Coffee & Cigarettes: Seahawks links for Wednesday

Links.

Seattle Seahawks Blog - Hawk Blogger: An Early Look: Saints And Seahawks Evenly Matched
Experiencing the glory that was a 34-7 beat down of the Saints earlier this season can make it difficult to assess a rematch. Seattle so thoroughly destroyed the Saints in nearly all phases of the game that the convenient narrative is that the Seahawks will impose their will once more. Even with the injury issues for the Saints, and the possible return of a player like Percy Harvin, this feels like a game that will be decided in the fourth quarter between two closely matched teams.

'You mad?' Seahawks' Richard Sherman wins endorsement deals - Puget Sound Business Journal
The Seattle Seahawks are flying high. And so is their longshot superstar: cornerback Richard Sherman.

Don’t believe any of that doomsday talk about the Seahawks | Larry Stone | The Seattle Times
With its defense, and the possibility of Percy Harvin playing, Seattle looks good going into playoffs

NFL Divisional Round Playoff Picks: Saints over Seahawks - CBSSports.com
Can the divisional round of the NFL playoffs be crazier than the wild-card round? It can if the Saints go to Seattle and beat the Seahawks.

Is "Discipline" Overrated In The NFL?
The 2013-14 Seahawks finished the year with a 13-3 record, a +186 point differential, and +40.1 percent DVOA, making them arguably the best team in the NFL. They also led the league in penalties (128) and penalty yards (1,193). Baltimore led in both categories last year and won the Super Bowl over the 49ers, who were second in penalty yards. We're told time and again by broadcasters and pundits that good teams have to be "disciplined," by which they largely mean "not prone to penalties." Is "discipline" overrated?

Saints vs. Seahawks Divisional Playoff Preview Podcast - Canal Street Chronicles
What do the Saints need to do to win in Seattle this weekend? The boys break it all down as only they can do. Plus, a special guest!

News, notes and quotes: Harvin and Willson practicing today | Seahawks Insider - The News Tribune
Pete Carroll said tight end Luke Willson (ankle) and wide receiver Percy Harvin (hip) will practice today. Only K.J. Wright will miss practice.

Episode: On the Double on 2014-01-06 19:00:00 | BBS Radio
Guest Name: Bob Stelton

Bevell says he interviewed twice last week | Seahawks Insider - The News Tribune
“The cool part is it was last week, we’ll all full gameplan mode this week and that’s in the past,” Bevell said “We’re completely focused on New Orleans.”

2014 NFL playoffs: Saints vs. Seahawks, odds, pick and trends - SBNation.com
The Saints bucked a trend last week by winning on the road, and they face a tougher road challenge in Seattle. The Seahawks are big favorites, according to the NFC Divisional playoff betting lines at Odds Shark.

Wilson to fly displaced Seahawks fans home for playoffs - FanSided - Sports News, Entertainment, Lifestyle & Technology - 240+ Sites
Alaska Airlines and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson are coming to the rescue of fans across the country by offering to fly two loyal fans to Seattle this weekend to watch the Seahawks battle the New Orleans Saints in their divisional playoff game.

New Orleans Saints must adjust in rematch vs. Seattle Seahawks - NFL.com
The Seattle Seahawks have been considered a legitimate Super Bowl contender all season, but it was a resounding 34-7 win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 13 that prompted many to tout the team as the best in football. The Saints are unquestionably one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL, yet they were unable to muster much against a Seahawks defense that pummeled them at every turn in that highly anticipated "Monday Night Football" showdown one month ago.

Top ten shaping up nicely | Seahawks Draft Blog
Time permitting, I’m going to put out another mock tomorrow. And it’s starting to look like an interesting top ten this year.

Tuesday in Hawkville: Not good enough on third downs leads to not enough plays
While self-scouting during their playoff bye week, the Seahawks’ offensive coaches came to the obvious conclusion that not converting enough third-down situations led to not being able to run enough plays.

Seahawks notebook: Recent history on Saints' side - 710sports.com
NFL teams seeded No. 6 in the playoffs are 5-2 against No. 1-seeded teams over the previous eight years.

Seahawks' Golden Tate says he's become a pro - 710sports.com
Golden Tate languished on the bench as a rookie after falling into the same trap as so many talented receivers, thinking the athleticism that made him a college standout would carry him at the next level.

Earl Thomas on the playoffs: ‘This is where I get to show what I’m all about’ | Seahawks Insider - The News Tribune
Here’s what Earl Thomas has to say today:

Seahawks not fazed by the recent struggles of No. 1 seeds in NFL playoffs | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times
Dating to the 2005-06 NFL season may seem like an arbitrary reference point, but it is rather relevant around here since it was the last time Seahawks entered the playoffs as a No. 1 seed.

Seahawks' Percy Harvin, Luke Willson practice - ESPN
The Seahawks had a full practice Tuesday, but they don't have to issue an official injury report until Wednesday.

Terry McAulay to referee Seahawks-Saints game | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times
The good folks at FootballZebras.com have a breakdown of the officiating assignments for this weekend’s NFL games.

Percy Harvin countdown begins - Seattle Seahawks Blog - ESPN
The countdown begins now on Seattle Seahawks receiver Percy Harvin's possible playoff appearance. Three days of practice before the final verdict comes in, probably after Thursday’s practice.

For Seahawks and Saints, a lot can change in five weeks | Seahawks | The Seattle Times
Seattle coach Pete Carroll says earlier 34-7 Seahawks victory virtually meaningless.

Seahawks loose as ever heading into playoffs | HeraldNet.com - Seattle Sidelines
Maybe you're worried, now that the playoffs here, that the Seahawks will tense up. Maybe you wonder if the pressure of being the No. 1 seed is weighing on them.

Pete Carroll says Seahawks won't take Saints lightly | HeraldNet.com - Sports
RENTON -- The Seattle Seahawks' Monday night victory over the New Orleans Saints may have been their signature victory of the regular season. Last...

49ers vs. Panthers: Who Has the Edge at Every Position? | Bleacher Report
San Francisco 49ers news, rumors, scores, schedules, predictions, picks against the spread, free agent updates, power rankings, mock drafts and more

Chuck Pagano to Colts' Hilton: 'T.Y., go win the game' - NFL.com
T.Y. Hilton had a monster game as the Indianapolis Colts stormed back from a big deficit to beat the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday. The second-year pro has quickly become Andrew Luck's biggest offensive weapon.

Eagles' Chip Kelly: 'I wasn't confident' in jump to NFL - NFL.com
Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly says he wasn't so sure his coaching style would translate from Oregon to the NFL. If his first season is any indicator, Kelly didn't need to worry at all.

Run, baby, run | National Football Post
Two of the NFL’s best scrambling quarterbacks square off this weekend in Carolina.

Sean Payton is the Saints’ mastermind, and it’s like he never left | The MMQB with Peter King
PHILADELPHIA — Sean Payton may not have been in full-on gloating mode late Saturday night, but the Saints coach showed a mischievous glint as he stared into the TV cameras following a 26-24 wild-card road triumph over the Eagles.

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | Week 18 DVOA Ratings
Once again, it is time for postseason DVOA ratings. As always, the following rules apply:

Fewer penalties mean fewer officiating controversies, better playoffs | The MMQB with Peter King
Now that’s more like it. On the opening weekend of the playoffs, NFL officials put away their penalty flags, swallowed their whistles and even Ed Hochuli kept his verbiage to a bare minimum.

Greg Cosell’s Playoff Film Review: Colts brilliantly set up Andrew Luck’s game-winning TD to T.Y. Hilton | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo Sports
NFL coaches don’t just roll the ball out there and say, "make plays." Their offense might use the early portion of the game to set up the defense, running a play repeatedly, getting ready for a counter-punch and a chance at a huge score when they need it.

Sean Payton recreating every last detail, including Seahawks logo on Saints’ practice field | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo Sports
NFL Blog: Shutdown Corner

Goodell says there’s momentum for expanding the playoffs | ProFootballTalk
The league has its reasons for expanding the playoffs. 47.1 million of them, precisely.

Texans confirm dismissal of 16 assistant coaches | ProFootballTalk
Bill Kollar is the last link to the Gary Kubiak era on the Texans coaching staff.

Keenan Lewis: I’m definitely playing | ProFootballTalk
Cornerback Keenan Lewis left the Saints’ Wild Card win over the Eagles with a concussion in the third quarter, leaving the Saints to turn to the little-used Rod Sweeting at corner.

Vikings taking their time with coaching search | ProFootballTalk
Of the four head-coaching searches that have lasted for at least eight days, the Vikings’ effort to hire the 10th head coach in team history (if Bud Grant is counted twice) has generated the least amount of buzz.

The NFL Discard Pile - The Triangle Blog - Grantland
While the NFL dropped an incredible weekend of wild-card action onto our televisions this past weekend, the 20 NFL teams without playoff berths contin

Five Draft-Day Top Five Scenarios | The Tailgater
The Texans will draft Teddy Bridgewater.

Jamaal Charles, Keenan Lewis, and the NFL Head Games - The Triangle Blog - Grantland
Without his helmet, New Orleans cornerback Keenan Lewis was easy to read. You could see the frustration, the anger, the befuddlement on his face. Taught to play through pain, here he was languishing on the sideline against his will, unable to defend the Saints’ diminishing lead against Philadelphia. Taking away a player’s helmet is a simple but effective task that prevents him from returning to the field against doctor’s orders, and as concussion awareness rises, how teams handle the issue continues to evolve. It was clear this season that the number of penalty flags for helmet-to-helmet hits was increasing. What didn’t fully register until wild-card weekend is that even legal plays are materially affecting the game. Concussions are having repercussions.