Seahawks beat Cardinals: Pete Carroll, Richard Sherman, Michael Bennett, Russell Wilson presser notes

Pete Carroll, Richard Sherman, Michael Bennett, Russell Wilson spoke to the media after the Seahawks' big win over the Cardinals. I took notes.

Coach Carroll:

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• Put together a really good day to finish the season up. Really proud to end this way and go into the playoffs. We played such a great football game today. Consistency on offense was really good. It didn't matter what the situations were, Russell Wilson kept finding the 1st downs on 3rd down. Fact that Russ had a huge season is great, we've all seen it happening. Doug Baldwin does his thing with the TDs too, really cool. We played with backups; Alvin Bailey at LT, Mark "Mad Dog" Glowinski at RG, and Chase Coffman, add all that together and function and execute like we did is good.

• Don't know if there is a record we could be more proud of then leading the league in scoring defense four years in a row. Is a remarkable accomplishment. It is hard to do things over a long period of time that well. It is something about out lasting the opportunity and making sure you get it done. Really cool accomplishment, take great pride in that one. Fantastic day for us, the players had a blast, because we had so much respect for the team we just played.

• Feels good to have 10 or more wins for four straight seasons. "We like 10, at least."

• It is great to have momentum going into the playoffs but if we didn't have it we wouldn't talk that way (that we don't have momentum and that is bad). Really played well knowing we have to do this. These guys are confident we can go wherever we need to go, it doesn't matter.

• Wanted to finish well but we didn't "need" this win, want to win every game.

• Never talks about making statements. Not a statement game. Last game of the year and finishing is what matters.

• Plan was to get Wilson to the fourth quarter today.

• What a great job by Tyler Lockett and the punt return team. He looked unstoppable, but that is a bunch of guys working together to get that done. Really proud of them. Really led the fire of the game.

• Christine Michael with 100 yards is awesome. Messed it up last week, would have shown, our running game is still intact. We protected the ball and ran hard, great. Going with him until we know different.

• Had a hiccup this last week but love how we played post-bye in the second half of the season. Love the shift of 3rd down conversion and red zone execution (they work together). And the confidence of Russ and Doug hooking up is obvious.

• Jeremy Lane has somewhat of an oblique strain or ribs or something like that. No one else got nicked.

• Kam Chancellor had a chance, hoped today but he couldn't get it done, but was close. Very optimistic Luke Willson, J.R. Sweezy, Kam Chancellor and Russell Okung will make it back next week.

• Coffman is a really good catcher. Russell immediately took to him seeing him on the practice field.

• Will Tukuafu caught his first pass catching TD and it is his birthday.

• Not as many turnover plays this year. Think that is the difference on defense this year. But scoring defense takes the most, is the most. And played without some guys too, cool year seeing our guys step up. Praises Kelcie McCray's play.

• Felt the excellence happening on offense. To finish like this demonstrates we are on our game and ready for the challenge of the playoffs.

• Have a whole playoff format to go back to and get ready for in preparation for the upcoming game.

• The focus has been excellent, thinks the leadership of the team has embraced the opportunity. Started talking about the playoff path being road-based a month ago, preparing the guys.

• Going to watch the Vikings-Packers game on the plane and find out if we play on Saturday or Sunday.

• Indications are Marshawn Lynch will get back to us this week.

Richard Sherman:

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• Just us playing our style of football. Think people forget who we are. Let a few penalties, miscues, weird plays change who they think we are. Then we come out and remind them. Don't get this done without all the other guys on D (lists them off), testament to how hard they work.

• Other teams should be concerned to play us.

• Knew exactly where we were that we had a chance to be the #1 scoring defense again this year. Heart of a champion, you have your peaks and valleys, a champion overcomes those valleys. Super Bowl hangerover, all is lost after our record looked how it looked earlier in the year...but we came back, we worked hard. And we played today without half of our starting O-line, without Marshawn Lynch, without our All-Pro SS.

• Was like "come on!" when he got flagged on punt return.

• Is entertained when people cry the sky is falling or Super Bowl hangover. You are a fool if you think that, even our own fans, saying the money got to them, or they aren't hungry anymore. Focus on the guys in the building.

• Are a different team than we were a couple of years ago when we play on the road. This year we are going in as champions. Gonna have to take it from us.

• During the 3rd quarter Sherman yapped at QB Carson Palmer about WR John Brown saying in August on Phoenix radio he didn't think Sherman could cover him (Brown) one on one. Brown had four catches on 11 targets, for 14, inconsequential yards today. When he saw Brown on the sidelines in the 3rd quarter, Sherman yelled at Palmer - then squatted in a demonstration that looked to fans like the Doug Baldwin toiler-squat from SB49 but Sherman says no, it was to demonstrate to Palmer that Brown was sitting on the bench, as a non-factor.

• "That Brown kid said I couldn't guard him 1 on 1. Laughable."

• Never stopped being grinders. People sometimes get spoiled with good play. Sit there and say the defense is playing awful but most teams would kill to have this defense. Most teams would love to have that. That's why you just laugh. Russell is balling out, breaking records. Spoiled by how hard we play and our style.

Michael Bennett:

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• Have guys playing as a team, are hungry and want to prove we are the best defense. Prove it year in and year out.

• Depth is one of the most important thing in the NFL. Lot of the great players go down in the NFL and who comes up for them is important. We have good depth players. When you think about Glow playing against one of the best defenders, C-Mike stepping up and playing really well.

• Is good at everything he does but dropping into coverage is something he does because the play call demands it.

• Think this win is what we need to go on the road and win back-to-back and who knows maybe play the Cards again.

• Has kids so he doesn't have time to think about fans or media thinking the sky is falling when the team wasn't playing as well earlier in the season.

• Is a competitor and wants to play through the pain and put us in a good situation (in regards to his toe).

• Is super painful, level 10, but he has three daughters and they all have to have weddings.

Russell Wilson:

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• Thought our preparation this week has been unbelievable. Have been locked in the past 7-8 weeks really. Had to bring our A-game and we did that. Saw our RBs making plays, the O-line; Bailey and Glow stepped up against a tough D-line and LB's. Think about the receivers, who have been exceptional all year. Kasen Williams got his first catch. Tuku got his first NFL TD, and on his B-day too. And Chase Coffman who has connected with everybody right away. To have guys step up when you lose guys like Thomas Rawls and Jimmy Graham. Testament to our coaching and how we are preparing.

• The atmosphere and the team we are playing, it felt like a playoff game but we treat every game like a Championship opportunity.

• To think about Mark Glowinski being in there, stepping up for Sweezy, Coffman making plays too. We have been battle tested and we enjoy the journey, it isn't over yet. How you tell your story is the extra work, the practice, the games, great things happen.

• Doesn't like coming out of the game but trusts the coach on it. Loves seeing T-Jack go in, has helped Russ tremendously during his career here. It is a lot of fun playing with him. Seeing him make plays, get the ball to Kevin Smith and Kasen Williams. Is so grateful for T-Jack and the QB room.

• Think Tyler is Rookie of the Year. You watch the different things he can do, the explosiveness in the passing game, red zone catches, on 3rd down, the punt and kick returns. He is one of a kind, think he deserves it. Gonna be exciting to watch him in the playoffs.

• Anytime Tyler has the ball in his hands he may score. Is an exciting guy to watch. His professionalism, that is where it starts. It is lead by guys like Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse.

Relevant Tweets:

• @gbellseattle Rookie RG Mark Glowinski pancakes AZ NT Rodney Gunter. Bryce Brown runs behind that pave job for another #Seahawks 1st down, to AZ 8

• @gbellseattle Rookie RG Mark Glowinski drove his guy 4 yards past line of scrimmage on that Michael run for first down on 3rd & 1. #Seahawks

• @JacsonBevens The Seahawks broke up 10 passes today. 10. Savage number.

• @JacsonBevens The Cardinals entered this game ranked 6th in the NFL in rushing. They managed 27 yards on 13 carries. Their longest run went for 5 yards.

• @fbgchase Three-way tie for the receiving TD crown: Brandon Marshall, Allen Robinson, Doug Baldwin all finish with 14 receiving TDs.

• @JaysonJenks The Seahawks allowed the fewest points in the league for the fourth straight season, the first time that's ever happened in the NFL.

• @SprowESPN Russell Wilson: first player in NFL history w/ 4,000 Pass yds, 30 passing TDs and 500 rushing yards. Per @ESPNStatsInfo

• @Seahawks @DangeRussWilson is Seahawks first 4K passer. Ever.

• @Seahawks @TDLockett12 most combined net yards for a Seahawks rookie in a season.

• Russell Wilson breaks Dave Krieg's franchise record for TD passes. Wilson also passed the previous franchise record for single-season passing yards, leapfrogging Matt Hasselbeck's 3,966 in 2007.

• @Hasselbeck Matthew Hasselbeck Retweeted Seattle Seahawks: Congrats #3.

• @JacsonBevens The Seahawks are now 46-18 under Russell Wilson (52-20 incl. playoffs). That's the most wins in NFL history during a QB's first four seasons

My Thoughts:

• I am so pumped with what we saw from the backups. I need to rewatch the game but Glowinski looks solid at RG, he didn't screw up from what I saw and I you see the tweets I saw during the game...could this guy be good enough that we keep RG cheap by starting him there and let Sweezy walk? I loved what we saw from C-Mike again, in my opinion we need to extend him (RFA in '16) and roll with Rawls, C-Mike and a '16 draft pick. I love what I saw from Coffman, dude made some major blocks and had some really good receptions! I love the possibility that we found a 6'6 receiving TE who might be good at blocking too that we can have compete for TE3 (with Helfet) in '16 and the loser goes to our P-Squad (TE4). Kelcie McCray with yet again another solid game at SS filling in for Kam. If Kam can't get over his ego and demands more money then I will feel fine trading him and starting McCray at SS. Jeremy Lane is really coming on hot and I dig what Shead is doing (solid as always), love going into the playoffs with them. Pumped for Kasen, Kevin, Cooper, Tukuafu, CMike (100 yards!), Brown (solid performance), etc. Love our depth.

• People like to get pessimistic and all negative about our O-line with Bailey in and Sweezy out, thinking this will be a throw away game, my optimistism never left me. I know Bailey has the potential to put together a really solid game (like he has in the past), and I had high hopes for Glowinski, that he met. We gave up one sack, we didn't let Russ get hit or pressured much, we gave him solid pass pro with the occasional really good pocket for him to throw an explosive pass. Our O-line just showed up big against one of the best D-lines in the NFL...remember that.

• Tyler Lockett...just wow. Dude is worth a 1st rounder easy, bet all 32 front offices would agree with 20/20 hindsight.

• Sherman was balling out of his mind, breaking up passes and knocking balls out and he has his mouth and swagger back. This team needs that from him.

• Who do I want for our first playoff game? Give me the Vikings. This is the 5th time in the last 7 games Seattle has held a team to under 60 yards rushing...we will shut down AP again and the game will be on Teddy Bridgewater's arm and his receivers hands. I'd bet on the Hawks every day of the weak to beat Teddy and his receivers. Their defense will be tougher than last time but we are on fire and just lit up a better defense then they have.

• Come on Marshawn! Please show up at the VMAC tomorrow and practice on Wednesday and be considered ready to play for our first playoff game. This team + Beastmode at RB1 is scary as hell.