Seahawks vs. Lions: Pete Carroll press conference notes

Pete Carroll spoke to the media Saturday and I took a few notes. First posted to Reddit.

Coach Carroll:

• Tried to take advantage of the extra day by resting. Also get a long day on Monday too (to rest & heal). However we will have less time with the week five game being Sunday, just six days later.

• Don't know until game time if Marshawn Lynch or Brandon Mebane will play.

• Lions will be a hungry team, don't look like an 0-3 team. Have plenty of firepower and a great scheme. Had a chance to win all three of their games. If Marshawn can pop out of it we will go with him.

• Kevin Pierre-Louis came up after the game had a soreness in the bottom of his hammy, have it as a strain, we will see what happens. Doesn't look like he will make it.

• Demarcus Dobbs is not going to make it.

• Simon and Terrell are out, certainly have a chance next week, were almost there this week

• David King will play for Dobbs, Will Tukuafu will get snaps as well on defense.

• Russell Wilson is more comfortable handling the looks and protections in the pocket, like him to hang in the pocket but also get out and create stuff.

• Derrick Coleman can run the ball for us, won't hesitate to use him as a ball carrier.

• Hopefully we will get Thomas Rawls in a good rhythm and get him going again just like last week.

• Paul Richardson is in great shape, he is ready to come out, he could play now for us now. Gonna wait a couple weeks, then he will be back.

• Jeremy Lane is a bit behind that (Richardson) because of his arm, his knee is recovering well. His arm has to get right.

• Richardson is on track to come back as soon as he is eligible (Week 7 vs SF). He will practice first and we will see how he looks and go from there.

• Marshawn had an MRI last week and nothing showed up, when he caught the ball on 4th down he felt a new pull (hammy), in that MRI there were some findings. He is working hard (rehabbing) trying to be ready for the game.

My Thoughts:

• Well what Pete just said lines up exactly with what Paul Richardson tweeted out earlier last month ("30 Days"). That he is ready to go right now and is waiting on being eligible to get off PUP, get practicing and as soon as week 7 against the 49ers make the active roster. This is fantastic news, hopefully it is the beginning of him being healthy for a long long long time. Question is: When he is activated who gets bumped? You have to guess B.J. Daniels (hopefully can be put on the PS). Even though Ricardo Lockette seems to play the same position as P-Rich, I think it is clear how highly Carroll values Lockette's ST contributions.

• I am just not that worried about the Lions in regards to playing them without Beastmode and Mebane. Hill has looked fantastic, the Lions run game is mediocre at best and I am confident in King and Tuku to get the job done. Rawls showed more than just the ability to put up 100 yards on a sub-par Bears defense. He showed that he has good feet, vision, patience, and overall run style. The guy looks like he just plugs in perfectly. I am also confident in Fred and what he can do, whether his role is increased or not.

• Will be great to get Jeremy Lane back late in the season right before a playoff push when we play the Cards and Rams at the end of the season (no doubt huge playoff and playoff seeding implications for the winners/losers of those games). A player on PUP must sit out the first 6 games, at that point the Hawks have a 5 week window to allow the player to practice, and from the day the player starts practicing the teams have an additional 21 day window to decide whether to activate the player to the 53-man roster or put them on IR. So Jeremy Lane has until week 12 + 21 days (week 15 I believe) to be activated.

• What I want to see during this game: A less anemic first half. We don't have to come out lighting the world on fire but we need a few 3rd down conversions, at least 6 points on the board (preferably 10, a TD and a FG). I'm not worried about Jimmy getting targets but there needs to be a concerted effort to get that beast the ball at least 7 times a game in my opinion. Would be great to see our offensive game-plan look classic Seahawks, establish the run then use play-action pass to throw deep (a Lockett deep catch for a TD please). Lastly I would like to see our red zone efficiency improve. We failed throwing to Jimmy and Matthews in the red zone vs the Bears, gotta see that fixed. As for the defense, just keep doing what it is doing. Our first INT would be fantastic, preferably by Sherman or Chancellor.