Coffee & Cigarettes: Seahawks links for Saturday

LINKS.

Film Room: DT Ra'Shede Hageman is a boom-or-bust prospect - NFL.com
Ra'Shede Hageman has rare athletic ability and his immense potential makes the Minnesota defensive tackle a boom-or-bust prospect for the 2014 NFL Draft, Bucky Brooks says.

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | Film Room: Tom Brady
This should be Tom Brady's greatest season. That statement alone is powerful. In the context of his career, it's almost unfathomable.

Seahawks injury report and notes | Seahawks Insider - The News Tribune
Walter Thurmond will be active for Sunday’s game. Byron Maxwell will again start at corner. Thurmond said he wasn’t sure what his role will be. He also said the time off gave him a chance to rest his knees, which were bothering him. Read more here: http://blog.thenewstribune.com/seahawks/2013/12/27/seahawks-injury-report-and-notes/#storylink=cpy

Seattle Seahawks make improvements to read-option - ESPN The Magazine - ESPN
THE STORY OF the 2012 NFL season was young QBs Russell Wilson, Colin Kaepernick and Robert Griffin III running the read-option straight to stardom. This year, however, Kaepernick has taken a step back, and RG3 will finish his disastrous season riding the pine. So the read-option is on its way out, right?

Walter Thurmond of Seattle Seahawks to return from suspension - ESPN
"Byron has played great football for us," Seattle coach Pete Carroll said Friday. "It's a statement [remaining in the starting spot] about what he's done and how well he has played."

Things to see from the Seattle offense - Seattle Seahawks Blog - ESPN
With the NFC West title and home-field advantage on the line Sunday, there are a few things you should hope to see from the Seattle Seahawks, offensively, defensively and on special team, in the game against the St. Louis Rams. First up, the offense.

Double Coverage: Rams at Seahawks - Seattle Seahawks Blog - ESPN
This is it, one game left and everything on the line for the Seattle Seahawks' regular-season goals of the NFC West title and home-field advantage.

Rams vs. Seahawks: Breaking Down Seattle's Game Plan | Bleacher Report
The Seattle Seahawks play host to the St. Louis Rams on Sunday with a chance to wrap up the NFC West and home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs.

Three things to watch in St. Louis Rams-Seattle Seahawks matchup | FOX Sports on MSN
The St. Louis Rams and Seattle Seahawks have had some battles since Jeff Fisher took over as coach of the Rams before the 2012 season.

The Seahawks need Mike Evans… go get him | Seahawks Draft Blog
Last night I had a bit of quiet time in the evening, and decided to go back and watch all four of the Draft Breakdown videos for Mike Evans.

Seattle Seahawks Richard Sherman by the numbers - ESPN The Magazine - ESPN
NO ONE talks a bigger game than Seahawks CB Richard Sherman. We turned to Sport Science to see how the NFL's interception leader since 2012 has managed to live up to his own hype.

Notebook: Maxwell to start even if Thurmond returns - 710sports.com
Walter Thurmond may be back on the roster for Sunday's game against St. Louis, but that doesn't mean Byron Maxwell will be back on the bench.

Seahawks’ Doug Baldwin will return kickoffs Sunday after impressive return to the role | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times
The play was two years ago, and in a preseason game, but that didn’t keep Doug Baldwin from reminding Seahawks coach Pete Carroll about his 105-yard kickoff return (posted below) from time to time. Who wouldn’t?

Injury roundup: Lions' Calvin Johnson questionable - NFL.com
Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson is questionable for Sunday's meeting with the Minnesota Vikings. Megatron's hazy status for Week 17 kicks off our massive Friday injury report.

Mario Manningham placed on San Francisco 49ers' IR - NFL.com
Mario Manningham has experienced a setback to his surgically repaired left knee and the San Francisco 49ers announced on Friday that the veteran wide receiver has been placed on season-ending injured reserve.

Matthew Stafford doesn't want to work with QB guru - NFL.com
Asked this week if he'd be willing to work with a passing coach this offseason, Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford told reporters: 'Probably not.'

Arians: Michael Crabtree not yet 'same guy' post injury - NFL.com
Michael Crabtree has provided an immediate boost to the San Francisco 49ers' offense since returning from an Achilles injury, but some Arizona Cardinals believe he remains a work-in-progress.

Agent's Take: Inside the decision to turn pro early - CBSSports.com
Big names like Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater face a decision: to declare for the draft or not? Former NFL agent Joel Corry examines what goes into such a life-altering decision.

NFL says ACL injuries have declined this season - CBSSports.com
The NFL disagrees with Patriots coach Bill Belichick and says ACL injuries are down this year from 2012.

La Canfora's Best Bets: Take the Panthers, Packers and Eagles - CBSSports.com
Week 17 brings closure with me no longer getting crushed picking against the spread. Here is my last chance to try to salvage a decent week.

Prisco's Pro Bowl picks: Peyton Manning, Drew Brees edge Brady - CBSSports.com
The NFL's Pro Bowl teams will be announced Friday night. Pete Prisco gives you his picks following the new league format. It's no more AFC vs. NFC.

Ten things that intrigue me from NFL Week 17 - CBSSports.com
How will Aaron Rodgers play? How do the Cowboys slow down the Eagles? Can the Saints rebound? Those are some things that intrigue me this week in the NFL.

Week 17 Playbook: Previewing Packers-Bears, Eagles-Cowboys, more Week 17 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 Green Bay (7-7-1) at Chicago (8-7) -- 4:25 p.m.

NFL Prospect Focus: Jordan Lynch | National Football Post
Does the MAC star have an NFL future?

NFL Week 17 schedule features Cowboys-Eagles, Packers-Bears, more | The MMQB with Peter King
Packers (7-7-1) at Bears (8-7), 4:25 p.m., FOX Eddie Lacy’s ankle could decide who wins the NFC North. The rookie workhorse was dominant against the Steelers but limped off the field in the third quarter last Sunday.

Philadelphia Eagles' turnaround being led by thriving young defense | The MMQB with Peter King
When the Philadelphia Eagles are discussed, the talk inevitably turns toward Chip Kelly, his offense and quarterback Nick Foles. Certainly, the offense has steadily improved this season, stabilized by the smart decision-making of Foles.

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | Word of Muth: X's of Great Shame For All
The Cowboys' comeback win over the Redskins set up an elimination game against the Eagles that has seemed inevitable since about Week 7. Philadelphia comes in riding high, having won six of their last seven, including a 54-11 trouncing over Chicago last week. The Cowboys haven’t been playing as well. Despite playing against backup quarterbacks each of the past three weeks, Dallas managed just one win, and even that win took a couple of fourth-down conversions on the final drive of the game to eke out a one-point victory. When you add the Sean Lee and Tony Romo injuries, things are starting to look bleak for America’s Team.

Greg Cosell’s Film Review: Great designed check down concept by the Colts leads to a touchdown pass | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo Sports
When I'm watching tape and I see a wide receiver wide open, I might watch it 20 times to figure out what happened. It's rare when a receiver in the NFL is wide open. I'll sometimes talk to people and get different points of view to understand what happened.

Week 16 Game Scripts
Week 16 saw some very large Game Scripts in some very important games. The Eagles-Bears showdown turned into a laugher, as Philadelphia posted the 3rd best Game Script of the season. The New England/Baltimore rivalry is famous for producing close games, but the Patriots embarrassed the Ravens on their home field. New England scored a couple of late defensive touchdowns to boost the final margin of victory, but the team still held an average lead of 15.2 points. Against Minnesota, Andy Dalton channeled his inner Ken Anderson — which seems to happy every few weeks — and helped the Bengals annihilate the Vikings.

The Second Level: What You Need to Know Heading into NFL Week 17 | Bleacher Report
The latest NFL news, rumors, scores, schedules, predictions, picks against the spread, free agent updates, power rankings, mock drafts and more

Scouting the Hunger Bowl: BYU vs. Washington
A west coast match-up between a pair of teams with the potential to put a number of players into the second day of the 2014 NFL Draft. Most of the talent comes from the offensive side of the ball though the defense is highlighted by one very decorated linebacker.

The Mental Disconnect – Adapting to the NFL | NFL Philosophy
A few weeks after the NFL draft, the NFL holds their annual “Rookie Symposium.” The NFL has called it an introduction to “life in the NFL.” Former and current players and coaches will come in and speak to the 254 drafted players and explain to them the ins and outs of living an NFL life. Herm Edwards’ gave a well-known speech at the symposium where he tells the incoming rookies that, “you only need 1 of everything.” (You can see the speech here, with the quote around the 13-minute mark.)