This week is just flying by, you guys.
Lynch, Seahawks' option overwhelming - Stats & Info Blog - ESPN
The Seahawks had a lot of success with the option, netting 110 yards on 11 option rushes (including Lynch’s game-winning score), with 66 of those yards coming in the second half). Seattle averaged nearly 8 yards before contact on its option runs, compared to 2.6 yards prior to contact on its other runs. The Seahawks have the most option rushes (61) and option yards (474) of any team since Week 13.
Sports Radio Interviews " Blog Archive " Pete Carroll Enjoys Seeing the NFL Shift to Young, Mobile Quarterbacks
Pete Carroll joined The Mighty 1090 in San Diego with Scott and BR to discuss the Seattle Seahawks’ momentum, his team coming back from being down 14-0 early, quarterback Russell Wilson, how Wilson won his job, the play of Richard Sherman and the shift toward young, mobile quarterbacks for so many successful teams.
Seahawks.com Blog | Pete Carroll on Bruce Irvin: "He can feel the sense of urgency"
"We’re very fortunate to be in this situation," Carroll said of Sunday’s game against the Falcons. "We’re looking forward to all of it. Everybody has a good energy about it."
Paul McQuistan prefers to let his actions speak for him
In a unit comprised of younger players, offensive line coach Tom Cable has leaned on guard Paul McQuistan to implement and execute his zone-blocking system that has led the Seahawks into the second round of the playoffs against the Falcons.
Mock draft Wednesday’s: 9th January " Seahawks Draft Blog
Another week, another mock draft. This time things are a little bit clearer for the team picking first overall.
Russell Wilson, Seahawks - ESPN
Seahawks QB Russell Wilson weighs in on Seattle's win over the Redskins, his mobility, what the playoffs are like, preparing for the Falcons and more.
Is Trufant a liability or are we 'sipping the Haterade'? - Blog - MyNorthwest.com
That's a frightening possibility to those who see Trufant, Seattle's nickel cornerback, as the weak link on a strong defense. There are plenty who feel that way. Eric Williams of The News Tribune isn't one of them. "I think people are kind of sipping on the 'Haterade' on Trufant," Williams told "Bob and Groz" on Tuesday. "I think he's playing better than maybe people give him credit for."
Where would the Seahawks be without the option? - Blog - MyNorthwest.com
"It's been huge," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll told "Brock and Salk" on Monday. "We're just going to keep growing with it. The basics of it, the fundamental part is done," Carroll added. "The line knows what they're doing, the read part of it – other than the one time we mishandled the ball [Sunday] – has been executed very well. It's difficult, there's a lot of different things that happen there, but Russell [Wilson] continues to grow with it, and we're happy with the results."
Ryan Longwell: ‘I grew up a huge fan of Largent, Zorn and those guys, so the opportunity to come back is awesome.’ | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times
"It’s obviously a great opportunity," Longwell said. "The team is hot, they’ve got a lot of good talent, and when you’ve got a hot team, you’ve got something special going. It’s a good thing to be a part of. It’s an awesome opportunity and I feel really blessed to be here. … Kind of growing up a Seahawks fan, and watching games in the Kingdome with my grandpa and stuff, it’s kind of an honor to put on the helmet that you grew up watching."
Pete Carroll's Seahawks won't back down from anyone | Seahawks | The Seattle Times
The Seahawks play hard and coach Pete Carroll encourages them to "take it to the edge."
Notes and quotes from Pete Carroll’s Wednesday press conference | Seahawks Insider - The News Tribune
Carroll talked about Irvin’s year as a whole. "I think he’s been terrific," Carroll said. "Think of the expectations that were outside of our building. Ours were that he could do all of this. He’s had a very consistent work ethic of a mature player that’s been around. He’s still watching the older guys and learning from them. He’s been productive. I think he has more sacks in him. I think he can be a double digit sack guy for years to come." The Seahawks could also use Greg Scruggs at defensive end at times, maybe in run situations. "He’s more of a classic 4-3 end," Carroll said. "He can do ton of things well and play the run really well. He isn’t going to give you that speed."
Falcons says playoff failures in rear-view mirror | Seahawks Insider - The News Tribune
"You learn from all of your experiences, whether they’re positive or negative," Smith said. "And it’s something that we’ve evaluated. But once you get into the season, it really has no bearing. You make the adjustments that you feel like you need to make, and you go through the preparation like you normally do. "And in our preparation last week, we earned the right to have the bye week. We approached it with a little more workload than we have in the past, and now we’re on to game preparation. So what’s happened in the past really is going to have no bearing on what’s going to happen."
Seahawks gain notoriety as NFL’s bad boys | Seattle Seahawks - The News Tribune
Coach Pete Carroll walks a delicate tightrope when it comes to the aggressive, physical way the Seahawks play.
What Does Steve Keim's Hiring Mean for the Arizona Cardinals? | Bleacher Report
It all started at a young age for newly appointed general manager Steve Keim . According to Darren Urban of AZCardinals ...
RG3 expected to be ready for 2013 season, doctor says - NFL.com
Robert Griffin III had successful knee surgery Wednesday morning, and his doctor expects the Washington Redskins' franchise quarterback to be ready for the 2013 season.
Detroit Lions willing to trade 'Wide-9' defense for wins - NFL.com
The Detroit Lions defense is built around the defensive line. There could be tweaks to the unit and to the team's base scheme this offseason.
Justin Smith 'seems ready' for San Francisco 49ers - NFL.com
"God willing and the creek don't rise, he's going to play," 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said Wednesday, via Steve Corkran of the Contra Costa Times.
Recent history isn't on Atlanta's side | National Football Post
The Falcons look to become the first team since the 2001 Patriots to win the Super Bowl when failing in an important statistical category.
Why All-Star Games can lead to mistakes in scouting | National Football Post
Showcase contests can lead to drafting mistakes.
Report: D.C. mayor wants Redskins to consider name change | National Football Post
Move back to city could force talks
Scout Talk: Top senior CBs | National Football Post
A look at the top corners in the draft, with a name that might surprise you at the top
Is Haley interviewing in Arizona? Agent says no; Steelers say yes - CBSSports.com
Todd Haley's job interview in Arizona is off to a bad start.
The Boiler Room: Stanford TE Zach Ertz | The Rookie Scouting Portfolio
Stanford tight end Zach Ertz declared for the draft this week. If someone could only see one play, what play would I use to highlight that prospect’s skills that would matter in deciding his draft day fate? Will this highlight boil down this prospect to his essentials? That’s the thinking behind The Boiler Room - analysis of what makes a player worth drafting by boiling down as much as I can into a single play.
The B.S. Report: Aaron Schatz - The Triangle Blog - Grantland
Smart Guy Wednesday: Aaron Schatz joins Bill Simmons to discuss Round 2 of the NFL playoffs.
We Went There: Ravens-Colts and Redskins-Seahawks - The Triangle Blog - Grantland
The Ravens and Redskins have been two nearby teams at opposite ends of the NFL spectrum for most of the past decade. They're case studies in how to run an organization and how not to run one, respectively, a contrast between the cool approach of longtime Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome and the annual frenzied idiocy of Redskins owner Daniel Snyder as lovingly interpreted by longtime sidekick Vinny Cerrato. The Cerrato era has moved on, but it wasn't until the second half of this season that the two neighbors started to look like they were swapping roles.
Further to the Interaction Between Quarterbacks and Receivers | Fantasy Douche
One of the challenges with any kind of a quantitative system in football is that the interactions between players are extremely difficult to get a handle on. In the simplest terms, when Matthew Stafford throws the ball to Calvin Johnson, how much credit should Stafford get for the play and how much credit should Johnson get? That’s as easy as it gets. Now what do you do when Stafford throws to Tony Sheffler who is open because the defense is primarily concerned with stopping Calvin Johnson? Who gets the credit for the play then?
A Half-hearted Defense of Brandon Weeden (Along With a Moneyball Strategy) | Fantasy Douche
The Browns’ record at selecting QBs isn’t very good and depending on how Brandon Weeden’s career shakes out, they have a real chance of going oh-fer on that series of QB picks. But the Browns’ attempts to fix their QB position haven’t been limited to the draft. In 2010, the Browns also signed Jake Delhomme as a free agent, gave him a signing bonus of $6 million and paid him a year’s salary, after which time they released him to avoid paying an additional $5 million. The Browns also traded a late round draft pick in 2010 in order to acquire Seneca Wallace from Seattle.
Season in review: AFC and NFC West
Let’s move on to the NFC West, my vote for the toughest division in football.
NFL Playoffs -- No shortage of storylines surrounding divisional round - NFL - Don Banks - SI.com
The best weekend of the NFL season is just ahead, with the league's elite eight colliding in a burst of divisional-round playoff football. Here are eight of the best storylines that provide a backdrop for the action to come: