Coffee & Cigarettes: Seahawks links for Saturday

One more day.

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | Word of Muth: Making Linebackers Slow
We’re three weeks into the Chip Kelly in the NFL experiment and the early results have been mixed. Everyone agrees the offense is exciting and different, but the Eagles are 1-2 and people are quick to point out potential flaws. (The main one: that limited roster size compared to college could be a problem.) I’m still in a wait-and-see mode before I make any final declarations, but I am willing to commit to one thing right now: This is a heck of run offense, and I for one like that.

Advanced NFL Stats: Should You Bench Your Fumbling Running Back?
When the Pittsburgh Steelers traveled to Cleveland in week 12 of last season, Rashard Mendenhall was the Steelers’ starting running back.

Mac's Football Blog: Seahawks center Max Unger, right tackle Breno Giacomini could miss Sunday's game against Texans
"We’ll find out on game day on those guys," head coach Pete Carroll said on Friday. "Lem is ready to go. He’s played in games before for us. We know that he knows how to make all of the calls and he’s been with us a long time, so we’re very confident in Lem’s work. If he’s called on he’ll be ready to start and take this thing. He’ll be fine."

Grantland NFL Podcast: The Struggling Rams, the Resurgent Niners, and the Week 4 Preview - The Triangle Blog - Grantland
Robert Mays and Bill Barnwell break down what went wrong for the Rams last night before getting to the Week 4 preview. You can listen to this podcast

NFL Viewing Guide Week 4: Megatron vs. Peanut, Round 12 - The Triangle Blog - Grantland
Cornerback-WR Matchup of the Week Charles Tillman, Bears vs. Calvin Johnson, Lions; Sunday, 1 p.m. ET Someday, when Charles Tillman’s career

Golden Tate fined $21,000 for block on Dwight Lowery | ProFootballTalk
Early in Sunday's 45-17 win over the Jaguars, Seattle receiver Golden Tate applied a vicious block to Jacksonville safety Dwight Lowery. Lowery suffered a concussion on the play. Tate will now suffer the removal of $21,000 from his paycheck, pending appeal.

NFL officials go 0-for-2 enforcing new “crown of helmet” rule | ProFootballTalk
Some day, the NFL's officials may correctly end consistently enforce the new rule against delivering blows with the crown of the helmet. But that day hasn't arrived yet.

Eight In The Box: Which free-agent additions are paying off so far? | Audibles - SI.com
Each Friday, Eight in the Box will highlight a list of eight players, teams or moments and their impact on the 2013 season. Like the draft, NFL free agency is a gambler's world. For every success story there is an Albert Haynesworth or Javon Walker cautionary tale.

Shanahan: NFL defenses no longer dealing with option anxiety | Audibles - SI.com
The Washington Redskins knew this was coming, and they did as much as possible to prepare for it. No, not more furor over the team's name, but the fact that NFL defenses would find new ways to mitigate their high-octane combination of option plays, play-action and designed runs from quarterback ...

NFL Week 4 schedule features Jets-Titans, Seahawks-Texans, more | The MMQB with Peter King
Let's go past the obvious storylines and take a deeper dive into every Sunday game in Week 4: (All times Eastern; click on teams for more information on the matchup) Baltimore Ravens (2-1) at Buffalo Bills (1-2), 1 p.m.

The 49ers won Thursday night, but still lost in handling Aldon Smith | The MMQB with Peter King
The 49ers finally won another football game on Thursday night for the first time since the season opener, which happened 19 days ago but seems like 38.

Tennessee Titans' Jake Locker improving; Mike Glennon to start; more Week 4 | The MMQB with Peter King
Feeling pretty good about Tennessee quarterback Jake Locker’s development? You should. Among the quarterbacks drafted to pilot franchises in the last three years, Locker and Miami’s Ryan Tannehill—drafted eighth in the 2011 and 2012 drafts, respectively—have been the most improved in the...

Week 4 Game Rankings: Pats-Falcons only footlong in skimpy week - CBSSports.com
The 1-2 Falcons, desperate for a win, will be the first true test for the unbeaten Pats while the 3-0 Dolphins head to the Big Easy for a big faceoff against the Saints.

Pro Football Focus previews the game | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times
Here’s some of the weekly content from Pro Football Focus on the Seahawks and previewing their game:

What they said: Pete Carroll, Russell Wilson | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times
Along with media opportunities with local reporters who cover the team, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Russell Wilson also usually hold a conference call during the week with media of the opposing team.

Double Coverage: Seahawks at Texans - Houston Texans Blog - ESPN
When they saw each other at the Pro Bowl earlier this year, Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt told Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson that if Watt had just stayed another year at Wisconsin, they might have won a national championship together.

No need to rush Sam Bradford extension - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Reports surfaced Thursday afternoon that the St. Louis Rams are ready and willing to work out a contract extension with quarterback Sam Bradford.

Hawk Talk highlights: Looking ahead to free agency - 710sports.com
Highlights from the latest edition of 'Hawk Talk' with Danny O'Neil, including a key to Seattle's Week 4 game against Houston, a look ahead to free agency and a progress report on rookie tight end Luke Willson. - Blog 710 ESPN Seattle at 710sports.com

Seahawks' depth, mettle will be tested against Texans - 710sports.com
The Seahawks are taking a banged up offensive line into Sunday's game against the Texans and their relentlessly aggressive defense, which is the type of adversity that great teams overcome. - Blog 710 ESPN Seattle at 710sports.com

Friday in Hawkville: Max Unger, Breno Giacomini listed as doubtful
Neither All-Pro center Max Unger nor right tackle Breno Giacomini practiced on Friday, when they were listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game against the Texans in Houston.

Derek Carr (QB, Fresno State) vs Boise State « Seahawks Draft Blog
The quarterback picture for 2014 is still playing itself out. It’s unlikely to be resolved any time soon. Right now there’s really only one player you can say is a top-pick with some assurity (Teddy Bridgewater).

The biggest gamble in Seahawks history? « Seahawks Draft Blog
Can you imagine life without Russell Wilson? Try and picture it.

Ed Reed calls Houston Texans-Seattle Seahawks 'potential Super Bowl matchup' - ESPN
Though it's early in the season, Houston Texans safety Ed Reed said Houston's game against Seattle this weekend could make a statement. This is a potential Super Bowl matchup, Reed said.

Seahawks vs. Texans point spread and pick - Early money on home underdog - Linemakers - Sporting News
Get the latest Las Vegas news impacting point spreads, betting lines and odds for NFL, college football, college basketball, NBA, MLB, NASCAR, NHL, boxing, UFC soccer and more.

Quinton Patton to 'miss some time' with fractured foot - NFL.com
The San Francisco 49ers will have to make due without Quinton Patton, who suffered a broken foot during Thursday's win over the St. Louis Rams. Will the Niners make a move for another wide receiver?

What you need to know about the Week 4 injury report - NFL.com
Terrelle Pryor is making significant progress in his comeback from a concussion. But will the Raiders QB play this weekend? Find out what else you need to know from Friday's injury report.

Carroll: ‘We had very good work, very spirited kind of atmosphere, just the way we like it’ | Seahawks Insider - The News Tribune
Here’s everything Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll had to say today, plus a little Russell Wilson:

San Francisco 49ers – Niner Insider Blog – SFGate.com » 49ers fans chant ‘Seahawks suck’ during ‘TNF’ postgame show
While Colin Kaepernick and Frank Gore talked with the hosts of “Thursday Night Football” on the field where they just beat the Rams, rowdy 49ers fans behind the TV cameras were heard shouting “Seahawks suck! Seahawks suck!”

NFL Week 4 Best Bets: Riding with road-tripping Colts, Pats, Seahawks - CBSSports.com
In all honesty, I should stop doing these. It's getting ugly. I went 1-2 in my first two attempts (Week 2 I had some stuff come up), and on the season I am brutal against the spread, but at least last week I went 9-7 in that regard.

Texans’ fall from glory a cautionary tale for Seahawks | Jerry Brewer | The Seattle Times
Just under a year ago, Houston was the hot pick to go to the Super Bowl, but a sudden fade resulted in a disappointing playoff loss. The lesson? In no place is success as fleeting as it is in the NFL.

Friday practice update: Carroll says Unger, Giacomini will be “gameday decisions” | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times
“He did get kind of whacked last week on the same knee, so it is a bit of an extension of what he had,” Carroll said. “We’ve got to see how he bounces back. We are trying to be real careful with it. We continue to talk in the same manner about these guys, and when they are getting banged up we are really trying to give them every chance to get back and utilize our depth. And if that’s what this calls for then we are ready to do that. We are not going to force guys back out there until they are ready to play.’’

NFL Week 4 preview: Lions-Bears, Saints-Dolphins, 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 Chicago (3-0) at Detroit (2-1) -- 1:00 p.m.