Coffee & Cigarettes: Seahawks links for Saturday

Links.

Richard Sherman smartest QBs: Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Andrew Luck | The MMQB with Peter King
There is a very common misconception about me that ends today. It seems some people believe I lack respect, especially for my opponents. This couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m a football guy, and there are few things I enjoy more than watching tape and breaking down quarterbacks. It’s a long, tedious process, but I believe the way we approach film study in Seattle both sets us apart on the field and enhances my own appreciation for the best players in the NFL.

Thomas deserves NFL's top defender award | HeraldNet.com - Sports
Seahawks safety having a great year, but his stats don't even come close to portraying how important he is to Seattle's defense

Matchups to watch: 49ers at Packers - Stats & Info Blog - ESPN
Last season, the San Francisco 49ers knocked the Green Bay Packers out of the postseason on their way to the Super Bowl. The Packers look to return the favor at home in Sunday’s Wild Card game.

Jay Cutler's contract is good news for Seahawks' Russell Wilson - Seattle Seattle Seahawks | Examiner.com
The Seahawks already had an idea how much Russell Wilson will cost them next year, but the price might have gone up a bit Thursday when Jay Cutler re-signed with the Chicago Bears.

Larry Webster: From Bloomsburg basketball to NFL prospect - CBSSports.com
Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates, and most recently Jimmy Graham. The NFL has numerous examples of well-known tight ends who starred on the hardwood at the collegiate level before making a splash in the NFL.

The All-22: Brandon Boykin, NaVorro Bowman among hidden gems for NFC wild-card teams | Audibles - SI.com
In last week’s All-22 article, the focus was one Achilles heel that could upend each division leader. But now that the playoffs have started, everyone’s 0-0, and everything’s hunky-dory, it’s time to flip the narrative to the positive to take a look at one player on each wild-card team who could surprise in the first round. We started with the AFC’s sleeper players, and here are four potential difference-makers to watch on the NFC wild-card side.

NFL Playoffs: Analyzing Wild-Card Matchups | The MMQB with Peter King
Chiefs (11-5, fifth seed) at Colts (11-5, fourth seed) Saturday, 4:35 p.m. EST, NBC Chiefs offense vs. Colts defense In Week 16, the Chiefs opened with a four-play, 59-yard drive capped by a 31-yard touchdown on a beautifully executed zone-lead run by Jamaal Charles, who got great blo...

Agent's Take: A guide to NFL postseason pay - CBSSports.com
Compensation for players in the playoffs is much different than it is during the regular season. Playoff money comes from a league pool instead of from NFL teams. There is a specific amount for each playoff round where each eligible player gets paid the same. Here's a look at how playoff compensation works for the 2013 league year.

Seahawks back at practice but don’t know their opponent | Seahawks | The Seattle Times
The Seahawks must wait until the weekend to find out their opponent Jan. 11, but players say they’re focused on getting better.

Playoff experience a Seahawks asset - ESPN
Of Seattle's 24 starting players, including kicker Steven Hauschka and punter Jon Ryan, only one will participate in a playoff game for the first time.

Seahawks will be waiting, and watching
The Seahawks are practicing twice during their playoff bye week, but the NFC’s No. 1-seeded team won’t know whether it’s playing the Saints, 49ers or Packers until after this weekend’s wild-card games are played.

Saints are Seahawks' ideal divisional-round opponent - 710sports.com
Will someone explain why the topic of the Seahawks' most desirable divisional-round opponent is even debatable?

Seahawks' Harvin will be 'somewhat limited' Friday - 710sports.com
"We'll go today and see how it works out," Carroll said. "He did fine yesterday. It was limited what he did and he'll be somewhat limited today, but he'll do more everyday. He made it through and he's real positive about it and gonna see if he can make it, but we don't know."

History says playoffs will be no cakewalk for Seahawks - 710sports.com
There's a long way to go before anyone wins the Super Bowl, and an extra game isn't going to prevent the trip.

Fines announced for penalties in Rams-Seahawks games | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times
Friday is the day when the NFL reveals fines for various infractions in the previous week’s games.

Pro Football Focus notes and links | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times
The Seahawks are off this weekend. But Pro Football Focus still has some notes and links on the team:

Percy Harvin returns to Seahawks practice, teammates hopeful | Seahawks | The Seattle Times
Receiver Percy Harvin practiced Thursday for the first time since November, but no one is sure if he’ll be able to play in the Seahawks’ playoff game Jan. 11.

Breaking Down the Competitive Advantage of the Seahawks' Home-Field Advantage | Bleacher Report
Seattle Seahawks news, rumors, scores, schedules, predictions, picks against the spread, free agent updates, power rankings, mock drafts and more

Injury roundup: Eric Fisher out for Kansas City Chiefs - NFL.com
The Kansas City Chiefs announced Friday that starting right tackle Eric Fisher has been ruled out for Saturday's wild-card showdown with the Indianapolis Colts because of the groin injury.

Gus Malzahn's Offensive Evolution - Grantland
How Gus Malzahn went from high school defensive coordinator to college offensive mastermind, and took Auburn to the brink of championship glory in the process.

End Around: Regular-season wrap-up edition - NFL.com
The regular season is over, and Dan Hanzus looks back at the 17 weeks that passed us by with regular-season wrap-up edition of the Around The League End Around. Who is the Hero of the Year?

James Jones: 49ers will see totally different Eddie Lacy - NFL.com
Green Bay Packers wide receiver James Jones says the San Francisco 49ers will see a "totally different" running back in Eddie Lacy for Sunday's wild-card showdown.

Wild-card Game Rankings: Plenty of cold, intrigue to start playoffs - CBSSports.com
Don't let the lack of tickets sales fool you. There's plenty to like about the opening round, like the Niners in frigid Lambeau and Payton vs. Kelly in Philly.

2014 NFL Draft: Marcus Roberson leaving Florida Gators for NFL - CBSSports.com
Marcus Roberson, the No. 11-rated CB by NFLDraftScout.com, announced he will forego his senior season and enter the 2014 NFL Draft.

After Further Review: Focus on Packers DE Daniels, 49ers CB Brock - CBSSports.com
With Clay Matthews out, the Packers will need unheralded DE Mike Daniels to pick up the slack. The 49ers hope surprising CB Tramaine Brock can disrupt Green Bay's passing game.

Green Bay Packers vs. San Francisco 49ers wild-card matchup could be coldest game in NFL history | Audibles - SI.com
On Jan. 10, 1982, the San Diego Chargers and the Cincinnati Bengals faced off in the AFC Championship game for the 1981 season in conditions that were fit for neither man nor beast. The temperature at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium registered at -9 degrees Fahrenheit, but the wind chill dropped to -59 degrees using the calculations of the time, or -37 using modern calculations. It’s recognized as the coldest game in NFL history, outdoing the 1967 NFL Championship game between the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys. The Ice Bowl at Lambeau Field featured a low temperature of -13 degrees, and the wind chill dropped to around -48 degrees.

NFL playoffs wild-card predictions: Eagles, 49ers, Colts, Bengals | The MMQB with Peter King
Picking the four games this weekend, with the key elements in each:Philadelphia 27, New Orleans 20, at Lincoln Financial Field (Saturday). The Eagles’ offensive line—one of only three units in the league to start the same five players in all 16 regular-season games—has to keep Nick Foles clean...

Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson play on in NFL playoffs as Robert Griffin III watches - The Washington Post
Second-year quarterbacks have progressed and are back in the playoffs as Griffin looks on.

Nick Foles' emergence leads to NFL playoffs vs. New Orleans Saints | The MMQB with Peter King
PHILADELPHIA — Nick Foles currently has an undone puzzle strewn across his dining room table. Something colorful, with pictures of animals. But he hasn’t put together more than a few pieces.

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | Word of Muth: Elimination
Welcome to the first Word of Muth of 2014. I hope you all had a safe and happy new year. This week we’ll take a look at the elimination game that had been building for what seemed like an eternity: Eagles versus Cowboys. Just like the first game between these teams, it was a lower scoring matchup than the defenses involved would have lead you to believe. In the end, Philadelphia’s offense made just enough plays (and Kyle Orton threw just enough interceptions) to get the win and the NFC East crown.

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | Under Pressure: The Ansah
Picking third in the 2013 draft, the Dolphins had plenty of ways they could have gone. It was the year of the offensive lineman, so Miami could have gone with a third straight offensive tackle by taking Lane Johnson or D.J. Fluker. Or they could have picked a pass-rusher to team with Cameron Wake, choosing between Dion Jordan, Ezekiel Ansah or Barkevious Mingo.

All-Pro team is announced, and here’s where they got it right … and a few they got wrong | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo Sports
The Pro Bowl might be a popularity contest in part, but the All Pro team is considered the more prestigious honor.

Final 2013 Game Scripts And Pass Identity Data
Every week this season, I’ve written about the Game Scripts from the previous weekend. For new readers, the term Game Script is just shorthand for the average points differential for a team over every second of each game. You can check out the updated Game Scripts page, which shows the results of all 256 games this year. Week 17 saw some big blowouts and some tight finishes: Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck, and Drew Brees all led their teams to convincing wins against overmatched opponents, while Green Bay and Philadelphia clinched playoff berths with close wins.

Breaking Down Andrew Luck and the Colts' on-the-Fly Offensive Reconstruction | Bleacher Report
Indianapolis Colts news, rumors, scores, schedules, predictions, picks against the spread, free agent updates, power rankings, mock drafts and more

2014 NFL Draft: Matt Miller's Scouting Notebook for Wild Card Weekend | Bleacher Report
The first Scouting Notebook of 2014 comes with the NFL 's regular season completed and only a handful of college bowl games left to be played. Ready or not, the offseason is fast approaching...