Coffee & Cigarettes: Seahawks links for Saturday

One more day.

Seahawks poised to break one of NFL’s oldest, most obscure records | Seahawks | The Seattle Times
About a month or so ago, the members of the Seattle Seahawks’ punt coverage team began to realize that what is one of the oldest and most obscure of NFL records could soon be theirs. As the Seahawks prepare to play the New York Giants on Sunday, they have allowed just 15 yards on punt returns all season.

Dear Pete Carroll
At the end of Sunday’s game against the 49ers, the Seahawks had an opportunity to (attempt to) allow the 49ers to score. Following a Colin Kaepernick gainof 8 yards on 3rd-and-7, the 49ers had the ball, down by 1, at the Seahawks 7-yard line with 2:39 remaining. The Seahawks were out of timeouts, which meant if San Francisco wanted to, it could drain the clock to under 30 seconds. Keith Goldner at Advanced NFL Stats already covered this issue well: “Once the 49ers had the 1st-and-Goal, with the impending snap coming under the 2:40 mark, the Seahawks should have immediately attempted to allow the 49ers to score.”

Robert Griffin III, Colin Kaepernick facing similar growing pains - NFL.com
Robert Griffin III and Colin Kaepernick took the NFL by storm last season, but both youngsters are struggling in Year 2 as starting QBs. Albert Breer explains that issue and more in his robust notebook.

Seahawks can stop the questions before they start - 710sports.com
Seattle plays its final road game of the regular season in the same spot it hopes to play its next road game: New York.

Struggling Giants victims of NFL’s universal parity | Seattle Seahawks | The News Tribune
Twirling confetti sprinkled down on quarterback Eli Manning’s head Feb. 5, 2012, after he and the New York Giants upset the mighty New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI. Manning smooched the silver Vince Lombardi championship trophy and was named the game’s MVP.

NFL Week 15 preview: Examining Miami Dolphins-New England Patriots, more games | Audibles - SI.com
Chris Burke and Doug Farrar get you ready for the weekend with The Playbook, a detailed weekly preview that gives you everything you need to know about the upcoming slate of games. Main Events New England (10-3) at Miami (7-6) -- 1 p.m.

Rex Ryan & the Overload Blitz | Jim Light's Football Blog
The New York Jets, since Rex Ryan took over as head coach, have been consistently one of the better defenses in the league. So good in fact that they’ve managed to get to two AFC Championship games with Mark Sanchez at quarterback and are off to a surprising 3-3 start this year with rookie Geno Smith at the helm.

A new aproach against The Legion of Boom - Seattle Seahawks Blog - ESPN
Seattle free safety Earl Thomas said he thought the San Francisco 49ers deliberately tried to avoid him last weekend and didn’t run many pass plays over the middle in his direction.

NY Giants won’t trash mighty Seahawks - NY Daily News
As the mighty Seattle Seahawks prepared to take on Giants at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, there wasn’t a hint of trash talk coming from Big Blue’s locker room.

Why I don’t want Jim Harbaugh to go to Texas | Seahawks Draft Blog
Jim Harbaugh to Texas? Surely not?

Thursday in Hawkville: Seahawks thinking Giants, not Super Bowl site
The Seahawks travel to New Jersey this week to face the Giants at MetLife Stadium, which just happened to be where Super Bowl XLVIII will be played. But the players’ focus is on the present, not the possibilities.

Focus on: James Carpenter
The James Carpenter who will start at left guard for the Seahawks in Sunday’s game against the Giants has progressed light years from the rookie who started at right tackle against the Giants in 2011.

Seattle Seahawks Blog - Seahawks Blog - MyNorthwest.com
Sunday's game against the Giants has playoff implications for the Seahawks, who can take another step toward securing the NFC's top seed and home-field advantage.

Pro Football Focus previews Seahawks-Giants game | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times
Here are the weekly links and notes on the Seahawks’ game from Pro Football Focus:

Hawks Chalk Talk: Frank Gore's 51-yard Run
Former Husky and NFL QB Hugh Millen breaks down 49ers RB Frank Gore's huge 51-yard run in the 4th quarter of San Francisco's 19-17 victory over Seattle. The Seahawks visit the Giants this Sunday.

Seahawks stat geek | Sports | The Seattle Times
Reserve cornerbacks Byron Maxwell and Jeremy Lane have so far stood up to the test.

What Aldon Smith's Return Has Meant to the San Francisco 49ers' Defense | Bleacher Report
When outside linebacker Aldon Smith returned to the San Francisco 49ers after his five-week hiatus, pundits wondered if he would be the same player he was before his stint in rehab. Personally, I was skeptical. I doubted Smith’s ability to put all of his prior distractions behind him.

Is Larry Fitzgerald Expendable? - NFC West - NFL News - Pro Football Spot:: NFL, NFL Draft, and Fantasy Football News - Pro Football Spot Forums
When you think of the Arizona Cardinals, the first thing you think of is Larry Fitzgerald. He's been there through it all: from the Super Bowl in 2008, to the 12 game losing streak in 2012. He's been a staple on that Arizona Cardinals offense, but can his job be at risk? There are several factors that indicate that his job could be at risk.

Week 15 Game Rankings: After last week's feast, these leftovers stink - CBSSports.com
The Dolphins fighting for their playoff lives at home against the depleted Pats tops a Week 15 menu that's scant on appetizing matchups.

2014 Super Bowl Odds: Turmoil up top for NFL powers - CBSSports.com
2014 Super Bowl odds, featuring a glut of contenders at the top who are struggling.

Five Most Overrated NFL Draft Prospects
As the college football season comes to an end, more draft sites are coming out with their draft rankings, mock draft and positional rankings. They are always a source of great debate, a chance for fans and other draft writers to examine them and debate them. After spending much of the season watching prospects and reading through rankings, there are plenty I agree with and some that I view differently. Here are my top-five overrated prospects in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Ten things that intrigue me from NFL Week 15 - CBSSports.com
Are the Bears doing the right thing going back to Jay Cutler? What about Kirk Cousins with the Redskins? Those are two of the things that intrigue me this week in the NFL.

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | Word of Muth: Bengals Buck Colts
Welcome to a special Friday edition of Word of Muth. This week we’re going to look at the Bengals and their dominant victory over the Colts from Sunday. The Bengals offensive line played well and beat the hell out of the Colts up front. It was a dominant performance by a unit that has been strong all year and may be getting better with a lineup shuffle.

Eight in the Box: 2014 NFL free agents who will likely get overpaid | Audibles - SI.com
Inevitably, teams misfire on free-agent signings from time to time. So who are the players that could draw problematic deals if they hit the market this coming offseason?

NFL Week 15 schedule features Patriots-Dolphins, Packers-Cowboys, more | The MMQB with Peter King
Patriots (10-3) at Dolphins (7-6), 1 p.m., CBS There’s no replacing Rob Gronkowski—especially this season, where his expanded versatility as a blocker has been invaluable to a Patriots offense that’s more run-oriented than people think.

How do the major college football award winners project to NFL? - CBSSports.com
From an NFL perspective, did the committees make the right choices? Which award winner will ultimately be selected first in 2014? Who will be selected last? Does Jameis Winston winning the Walter Camp Award bode well for his chances at the Heisman this year and the No. 1 overall pick next year?

The Second Level: What You Need to Know Heading into NFL Week 15 | Bleacher Report
The latest NFL news, rumors, scores, schedules, predictions, picks against the spread, free agent updates, power rankings, mock drafts and more

Week 15 NFL Viewing Guide: Joe Haden's Predicament and the Development of Ryan Tannehill - The Triangle Blog - Grantland
Cornerback–Wide Receiver Matchup of the Week Joe Haden, Browns vs. Brandon Marshall/Alshon Jeffery, Bears In the NBA, 3-point shooting has bec