Coffee & Cigarettes: Seahawks links for Thursday

Whoa, already Thursday, isn't it.

2013 Seahawks: Making the grade so far | Seahawks | The Seattle Times
The Seahawks are 4-0 for the first time in franchise history.

Doug Baldwin Jr. | The Insightful Player
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin, Jr. is a valued member of the Insightful Player® team. To be named to this team, one must be a person of integrity, such as a current or former NFL player, who shares their personal message of hope for the sole purpose of lifting the spirits of all, especially children.

Pete Carroll: Center Max Unger expected to work back in at practice
News and notes from head coach Pete Carroll's Week 5 Wednesday press conference at Virginia Mason Athletic Center.

Doug Baldwin says Andrew Luck 'can be the greatest quarterback' in football history - ESPN
Seattle Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin, who played college football at Stanford with Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, believes Luck can become the best quarterback ever.

Bruce Irvin of Seattle Seahawks back from suspension after 'paid debt to society' - ESPN
"I can't explain how tough it was watching these guys for four weeks," Irvin said. "But I paid my debt to society and now it's time to get back to work. It was hard, but I got through it and I'm back. "I learned we have a great team. But this was more about me learning from this experience and growing to be a better person, on and off the field."

Bj Daniels 49ers 2013 pre season highlights - YouTube
Bj Daniels first NFL touchdown drive. Recorded this on my iPhone.

Raiders demote QB Flynn to third string | HeraldNet.com - Sports
The Oakland Raiders got one of their two biggest offensive playmakers back at practice.

Seahawks claim QB B.J. Daniels from the 49ers, cut LB John Lotulelei | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times
“Stunning the 49ers would subject quarterback B.J. Daniels to the waiver wire. Good, young, mobile quarterbacks are as rare as hen’s teeth, and Daniels proved he was all those things.”

Seahawks claim B.J. Daniels off waivers, to chagrin of 49ers - ESPN
San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said Wednesday that the team was hoping to reconnect with preseason star quarterback B.J. Daniels. But, naturally, the Seattle Seahawks got in the way.

Tuesday in Hawkville: John Lynch saw this coming
A conversation with former nine-time Pro Bowl safety John Lynch early in the 2011 season has proved prophetic as the Seahawks’ tandem of Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor have developed just as Lynch said they would.

Linebacker Bruce Irvin back, playing time uncertain - 710sports.com
"We've got to get him on the practice field first," coach Pete Carroll said. "See what he looks like."

Slot machine: Baldwin proving invaluable to Seahawks - 710sports.com
To say Doug Baldwin has been unbelievable this season is neither an exaggeration nor a figure of speech.

Reading Between the Lines: Russell Wilson edition - 710sports.com
Danny O'Neil takes another stab at parsing Pete Carroll, this time attempting to decipher what the Seahawks coach said about quarterback Russell Wilson's scrambling ability. - Blog 710 ESPN Seattle at 710sports.com

Norton Jr. is thrilled to have Irvin back - Seattle Seahawks Blog - ESPN
“Absolutely,’’ he said. “I’m mean, that’s Bruce Irvin, a first-round pick. That guy does everything. They are going to be chanting his name. You are going to see what we’ve been missing.”

Luck praises Stanford buds Sherman and Baldwin - Seattle Seahawks Blog - ESPN
“Doug plays with two chips on his shoulders,” Luck said. “But I always admired his work ethic and his football smarts.”

QB Watch: Seahawks' Russell Wilson - Seattle Seahawks Blog - ESPN
A weekly analysis of the Seahawks' quarterback play.

Wednesday injury report: Bennett fully participates | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times
Seattle’s injury report for Wednesday is out, and maybe of most note is that DL Michael Bennett, who was taken off the field via ambulance Sunday in Houston, fully participated, on track to playing this Sunday at Indianapolis.

What they said: Pete Carroll | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times
Here’s some more of what Seahawks coach Pete Carroll had to say when he met with the media prior to practice today:

Norton excited to have Bruce Irvin back | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times
“We are going to put him right in there and see him right away,” Norton said. “There’s no waiting. He’s just going to jump right in there and play and we are really excited to get him going. This is his first year playing linebacker so there is still some development. … if we judge day one, this was a really good day one. We’re only going one day at a time. He is absorbing everything. He remembered a lot. He was in the building at 6 this morning studying. He came in early yesterday studying. So we’re just rally excited to have that type of attitude back.”

Irvin: ‘I paid my debt to society, now it’s time to get back to work’ | Seahawks Insider - The News Tribune
We talked with a very happy Bruce Irvin on Wednesday. The only other person as happy as Irvin about his return was Ken Norton Jr. “It’s like you have a new toy,” Norton said. Here’s what Irvin had to say:

News, notes and quotes Wednesday: Irvin ready to get going, Unger, too | Seahawks Insider - The News Tribune
On to the quick hits:

Seahawks prove they are capable of greatness | HeraldNet.com - Sports
Team shows its moxie in the way it fought back against Houston on Sunday.

Is Cortland Finnegan Going Through a Slump, or Are His Better Days Behind Him? | Bleacher Report
When All-Pro cornerback Cortland Finnegan joined the St. Louis Rams , he was coming off the best season of his career...

How Russell Wilson's Legs Saved the Seattle Seahawks in Houston | Bleacher Report
When the Seattle Seahawks win, quarterback Russell Wilson usually plays a big part in the victory...

Seahawks’ Wilson disproves value of QB stat | Sportspress Northwest
The Seahawks won Sunday despite Russell Wilson's 49.7 passer rating, one of only seven wins in franchise history in which the Seattle QB posted 50.0 or worse.

Seattle Seahawks Blog - Hawk Blogger: Seahawks 2013 Season Progress Report: Quarter-Point
There are plenty of statistical sites on the web. HawkBlogger.com is largely a journal of everything going on with the Seahawks over time.

NFL Honors Watch: Early award leaders - NFL.com
Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning is the clear front-runner for the MVP award, but who's at the front of the pack for awards such as Defensive Player of the Year? Gregg Rosenthal explores.

Donte Whitner says he's changing last name to 'Hitner' - NFL.com
San Francisco 49ers safety Donte Whitner has developed something of a reputation for being a hard hitter. To fit the rap, Whitner now wants to change his name to reflect the game.

Jaguars, Jacksonville reach deal to upgrade stadium | National Football Post
Team will pay $20 million, city $43 million to help finance new scoreboards and improvements.

Lions vice chairman Bill Ford calls Bears 'a bunch of thugs' - CBSSports.com
Detroit Lions vice chairman Bill Ford referred to the Bears as 'a bunch of thugs.' The Lions say he was joking.

Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans use defense to succeed in 2013 | The MMQB with Peter King
No one foresaw the Kansas City Chiefs and Tennessee Titans entering October with a combined record of 7-1. There is a common thread hallmarking these early success stories, who also happen to square off Sunday in Nashville.

Josh Freeman-Tampa Bay Buccaneers mess has no good ending for either side | The MMQB with Peter King
As those familiar with my writing know, the NFL offseason—the longest of all major professional sports leagues—is "Me Time,” the time when teams and players are often in conflict over individual needs vs. the greater good.

Call Off the Season: The Super Bowl Is Set | The MMQB with Peter King
Four long months from today, the intriguing cold-weather Super Bowl that everybody has an opinion about will finally unfold at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Richard Deitsch’s 10 media thoughts at the NFL’s quarter mark | The MMQB with Peter King
We’re at the quarter mark of the NFL season and television ratings continue to soar (just like the prognosticating reputation of ESPN NFL analyst Keyshawn Johnson). Here are 10 media items of note on the weekend that was and the upcoming week: 1.

The All-22: Colts’ offense advances NFL’s focus on diverse power | Audibles - SI.com
In 2012, the San Francisco 49ers got to within four points of a Super Bowl victory with an offense that was equal parts modern and smash-mouth. By marrying option and pistol plays to power/counter/trap blocking concepts that have been bedeviling NFL defenses since Vince Lombardi was drawing them...

NFL awards: Peyton Manning, Andy Reid among first-quarter honorees | Audibles - SI.com
With the 2013 NFL season one quarter in the books, Audibles’ Chris Burke and Doug Farrar assess where things stand. Below, a very early look at the award races, traditional and otherwise. Most valuable offensive player Chris Burke: Peyton Manning, Broncos.

Cardinals’ G.M. says Levi Brown was not living up to expectations | ProFootballTalk
Why did the Cardinals trade Levi Brown, a former No. 5 overall pick, for a conditional late-round pick? Because Brown isn't playing like a No. 5 overall pick.

Grantland NFL Podcast: Eugene Monroe, NFL Trades, and Adopting the Cardinals - The Triangle Blog - Grantland
Bill Barnwell and Robert Mays analyze the sudden glut of offensive line trades, break down three Week 4 contests, and talk about their adopted Cardina

Handing Out the NFL's Quarter-Season Awards - The Triangle Blog - Grantland
During Monday Night Football, Jon Gruden noted that every one of the coaches he knows (which is presumably a lot of coaches) breaks up the season into

Mac's Football Blog: Cardinals, Jaguars rework contracts of Levi Brown, Eugene Monroe to facilitate trades
In a span of 24 hours, the Jacksonville Jaguars and Arizona Cardinals both shipped their left tackles to cap-strapped teams in the AFC North. In order to facilitate those trades, the Cardinals and Jaguars renegotiated those contracts to pick up the bulk of their salaries, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reports.

Advanced NFL Stats: Team Efficiency Rankings: Week 4
At the quarter-pole of the season, we know about the extremes with a fair degree of certainty. The Broncos offense is quite literally off the charts, and the Jaguars everything could be historically bad.

Advanced NFL Stats: Sunday's Numbers Have Been Crunched
Sunday's numbers are now available, including advanced stat box scores, top players of the week, team stats, and season leader boards.

Offensive Drive Efficiency and ratings for the first quarter of the NFL season | The Sideline View
Reviewing offensive drive data through the first quarter of the NFL season using the STATS Ice statistical platform, The Sideline View's Tyler Oberly has developed an Offensive Drive Efficiency rating to provide better insight into offensive performance.

Week 5 Target Watch: NFC - Targets and Touches - Rotoworld.com
Chet Gresham takes a look at the targets and touches for the NFC team.