Pete Carroll, Richard Sherman Wednesday press conference notes

Pete Carroll and Richard Sherman spoke to the media on Wednesday and I took notes.

Coach Carroll:

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• Terrific week for us, and a challenge. Have to go across the country again, go on the road. Baltimore is a very tough football team. Feel good about where we are going and what we are doing but this is a tough football team. We are in pretty good health, better than we were a week ago. March towards a really good preparation.

• The Ravens have been in very difficult games and have won a bunch of close ones. Have had come from behinds, overtimes, challenges. They are game ready. See them as an extremely difficult opponent.

• Hope to get Anthony McCoy in the rotation to make take some plays for us. Watched him in Washington. Really important that he can fit right in, he will play in this game. Feels comfortable getting him back. Has a lot of background with us.

• Anthony has always been a solid blocker, adding that to our mix of guys is a good thing. Happy to get that back.

• Started slower in 2012 and this year. Doesn't think there is an explanation for it. You have to "find it" every season. It is a challenge for all coaches in all sports. Sometimes you find it in the beginning. We found the mentality that we like and recognize.

• Guys are playing better, but they are also playing with more confidence because we have changed some stuff on offense. Reevaluated since the bye, evaluated personnel and what we are asking them to do and tweaked them, changed some things to adapt. It has worked out, but we have another game this week and gotta see if we do it again. It is certainly moving in the right direction though.

• Akeem Davis is a hard nosed guy, special teamer. Great energy about him, his toughness, the things he does as a gunner, covering kicks, looks special to us. When we got a chance to get him on the roster we did it. We have lost some guys, banged up, losing DeShawn Shead off of special teams left a void, still a void with Brock Coyle out. His style jumped at us. The special teams coaches had him targeted a few weeks ago but we didn't have the opportunity to get him until now.

• Brock will be ready to go next week, he is totally recovered and has been practicing full speed for weeks. Dying to get out there.

• When you watched him in college, Russell Wilson was terrific in the pocket. We never had any expectations that he wasn't able to do that. He had a great offense and team and a great offensive line in college who protected the heck out of him and he took advantage of it. Pete has said he thinks he has had this ability all along and demonstrated it at times, think he is the best in our system he has ever been. Gave us that thought in the off-season that he is really in command of the offense and knowing where guys are going. The ball just seems to come out when we give him the chances. What we have done is zeroed in on stuff to maintain that rhythm to keep the pass rush from being a factor. He has done really well with it obviously.

• Russell has had a knack throughout his career throwing balls through passing lanes. His numbers are no where near an alarming number for defensive knock downs of balls. He has a real good sense for that, but when he doesn't he will move and do something. Every QB gets some balls knocked down and he is no more than anyone else, that is because he has a sense, a knack, knowing when to and when not to.

• Had a couple of games we didn't like with run defense but in general this is kinda how we play. The numbers are where they have been. You have to wait till the end to see how it turns out. Likes how we are doing right now. Really gonna continue to play disciplined and sound up front. Gotta show it again this week against a team that wants to run at us a lot.

• Russell will continue to get better with protections the next few years. It takes a while to take full command. He will have been exposed to everything you can see in year 6-7. Very difficult process these guys go through.

• Russell is motivated by anything he can latch onto, because he wants to be that way, wants to prove what he can do, to be motivated. Would have to ask him to really know but Pete thinks he doesn't mind proving people wrong.

• Marshawn Lynch is rehabbing, when he is ready to start working with us we'll get him going. Not quite yet. He has made improvement and is feeling okay about it. Won't happen this week.

• Don't know if Marshawn will be ready for the playoffs, don't know yet.

• Pete was blown away by what Thomas Rawls has done, his consistency. Couldn't have thought he would be so good. His attitude is fantastic as a RB in a tough running system. His ability to come back week after week after week, he is documenting that. Can't say he knew all that when he scouted him and recruited him, but has really done everything we could hope for to this point.

• Rawls is such a conscientious guy, nobody on the sidelines wavered on that one (fumble). The ball just got vulnerable for a second as he tried to go after a guy and the defender moved a bit. Like swinging and missing. The next couple of carries he is in traffic and has the ball nice and tucked away, he has great habits so we had no worry.

• Fred Jackson is a tremendous veteran. We don't have many guys that have been through as many battles as he has. He has a great heart, helps the younger guys. Fred has been very consistent for us. Will get the yards that are available. Does a lot in the passing game and blocking and all that.

• Why hesitate to praise the play calling? Love Darrell Bevell as a play-caller, he allows us to be a physical running team and yet have such a explosive passing team. He has been consistently that. Think he is a terrific caller and loves the way he calls games.

• Is in regular communication with Tom Cable, Bev and upstairs during the game. Allow him to be bold, give him the support to take the shots and hammer the football. The conversation is about maintaining the style we want. Some specifics but for the most part he has his plan nailed and everything is gone over before hand. There is always a few you couldn't account for in every game. Even when you have contingencies some stuff you couldn't plan for pops up, but that is where the support and communication comes in.

• During the play calling process Bevell's "got it". He is up 2-3-4 plays ahead of time. Pete is talking to Carl Smith for the most part, getting the play and thought from him. Pretty cool conversation that goes on for them.

• There were a series of meetings between Pete and Tom and Bevell when it was first put together. To keep working it out, massaging the way it was going to fit together. To figure out who is gonna talk when, and who is going to make the decisions here and there. Has done it that way before, and you need a good start to get it right, you need to setup the ground rules and all that. Likes getting every bodies input and getting everybody involved.These guys are perfectly in sync, Tom will help with the run game thoughts during the game, they are ahead of the plays always and series always and work back and forth with protections. There is a wide open communication that has been fostered through a lot of care and concern for the communication and the necessary respect and to carry out the plan the way we want. They do a great job together.

• Structure is that way to use all of the brain power. To get everybodies input. To be as smart as we can possibly be. Everyone has a lot to add but you have to develop the habits to communicate at the right time. It is the most difficult for the play caller because he has to be out there and function well with that stuff. Bevell is chilled, so cool about it. He has his big plays and big balls in his back pocket, think he does a great job of it. Look at how we have run the ball over the years, that is what we do, we are a running team and feed off of that. When we don't it is because we aren't executing or the game gets wacked. He is representing us beautifully.

• Have been worked at this, in like fashion. Kris Richard works with Rocky Seto too. Rocky does a big job to support Kris. Kris and Pete are communicating. God, love the way it is going. Kris and Pete are communicating, love the way it is going. Have such consistent background, language and experience are exactly the same that they have been through over the last 12 years or something like that, when he started with us. Have grown together, see eye to eye on most everything that goes on. Really good thinker, processes really well. The foundation of his thoughts are woven into what Pete has grown up thinking is important, can't help but see eye to eye. But if they differ he will totally respect it, if he thinks something different Pete says he might be missing something. Hope to continue to evolve.

• Last couple weeks even as we pass more we are still a running team. We rushed for 200 something and 175, that is commitment, you have to be committed to get that done. It doesn't just happen. If you look back, this hasn't changed at all. This is how we want to play the game, we think this is the best way to win.

• Pete talked to BYU AD Tom Holmoe (old friend), we have a long season going on and they need to go do their job. Bevell is not available but he would be an awesome choice for them, he wants to run with us and do what we are doing. Timing doesn't fit.

• With Baltimore and San Fran having been in the Superbowl not long ago and now both being 4-8, what does that say about the difficulty sustaining success? Mr. and Mrs. Harbaugh aren't quite as fired up for their boys as they have been. Jack is a fireball, and he had a ball when they were going through that whole process. They are two fantastic coaches, looks at those things in the past as the Harbaugh's. John is a fantastic coach obviously, and so is Jim. It's hard to continue to win, it isn't common. It is a wonderful outside goal to strive for that you can show that you can be consistent over a long period of time. What Pete takes the most pride in proving, but you can't know until you look back.

• Thinks us having almost 50% UDFAs on our 53 man roster right now speaks to the Seahawks' ability to evaluate beyond the 7th round. John's approach to not just settle for getting 3-4 good guys and take whatever is left. He is deep, deep, deep in it, our boards go so deep, our work goes so extensive in finding guys beyond that. We know it is like the 8th pick and 9th pick and 10th pick, the Draft used to be 14 picks or something like that, tons of picks. Speaks to that, would like to think is speaks to our program being developmental, that we coach up the guys no matter their draft number. Have discipline to do that. Have found so many guys with the competitive makeup and the character that drive you past what the combine shows, that grit factor it really goes back to, we celebrate those guys.

• Jimmy Graham is getting more comfortable. Miss the heck out of him, hope to see him soon.

• Don't expect Jordan Hill or Demarcus Dobbs to practice today.

Richard Sherman:

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• Denies hearing his coach curse, supports his coach.

• Seahawks would be Ali if the team was a boxer. Even when you thought Ali was down and out, washed out, done, he would come back and knock someone out and get the belt. Never stops being confident. Little bit of rope-a-dope then get his legs under him and what happens when you get your legs under you?

• Ran the step-kick technique in college. It is like riding a bike, once you get it down you always remember it, but it can take a second. Once people understand it they take to it.

• Doesn't explain the trend of starting off slow, would think would be ready for it, fool you once, fool you twice, fool you thrice.

• Mindset to play in the secondary is next play, confidence, being willing to do whatever it takes. Gotta be willing to sacrifice your body sometimes to go in and make a tackle against someone with a bigger body than you. High level of accountability in this defense.

• Coaches harp all the time about not allowing explosive plays (especially over the top). Usually it is a heck of a play made by them, a heck of a throw and catch.

• Think this is the best Russ has played in his career in this three game stretch. Has had great games and halves and quarters. Played phenomenal in the Super Bowl against Denver and other games. There have been games where he has played phenomenal but this is the most consistently he has played dominant.

• If scouting his offense the reason it has been so efficient: Because you can't find an answer. Because when the answer to the riddle used to be make him leave the pocket and you got him, or keep him in the pocket and contain him and you got him solved, when that isn't the answer anymore it is a really dangerous offense. When he can stand in there confidently and deliver strikes to receivers you start to understand how dynamic our offense really is. Think people get caught up and care too much about super star guys and they don't recognize how talented our receivers really are and that will change. Think Russ has gotten more opportunities and has developed, has grown. QB's learning curve is long. They are growing and developing constantly. Don't think Rodgers started until his 3rd or 4th year and still has some time to grow. Obviously Tom and Big Ben have had their time to grow and blossom. Seeing Doug with more opportunities. Can be a dominant receiver with more chances. If he is in a offense with 50 passes a games he could easily have 70-90 catches, over 1000 yards, 10-12 TD's. He is top 5 in TD's and probably has the fewest targets on the list. Because we throw it 25 times, and in this 25 passes the ball gets spread out to a bunch of guys. He is finding a way within this offense,because Russ is doing a good job.

• Doug is 24 catches, 433, 6 TDs, he knows Doug's numbers the past 3 weeks. His talent is finally getting a chance to shine. Think with more opportunities he is getting a chance to shine and it is getting recognized.

• Doug had a rough Junior year of college. Really unfortunate how he got done. Think that year helped him become a team player and humbled him. It changed his mentality, helped him become more patient. He isn't sitting there asking for the ball, he is blocking as hard as he can for the RBs until he gets his opportunity to catch the ball. He has always been open for an opportunity to shine.

• Learned to not take an opponent too lightly in Pop Warner. Was 9-0 and took the other team lightly, and they paid for it. Ever since then you take nobody for granted, especially in the NFL, the next guy who steps in could be a Hall of Famer, it has happened before and it will happen again.

• Team is resilient enough to understand that the season is long and it is a marathon not a sprint. Have had seasons starting fast and seasons starting slow, and all the other ways it can happen. With a vet club who has played as many meaningful games as we do we understand what can happen.

• Could be a number of reasons Cary Williams was cut. Was a phenomenal teammate, nothing against him. Sometimes it just isn't a fit. Unfortunately that is the way our front office saw it.

• It can be really difficult to be a veteran and come in and play in this secondary as a CB. It is a hard place to come in and learn. Usually why next man up is a guy that has been in the system. Sometimes it is hard to come from a different place and mesh.

Seahawks Injury Report:

Out

• Marshawn Lynch (abdomen)

Did Not Participate

• Demarcus Dobbs (concussion)
• Jordan Hill (toe)
• Cliff Avril (NIR)

Relevant Tweets:

• @jthom1 Quinn needs season-ending back surgery.
• @jthom1 McDonald needs season-ending shoulder surgery.
• @Curtis_Crabtree Marshawn Lynch sighting. He's back in the building today as the team is going through practice.
• @AaronQ13Fox Amazing: The #Ravens might be 4-8, but 11 of their 12 games have been determined by six points or less. #Seahawks #Q13Fox
• @Softykjr Michael Bennett was asked what its like to play inside and outside: "I don't know, you gotta ask Jenna Jameson"
• @jennajameson Jenna Jameson Retweeted Dave Softy Mahler
• @jennajameson Jenna Jameson Funny thing is, I'm a Seahawks fan
• @bcondotta Darrell Bevell confirms he's not interested in BYU opening. Says wants to finish what's started with Seahawks.
• Darrell Bevell says now is not time for any head-coach interviews at #BYU, anywhere.
• @gbellseattle Darrell Bevell earnest on final Super Bowl call: "I learned that I'm strong. I learned I can take a lot of weight on my shoulders" #Seahawks
• Darrell Bevell on BYU opening: "I want to be a head coach. That's definitely true. But there's no good time for us right now."

My Thoughts:

• I really like Pete breaking down how the play-calling works. I have had debates before on /r/Seahawks about this and I feel like what he is saying is exactly what I assumed. We have a unique structure with Bevell being the play-caller and OC but Tom Cable being the O-line Coach and Assistant Head Coach. Along with the fact that Russ (prior to this hot run) didn't really run the offense exactly how Bevell wants (plays so often wouldn't go according to plan) and how our run game is really ran through Tom Cable. It is really cool to hear from Pete about how it all works.

• I love that Pete brought up how we are still a run heavy team, that we will continue to be so and that his philosophy says that running the ball a lot is the best way to win. So many people (mainly non Hawk fans in the national media and online) are saying that we are changing our identity, that we are going to (or already are) pass more. That the addition of Jimmy Graham, and how much money we are paying Russell are all evidence that we are going to abandon being a run heavy team and move towards passing more. I have never once believed this, I think all evidence is to the contrary, and it doesn't make sense. Russell got what he got because that was the going rate for a QB of his caliber, if you want a winning QB you are gonna have to pay $20+ mil a year; fact. Getting Jimmy is no different than getting Sidney Rice, we didn't start targeting Jimmy 20 times a game, we used him as a WR/TE and hell people complained we didn't use him enough. I would say if anything Russell's development and the O-line being solid enough for us to have a lethal passing attack should scare other teams/fans more-so not because we are going to become a 40 pass team, but because if we need to be to win, we can. Like the Patriots who one week run the ball 40 times and the next pass it 40 times because the defenses they played dictate different attacks, we can do the same if things (blocking, Russell from the pocket, etc) look so good. And we can bring an extra threat to the game that a Tom Brady lead offense can't, scrambling & mobility. Russell can not only pass from the pocket like the best of them right now, but he is the best passing outside the pocket. He is the best at avoiding sacks and scrambling out and getting positive yardage. And if need be he can use his 4.4 speed to run yardage and get TD's. The threat the Seahawks present with a Russell Wilson who can shred from the pocket (like we have seen post-bye) is insane.