Pete Carroll, Russell Wilson press conference notes

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Russell Wilson talked to media members today, and I took some notes. There are links to video as well.

Coach Carroll:

Video Link

• We had a really good day yesterday, across the board. Real pleased with how we played as group. Probably had the most consistent game we have had. Good ball game for us. In watching the film it was pretty much like we saw during the game. Real solid play, some areas to improve on. Really good run game, pass protection was solid. Need all hands on deck with what is coming up.

• The fact we mixed the whole game in, passing off the runs, he read everything right, got the ball on the perimeter, that fitting off the running game got Russ in sync. When we are playing like we like that Russell Wilson takes advantage for that.

• The O-line was real consistent. There was a poise about identifying the fronts. Identifying the pressure.

• To get consistent play we have to keep coming back and doing it again. Steady improvement has been showing up in areas we need but we need to show up and do it again. It feels like we are making a good move in the right direction. We have to get going, not many games left.

• Thomas Rawls has not been a featured throw/catch guy for us, unlike Fred Jackson, who has great hands. Rawls hasn't shown that but he did a good job.

• Rawls has been a premier back, he is ready for good things to happen. Probably why he left school and went to the other school, he wanted more time.

• Just like playing the game tough and physical, like to play off of it. Rawls does that with how he runs. You don't have to be that way, but that is the way we like.

• Our guys did a lot of research on him, Rawls had a tough upbringing and all that and it shows. He is hardened. He was willing to change schools to get to play more and that is tough.

• Waiting for that hit where Rawls hits a guy in the chest like Earl Campbell did. Earl could beat you with his speed and by being physical. He would run over guys and go through them but sometimes make you miss. Made that comparison to encourage Rawls, he has a long way to go.

• Told Rawls that I personally watched him and that he was my favorite guy when trying to recruit him. They talked about Marshawn.

• Rawls was part of the decision to part with Christine Michael and Robert Turbin. He had something about him that we thought would be special. Good choice.

• Rawls has a unique body, is not real tall but had a heavy lower body, he is a 4.4 guy, makes changes of directions that seem to almost surprise him.

• Marshawn is on his way to Philly. Tomorrow he has his meetings with the doctors. Think they call tomorrow afternoon. Press will be the first guys Pete calls.

• Don't know if surgery could happen, that is a possibility but he is there for an evaluation. There are a couple of choices depending on what the doctor feelings.

• Don't know if he can get a clean bill of health. It is legitimately bothering him, he would have played yesterday if he could have felt better. He played through it against Arizona, it got worse late in the game.

• Tyler Lockett is really quick, he is so sudden, he can play off the DB. If he sits he takes off too. He is 4.3, once he gets going he really takes off.

• DeShawn Shead played solid, they caught a couple of balls on him. He is our best guy at forcing fumbles in practice. If he is on the field more he will do that, and he did that to the ST returner.

• Open competition at the cornerback spot this week, Jeremy Lane will be back up this week and will compete. He will be on the roster, he was told that this afternoon. Will determinate it late in the week what that means. It is all about how does the player feel the day after the work. Hoping he will turn the corner in how he responds to getting work in practice.

• Jeremy Lane will compete outside and inside, as he always has.

• Haven't seen the grades yet to say which O-line graded particularly well. Thinks the whole O-line played really well.

• Patrick Lewis seems to be okay, has a chance to play this week, wait and see but appears to be a minor ankle sprain.

• Same with Doug Baldwin (minor ankle sprain, walking on it well, most likely will play on Sunday).

• Would be a special recovery for Bruce Irvin to come back this week. Other guys that played did a nice job, Cassius Marsh and Frank Clark played well, got near the QB and did good stuff.

• Paul Richardson says he has to get out there and run fast and see how it feels. He has done everything the trainers have asked of him so far. Hamstring is almost always 10-14 days so we will error on the side of getting him back.

• There is a difference in how Lynch and Rawls see the LOS. Rawls is more so hit first and find out later, Lynch with his vision and patience waits to see the hole then hits it. Rawls is not as likely to make a guy miss as Marshawn is.

• Thomas Rawls is disciplined; he is doing a nice job with his reads and hitting the right hole. He missed one but for the most part he hits them.

• In regards to Rawls: "He makes somebody miss to find somebody to hit."

• Think it is a tremendous job by the personnel group to find all the UDFA talent we got. Never stop competing to find talent, and more than willing to give those guys a chance. Crazy to think otherwise seeing the success we have had with UDFAs. All the TD's were scored by rookies yesterday, our playing young guys is a factor. We give young guys and UDFA's a chance. Those guys that come up through UDFA have that attitude that makes them impactful, this league is about more than talent, it is about heart and attitude.

• Want the Seahawks to be an appealing place to come to because of how we start young guys and UDFAs.

• Think when guys sign their contracts it is recognized by the guys around them. They watch and see how they react to getting that payday. The dynamics shift. Don't always know how that is gonna work out. Lots of guys in baseball that get paid batting .320 and never see .300 again. Last thing we want is to give a guy a big contract and not play good anymore. Think Sherman is a good example of how he got paid and then the next year he came back even better. He took his habits from the year before and made them even better. And now is playing fantastic again. If you do a good job of choosing the players you reward then that is very important. How will they handle it?

• Think he has talked about Sherman a lot in the first year with his response to getting paid to the team. He got his day then applied himself because he knew the responsibility for what that meant.

• It is a challenge for everybody else, it is the first time for them. The more grounded and the better support system around them the better they handle it. KJ, Bobby, Cliff, Kam, Earl, so many guys that have to be managed, things do change when you get paid.

• Don't even know who the independent league concussion guy is. So it is going beautifully. Thinks that system is crucial. When you are in the rapture of the game, coaches, players, it is not a bad thought to have a independent perspective. Don't know how it is worked but you can see where it comes into effect. A guy wobbles off and you didn't really see it, they are another set of eyes. We need to protect our players the best we can.

Russell Wilson:

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• 24 hour rule in regards to celebrating and looking back at the win over the 49ers, move on to the next opponent. The Steelers are a really good team across the board. Coached extremely well, a lot of great players. On to the next one, trying to get prepared for that.

• Thought it was a great outing. Collectively as a group we played really well. Darrell Bevell got us prepared really well. Ultimately on game day we clicked. Running backs and receivers did great, the O-line run blocked and pass protected so well, that is big.

• Feel he is throwing as accurately as he has in his career with this pass pro. Getting the time to find the right guy and throw it to him accurately. We have so much talent at the receiver position, the TE position, the RB position. It is a lot of fun to play with.

• We have so many exciting players, seeing those guys make the plays. The thing about Rawls and the runs he is having, last night, it isn't a surprise to any of us. So many different people making plays, we want to feed off of it. We feed off the defense as well. We get fired up, that is what it is about. Grateful opportunity to play on Sundays.

• Doug Baldwin is phenomenal in the scramble drill. He does a phenomenal job knowing where to go at the right time. Jermaine Kearse is really good at it too, Tyler Lockett has been really good at it all season, Jimmy Graham too, missed him on one where I ran it. He is going to be a major factor in the scramble drill as well. Has been saying; stay the course, trust the process. Even after a great win get focused and move on to the next game.

• Hopefully will have Marshawn Lynch back, having one of the best RBs in the game behind me helps me in my game. Rawls stepping up is big. If Marshawn is out then Rawls and Fred will have to step up.

• Critics just make you a little tougher, make you excited for the next opportunity, can go out and prove them wrong. Preparing the best way possible doesn't change for Russ.

• Tries to keep his head down and avoided TVs in the building in an attempt to ignore what is being about him and the team. Says that discipline is key. The sport is so fun to play but you can get distracted by the outside things. Ultimately it comes down to the guys in the locker-room and how we are preparing.

• Tried to take a couple of deep shots, had that one at the end of the game to Tyler that missed. Knowing the time and place is key. Called some plays to go deep but it wasn't there, they (secondary) were playing deep. If not you take what it there and move on to the next play.

• Says there is no difference in his life, his presence in the locker room, his teammates view of him since getting his new contract. Things it ultimately comes down to how you prepare, getting here early, having fun with the teammates while getting prepared. We all love getting ready to go and prepare for Sundays.

• Most important thing is staying on schedule. When we stay on schedule it gives you a great chance to be successful. Have to keep the down and distances short. Calls them game altering plays and you have to capitalize on those. Did that yesterday.

• Communication up front was phenomenal, they were moving their feet, they were so strong up front all game. They have gotten better every week. Still says he wouldn't want to play behind anyone else, they fight every play, fight their butts off. Hopefully we can continue to have that focus.

• Biggest thing is to focus on one game at a time with the upcoming 6 games. If you think about 6-0 it looks tough but if you think about going 1-0 you can do it.

• When he sees Bobby come in the same class with Russ and sees Earl and Kam and whoever it may be, to see them get paid, they worked so hard their whole life, to get an opportunity and seize it. There is still more to go, we still want to get better, thinks he can get better and wants to attain that. There is an excitement when that happens.

• Thought Sherman continued to play great football after he got paid. That he is the guy that comes to work every day and practice his butt off and do the same thing on Sunday.

• Go Hawks!

My Thoughts:

• Glad to have Jeremy Lane back, I will be curious to see if on game day against the Steelers we roll with Shead, Sherm and Lane. Will also be interesting to watch who ends up where. Will Lane be on Brown? Will Sherm be on Brown?

• Glad the guys we saw get hurt yesterday against the 49ers seem to be okay. It sucks that Paul most likely won't be ready, and that Irvin won't be ready but I am pumped for Marsh or Clark (or both) to get their first career sack. I really hope Paul is just unlucky and that he isn't a fragile Percy type of player. Hope to see him come back 100% healthy against the Vikings and stay healthy all the way through the season and post-season.

• I am excited about the idea of Rawls being our RB1 for the next 4-6 weeks. I personally think it is likely that he is actually better than Lynch right now for this offense. Something about his running style, his speed, his size, he is just doing more with this O-lines run blocking. He is getting more YPC, longer runs, overall better production. I love the idea of if Lynch has a sports hernia, he will get surgery, he will recover in 4-6 weeks and will come back Week 17 (or the first playoff game) fully healthy, rested with fresh legs and ready to go Beastmode in the playoffs when it matters most.