 710 ESPN's Brock Huard says entering their third year, it's time for them to pay off. Huard says in this commentary the key for both is availability; avoiding injuries and making plays throughout the season. Both played a significant part in Sunday's win against Dallas. If they can continue to remain "available," Huard says both can more than live up to the risk.

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | Week 2 Quick Reads
First six drives: 8-of-12 for 79 yards with a sack, but only three first downs. Last three drives: 6-of-7 for 66 yards with five first downs, including a 22-yard score to Anthony McCoy, plus one sack. He also ran for two first downs in the fourth quarter.

NFL Power Rankings, Week 3: All Hail The 49ers - SBNation.com
The 49ers and Texans are your new top two teams in the league in SB Nation's Week 3 NFL power rankings.

Russell Wilson's stature grows in Seattle
"He's not flustered by pressure," Baldwin said of Wilson. "He can make great decisions on the run and gets the offense in the right direction. He puts us in the right plays to be successful."

The real McCoy: Backup Seahawks' tight end steps up, stands out | Seahawks Blog | The Seattle Times
"We came out in a three tight end set," McCoy said of the TD play. "We wanted to get them off balance and see what they lined up in. The look that the coaches predicted is the look they gave us. "Russell Wilson made a good decision, and we got the touchdown."

Power Rankings: Niners are NFL's best team, Texans look like the most complete -
I was impressed by what they did on defense against the Cowboys. The special teams came up big, too.

No Talks Between NFL, Refs Since Sep. 1 - SBNation.com
Talks between the NFL and its regular referees last happened on Sep. 1. Competing visions for the officials' retirement plan seems to be the biggest sticking point.

High-scoring Packers will test Seahawks' pound-it-out blueprint | Seahawks | The Seattle Times
"If you get behind and they're scoring faster than you are, then you're in trouble," Carroll said. "But we're trying not to let that happen."

Which Rookie Quarterback Had The Most Poise After His Second Start?
Last week, Andrew Luck of the Indianapolis Colts showed the most poise out of all the rookie quarterbacks who played in Week 1, according to people who wrote about him. Did Luck maintain his grip on the poise title in Week 2? Or did any of the other four rookie quarterbacks—Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson, Ryan Tannehill, and Brandon Weeden—elegantly dethrone Luck? Let's tally the scores:

McCarthy, Packers prepare for Seahawks - JSOnline
On Russell Wilson: Important to keep a young QB in favorable down and distances. I thought he did a good job of managing the game. Makes plays with his feet. Can make all the throws. Ted makes his annual pilgrimmage down to Madison and when he came back, he was very impressed with Russell. For him to start right away, that speaks volumes. They have two good young quarterbacks there.

Peyton Manning's arm, approach different with Denver Broncos - NFL.com
The Dallas Cowboys' loss to the Seattle Seahawks is not a bad one -- playing the 'Hawks in the Pacific Northwest is a huge challenge, and it's hard to pull out a win. The NFC West is not a cupcake division.

Tramon Williams rediscovering 2010 form for Packers - NFL.com
"We've done that a lot," Capers told the Green Bay Press-Gazette. "You've seen Tramon match up when we play (Calvin) Johnson from the Lions. Tramon's our veteran guy that we feel can match up and cover most people. "He's got the savvy and can study how guys run their routes. He did a nice job (Thursday) night."

Ken Whisenhunt: Larry Fitzgerald will get his catches - NFL.com
"Coach (Bill) Belichick is not the best coach in history for no reason," Fitzgerald said, via Cardinals reporter Darren Urban. "He's done it for a long time. He does a great job defensively. It was good to get out with a win, to be honest."

NFC North - Practice Squad Breakdown | National Football Post
With week two of the NFL season "in the rear view mirror" there continues to be a lot of roster juggling. As teams can now sign vested veterans without having to guarantee the contract (Vested veterans can claim termination pay one time in their career if they are on a team’s opening day roster), you can expect to see a number of players cut from active rosters and added to practice squads this week. So today we take a look at five practice squad players in the NFC North that we believe have the tools to develop.

Playbook: Panthers' 'Triple-Option' vs. Saints | National Football Post
Let’s go back to Sunday, get up on the chalkboard and talk some "option" football. A breakdown of Cam Newton and the Panthers running the "triple option" vs. the Saints' 8-Man front. Check out the playbook diagram and then we will get into some coaching points on the QB's 40-yard run.

Patriots add Kellen Winslow to replace injured Aaron Hernandez | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
"He has an extraordinary catching range," Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said of Winslow in May, soon after the Seahawks traded a conditional late-round pick to the Bucs for his services. "He is doing a great job for us going with us right now. He's affected the way we think about the throwing game, and he's affected the quarterbacks too because you can feel when he's on the field. If you throw it near him he's going to catch it. That's that factor I'm talking about, it can happen with wide receivers. That's why I was so excited about Kellen coming in. That catching range, that expertise that some rare guys have, you want it when you can get it. I just want a little bit more."

Harbaugh continues to be one of NFL's great motivators - CBSSports.com
"He's a really convincing guy," said 49ers tight end Vernon Davis. "We all believe in him." "He's a sincere coach that every player in here trusts," said 49ers offensive lineman Joe Staley.

Snake Eyes: Why an 8-point deficit looks worse than a 9-point one
An interesting discussion broke out in the comments to Friday’s post, as sn0mm1s pointed out a bizarre result he’d come across. Before the NFL adopted the 2-point conversion option following touchdowns, teams that trailed by 8 points entering the 4th quarter had a lower winning percentage than teams that trailed by 9 points.

Stats Recap: Week 2
Arizona 20, New England 18 It’s not the offense, stupid. The Cardinals intercepted Tom Brady on the Patriots first play from scrimmage; on the ensuing possession, Arizona’s offense stalled and kicked a field goal after gaining just seven yards. Later, Arizona’s special teams blocked a punt and set the offense up at the 2, which managed to punch it in for the score after three plays. On Arizona’s other 10 drives, they scored just 10 points. The Cardinals gained an anemic 245 yards of offense, the second lowest amount by any victorious opponent in the Bill Belichick/Tom Brady era.

Back to School: How Mike Shanahan Is Using RG3's College Offense With the Redskins
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.

Cardinals, 49ers, Rams and Seahawks fueling NFC West's turnaround story - Don Banks - SI.com
Defense is leading the way in the West. Three of the division's teams are in the top 10 in points allowed, with Seattle (27 points) featuring the lowest total in the NFC and ranking third overall, followed by Arizona (34 points) in fifth, and San Francisco (41 points) tied for ninth place.

John Clayton's Last Call - ESPN
"We have been in enough close games over the last year or so," he said. "We are just going to keep working. We came into New England, a road trip, a 1 o'clock East Coast game and we started off with a 13-play drive, something like that, and moved the ball down the field. That shows a lot of progress. We have not been great starters on the road."

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | Any Given Sunday: Cardinals Over Patriots
Arizona's 20-18 win over the Patriots is a pretty unprecedented result in the scope of Football Outsiders history. As we noted in Audibles, this was the rare case where the Premium DVOA picks database actually agreed with a huge line. Coming into the game, the Patriots were 13.5-point favorites. Not only did our premium DVOA picks think that line was fair, it was also the only game of the week that we gave our most confident (green) rating to. You can count the number of times a 13.5-point favorite has lost, since 2010, on one hand. You can count the number of times we've picked a 13.5-point favorite as a "green" risk against the spread, only to see them lose, on one finger.

Robert Griffin III's instant impact helps explain young QB trend - NFL.com
"Really, by playing them, we're giving credit for the years they spent growing up," Seattle coach Pete Carroll said over the phone. "And it's relative in the college game with high school kids coming in, too. They're accelerated in developing, and they come in and prove they can play. Times have changed. It's obvious, and you saw it with Andy (Dalton) and Cam (Newton) last year."

49ers Spearheading NFC West Resurgence, Division Built on Strong Defense, Coaching - NFL - NESN.com
The Patriots saw it first hand on Sunday, the NFC West is for real.

Seahawks sign CB Danny Gorrer; release RB Kregg Lumpkin - CBSSports.com
Gorrer comes to Seattle from Baltimore, where he played in 11 games last season, recording five tackles. Gorrer made it through final cuts with the Ravens this year and at one point was a part of Baltimore's 53-man roster, however, the Ravens decided to part ways with the third-year veteran on Sept. 3 after signing safety James Ihedigbo.

'Chalk Talk' video: Manning vs. Falcons' Cover 3 | National Football Post
Peyton Manning tunred the ball over multiple times on Monday night during the Broncos’ loss to the Falcons down in Atlanta. Today, let’s get up on the chalkboard to break down the QB's third INT vs. Atlanta’s Cover 3 scheme. A good use of pre-snap disguise and proper technique in the secondary that produced another turnover for this Falcons' defense.

CenturyLink Field Reviews, Seattle Seahawks | Stadium Journey
Official Review by Darin Pike, Stadium Journey Regional Correspondent Formerly known as Seahawks Stadium and Qwest Field, CenturyLink Field (The Clink) is truly a unique stadium. Opened for the 2002 season and the Seahawks' return to the NFC West, the modern facility boasts first-class amenities and spectacular views.