Seattle Seahawks News: Pro Sports Daily

February 10

Seattle Times

"Breno Giacomini has re-signed with the Seahawks, agreeing to a multi-year deal with the team. Terms were not disclosed by the team, but it is a two-year deal. Giacomini was one of the nearly 20 players scheduled to be unrestricted free agents. According to the contract information on file with the NFL Players Association, Giacomini is scheduled to earn a base salary of $1.5 million in 2012, $3 million in 2013. According to Brian McIntyre of Mac's Football Blog, Giacomini received a $1.5 million signing bonus."

Seahawks want to host Super Bowl at CenturyLink Field

February 7

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"Imagine the Super Bowl in Seattle. That's what the Seahawks are doing. The team recently submitted initial paperwork to the NFL expressing interest in hosting the Big Game at CenturyLink Field, Q13 News reports. Wouldn't that be awesome? Well, I think so. Watching the Super Bowl on Sunday, I was thinking: If Indianapolis can host a Super Bowl, why couldn't Seattle? There are several hurdles Seattle must clear to be considered — and that's if the NFL's Super Bowl Advisory Committee invites the Seahawks to make an official bid."

Kennedy elected to Hall of Fame

February 5

Seattle Times

"Cortez Kennedy spent years waiting for his Hall of Fame call, which is kind of funny considering how he learned of his selection Saturday. "I had to watch it on TV like everyone else," Kennedy said. The selections were announced on the NFL Network, and when Kennedy learned that his 11-year career as a Seattle Seahawk had earned him the honor of enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, well, there wasn't much else to do. "I cried," he said. "It was so emotional." Kennedy will be present in Indianapolis on Sunday for the Super Bowl, and he will be inducted into the hall Aug. 4 in Canton, Ohio. Kennedy was one of 17 finalists considered Saturday by the Hall of Fame selection committee"

NFL expands Thursday schedule

February 4

New York Post

"Are you ready for a lot more prime-time football? NFL commissioner Roger Goodell used his annual Super Bowl news conference yesterday to reveal the league is dramatically expanding the Thursday night package on its own network starting this fall. In what appeared to be a way to up the pressure in its long-running dispute with Time Warner Cable and Cablevision over New York-area carriage of the NFL Network, the league said that channel will now show Thursday games from Week 2 through Week 15. The NFL Network previously broadcast Thursday games the final eight weeks of the season, but Goodell said the expansion resulted from a desire to guarantee every team in the league at least one"

Franchise tags, running backs and Marshawn Lynch

February 3

Seattle Times

columnist Danny O'Neil

"Ray Rice isn't going anywhere. That was the message from Baltimore's brain trust this week. It became clear that the Ravens' running back will be back with the team with either a long-term deal or the franchise tag. Ravens say Ray Rice will be back By Jeff Zrebiec, The Baltimore Sun The party line in Chicago sounds similar with regard to running back Matt Forte. He led the Bears in both rushing yards and receptions in 2011, and the running game certainly isn't going to become less important after Mike Martz's departure as offensive coordinator."

Goodell: If NFL expands, it'll add two more teams

February 3

CBSSports.com

"It's no secret the NFL wants to expand to Los Angeles. And while so much of the attention has been focused on which franchise would relocate to L.A. -- whether it's the Chargers, Vikings, Jaguars or Rams -- we haven't discussed much the possibility of the NFL expanding. Apparently, that's an option. Commissioner Roger Goodell said Thursday on Costas Live on the NBC Sports Network that if the league places a team in L.A., the NFL probably would add two more franchises to make it an even 34. Goodell said the league "doesn't want to move any of our teams" and "we probably don't want to go to 33" if the NFL decides expansion is a good choice."

Seattle to get another professional football team?

February 2

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"Can't get enough football? Need your gridiron fix in the spring, when the Seahawks are no longer playing? Well, a new professional football team may be coming to Seattle. Part of something called the Spring Professional Football League, such a team would begin playing in 2013, according to Deadspin. Teams are being considered for Seattle, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Denver, Houston, Dallas, Phoenix, Detroit, Orlando, Charlotte, Memphis and Washington, D.C., according to a "confidential document" published by Deadspin on Wednesday."

Seahawks going to get new duds

January 31

Seattle Times

"Why do we care about the Panthers changing their logo for the first time in the team's 18-year history? Well, have been rumors the Panthers and Seahawks were the two teams that notified the league of looming changes, presumably to logo and uniform. In fact, the Seahawks uniforms will be changing. That has been the word for a while now. In fact, president Peter McLoughlin said that more than six months ago during an interview with Dave Mahler of KJR Sports Radio in June 2011."

Sidney Rice underwent surgery on both his shoulders

January 27

Pro Football Talk

"Sidney Rice was one of the biggest names on the free agent market last year. He was seen as a big-time risk because of injuries, but he still scored a huge deal from the Seahawks. One year later, Rice's rep as an injury prone player has not improved. Tom Pelissero of espn1500.com reports that Rice underwent surgeries on both his shoulders after the season, not just the shoulder with a torn labrum."

Marshawn Lynch rounds out five Seahawks headed to Pro Bowl

January 25

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"The Seahawks' star running back, Marshawn Lynch, is headed to the Pro Bowl. He'll be showing off his "Beast Mode" as the fifth Seahawk on the NFC Pro Bowl roster, replacing San Francisco's Frank Gore, who won't be playing in Honolulu on Sunday due to an illness, the Seahawks announced Tuesday. On Monday, two other Seattle players made the Pro Bowl squad as alternates. Strong safety Kam Chancellor will replace Dashon Goldson of the 49ers, and cornerback Brandon Browner will stand in for Carlos Rogers, also of the 49ers. Even though San Francisco will not play in the Super Bowl, Goldson and Rogers will sit out the Pro Bowl due to injuries, according to the Seahawks."

Matt Flynn out of reach for Seahawks?

January 21

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"Matt Flynn, the backup quarterback at Green Bay, has been floated as a potential starter next season for the Seahawks, who are looking to strengthen the position. But with today's reports that Joe Philbin, who was the Packers' offensive coordinator, will be head coach of the Miami Dolphins, the possibility Flynn could end up in Seattle is up in the air. Miami, which finished 6-10, has a decent quarterback in Matt Moore. But he could face some serious competition in Flynn, who turned heads with his performance against Detroit on New Year's Day. In the Packers' 45-41 victory, Flynn threw for 480 yards and six touchdowns — both franchise records — with a completion rate of 70.5 percent. When"

Seahawks fullback Michael Robinson headed to Pro Bowl

January 20

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"Seahawks fullback Michael Robinson was named to the NFC Pro Bowl team on Wednesday after Green Bay's John Kuhn pulled out due to injury. Robinson was a big contributor to running back Marshawn Lynch's 1,204-yard season. In addition, Robinson averaged 8.2 yards on four carries and nine receptions, with one touchdown against the Chicago Bears on Dec. 18. He had four receptions for 41 yards in Seattle's win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 1."

Seahawks fullback Michael Robinson added to NFC Pro Bowl roster

January 20

Seattle Times

"The Seahawks didn't have a single player picked for the Pro Bowl the previous two seasons. This year, they're at two and counting after fullback Michael Robinson was added to the NFC roster Thursday to replace Green Bay's John Kuhn, who will miss the game because of injury. Robinson joins free safety Earl Thomas, who was named a starter for the NFC. Robinson has played two seasons with the Seahawks, signing after the 49ers released him before the 2010 season. He was one of five Seahawks named a Pro Bowl alternate, a list that includes cornerback Brandon Browner, strong safety Kam Chancellor, running back Marshawn Lynch and punter Jon Ryan."

Goodell: NFL to consider some full-time officials

January 16

Chicago Tribune

"Aiming to ensure NFL rules are enforced the same way from game to game, the league will consider making about 10 officials full-time employees next season. As of now, all game officials are part-time employees. Responding to a question about consistency in officiating while speaking to a group of about 75 fans before Sunday's playoff game between the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the proposal would bring a group of officials to the league offices in New York to help review game films and evaluate the calls. They then would be spread out among the crews at games."

Green Bay's Matt Flynn could be Seahawks' answer for QB

January 12

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"When it comes to the NFL draft, the Seahawks aren't in the best position. With the 11th or 12th pick, there's next to no chance Seattle will be able to pick someone up like Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck or Bayor's Heisman winner, Robert Griffin III. The Hawks could trade up in the draft, but it would still be a gamble. Even if they got RG3, there's no guarantee he'd be a strong NFL quarterback. Just look at WSU's Ryan Leaf, back in the day. Current QB Tarvaris Jackson isn't bad, but he isn't great. The Seahawks could use a better quarterback. And they could pick one up without losing anyone to a trade if they went after Green Bay's backup QB Matt Flynn."

Will Hawks pay price?

January 8

Tacoma News Tribune

"In professional football – as well as in many other callings – nothing says love quite like a bundle of money. And now is the best time to show it, in a private and personal setting, before others can flash their bankrolls. NFL teams have until early March to make bids on their own free agents before they are allowed to enter what amounts to a public auction in the marketplace. After a pair of 7-9 seasons rife with roster rebuilding, general manager John Schneider appears to have positioned the Seahawks for the next step by creating enough salary cap room to meet the most pressing needs. Consider what's at stake. Seahawks fans might trigger a seismic event from outrage if running back"

Pete Carroll believes Seahawks ready for next step

January 4

Seattle Times

"Coach Pete Carroll had no idea how long it would take. He admitted that without hesitation during his first day on the job as Seahawks coach. He stood behind a podium in his suit and tie two years ago and asked about the timeline for contention before anyone else could. "Nobody has asked yet, 'How long is it going to take you?' " he said. "I don't know. I've got no idea. I wish I could tell you. I don't know that.""

Seahawks WR Sidney Rice to undergo shoulder surgery

January 4

Seattle Times

"Wide receiver Sidney Rice has undergone surgery to repair a shoulder injury that kept him out the first two games of this season. Rice was placed on injured reserve on Nov. 30 after suffering two concussions in the span of three games. At the time he went on injured reserve, there was no indication he would be undergoing surgery. Coach Pete Carroll said Rice didn't suffer a setback per se, but there was a decision made to undergo surgery. "Some time ago, we knew he was going to have surgery," Carroll said. "We just put it off to this date. I don't know exactly why it was put it off to this date, but there has been a few weeks we could have put it off earlier.""

Tarvaris Jackson's solid season doesn't erase Seahawks' need for franchise quarterback

January 3

Seattle Times

columnist Jerry Brewer

"And now we return to your regularly scheduled quarterback angst. The Seahawks' never-ending (or never-beginning?) pursuit of a franchise quarterback is a tease similar to the meandering television show "The Killing." And, no, that is not a lame joke about getting rid of Tarvaris Jackson. "The Killing" is a suspenseful crime drama set in Seattle that pompously broke all crime drama rules in its first season. We're still wondering who killed Rosie Larson, but we might be too ticked to care anymore. In "The Quarterback," the Seahawks have been just as, well, slow."

Seahawks free agents face uncertain offseason

January 3

Seattle Times

"Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch responded to the question about his future, but he didn't really answer it. Not definitively, anyway. "Everything will fall into place how it's going to fall into place," he said. "There's not much I can do but wait." Lynch is one of more than 20 Seahawks whose contract is expiring, and his answer perfectly summarized the final day of this team's 2011 season. It acknowledged the uncertainty of the future, and stated there will be a resolution without predicting what that resolution will be. "Hopefully I can get taken care of where I'm at," Lynch said."

Receiver's stunning TD catch portends future of big plays

January 2

Seattle Times

columnist Steve Kelley

"Tarvaris Jackson had all day to throw, which meant Ricardo Lockette had all day to run, and we're starting to find out that when Lockette is running, amazing things can happen. Down 20-13 in the middle of the fourth quarter, Lockette streaked down the left sideline, gaining speed with every stride. He fought off cornerback Marshay Green with his right hand and somehow was able to keep his concentration and catch Jackson's bomb in stride for a 61-yard game-tying touchdown. It was a truly remarkable play in the Seahawks' unremarkable 23-20 season-ending overtime loss to Arizona. But more important, it just might have been the harbinger of many touchdown explosions to come from the free-agent"

Seahawks will flip for draft pick

January 2

Seattle Times

"The games are finished, but the Seahawks' draft position remains up in the air. That's not a metaphor — the reality is that whether Seattle chooses No. 11 or No. 12 overall will come down to a coin flip. Both the Seahawks and Chiefs finished 7-9, tied for the 11th-worst record in the league. The draft-position tiebreaker is strength of schedule, with the team whose opponents have the lowest combined winning percentage getting the lower (i.e. better) draft pick. Well, Seattle and Kansas City finished with the same strength of schedule, their opponents going a combined 131-125. So a coin toss will be used to determine whether Seattle picks 11th or 12th. This will be the third time in the"

Seahawks' comeback falls short in 23-20 OT loss to Cardinals

January 2

Seattle Times

"The game didn't decide the fate of this Seahawks season. It mirrored it almost perfectly, though, from a first half that was packed with Seattle penalties but not much offense, to a second-half comeback that was impressive and unexpected, but ultimately futile That story line of the Seahawks' 23-20 overtime loss at Arizona on Sunday was pretty much the story of this whole year. "Typical of our season," quarterback Tarvaris Jackson said. "A slow start, us picking it up in the second half. Unfortunately we came up short, but I'm very proud of the guys in the locker room." He should be, and there will be time in the next few days to enumerate all the ways the Seahawks made progress this"

FOX Sports NFL officiating analyst needs to call it both ways

January 1

Seattle Times

columnist Danny O'Neil

"A blowhard. That's what Jon Gruden is, according to the man who used to be in charge of the NFL's officials. Then Mike Pereira said Gruden was a loudmouth as a coach for good measure. Given all the things a football official gets called, that's pretty tame. But there's also something that rings so very hollow about Pereira taking to his pulpit at FOX Sports this week to lob schoolyard taunts at Gruden. Now, Gruden might be disrespectful of officials, as Pereira said, and the former coach has shown himself ignorant of the rules at times. During Monday night's game between New Orleans and Atlanta, Gruden didn't recognize the difference between a hit to the head and neck area of a defenseless"

Seahawks, Cardinals each hope to finish the season as winners

January 1

Seattle Times

"The game might lack playoff implications, but more than just pride is at stake Sunday in Arizona. The Seahawks and the Cardinals are both 7-8, and each has won five of its past seven games. But only one will be able to avoid a losing record and claim second place in the NFC West as a parting gift. "It's a division game," Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "Two teams that have a lot of things to be excited about for next year, and if you can't get up for that type of game, then you shouldn't be playing.""

Seahawks defense elevated by big-play stops

December 31

Seattle Times

"The little things are supposed to make all the difference. Not for the Seahawks' defense. At least not this season. Size has been everything when it comes to measuring Seattle's improvement. "One of the most significant things that changed is big plays," coach Pete Carroll said. A year ago, the Seahawks allowed 76 plays of 20 yards or more, tied for second most in the NFL according to The Associated Press. This season, Seattle has given up just 45 such plays, tied for second fewest. That explains why the Seahawks have one of the most improved defenses in the league. But it will face a stiff test Sunday in Arizona. "They've had a lot of explosive plays," defensive coordinator Gus Bradley"

Marshawn Lynch's sweet footwear gets sour response from NFL

December 31

Seattle Times

"The shoes Marshawn Lynch wore last Saturday were certainly sweet. Nike gave him some custom cleats with a graphic depicting Skittles on the side. Those shoes turned out to be expensive, too, as Lynch was fined $10,000 by the NFL for violating the uniform code. The fine was confirmed by a league spokesman, who noted the size of the fine was due to the fact it was Lynch's second uniform violation this season. Lynch was fined $5,000 for wearing green socks during the Seahawks' Monday night game against St. Louis earlier this month."

Tarvaris Jackson gets endorsement from Seahawks coach for 2012

December 30

Seattle Times

"Tarvaris Jackson will end this season Sunday in Arizona the same way he began it: as Seattle's undisputed starting quarterback. Jackson outlasted the chants for backup Charlie Whitehurst early in the season. He came back from a strained pectoral muscle. He survived Seattle's 2-6 start, more than 40 sacks at the hands of opponents, and he has started more games this season than any of his previous five. And after all that, coach Pete Carroll says he's comfortable with Jackson as Seattle's starter going forward."

Brandon Browner never gave up hope on the NFL

December 29

Seattle Times

"Brandon Browner's eyes were never too far from the NFL. He spent four years playing in the Canadian Football League, practicing outdoors in temperatures so cold your nose didn't drip so much as freeze. To say Browner never stopped looking across the border was much more than a metaphor. "I kept my room TV on the NFL Network," he said. "Throughout the whole time I was in the CFL. It never left the NFL Network unless I was playing a video game. That was a must-have." That long-distance relationship is what makes this season, and Browner's selection as a Pro Bowl alternate, one of the most unlikely, endearing stories not just on the Seahawks, but in the entire league. "Brandon just comes out"

Marshawn Lynch: "I feel like I became a pro this year"

December 29

Seattle Times

"The beastly nickname. The Skittles. The punishing running style and consistent production. What surrounds Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch these days is often hard to miss. The man known on game days by his alter ego, "Beast Mode," is setting records seemingly at a weekly pace and has already established career bests this season in rushing yards (1,118) and touchdowns (13). One reward came Tuesday, when the 25-year-old was named second alternate for the Pro Bowl. Many believe he deserved better. But behind the broken tackles and candy showers in the end zone is something less obvious and more substantial. Lynch attributes much of his success this season to strengthening his commitment"

Finale has huge NFL draft implications for Seahawks

December 28

Seattle Times

"The Seahawks' regular-season finale at Arizona may not have any playoff implications, but the impact will still be felt in April when the league holds its annual draft. The Seahawks could wind up choosing anywhere from No. 10 overall to No. 19 in the first round, depending on this week's results. Seattle is smack dab in the middle of the league with 13 other teams whose records are either 6-9 or 7-8. The Seahawks could finish tied with any one of them. The NFL uses strength of schedule as a tiebreaker in draft order, the team with the weakest schedule getting the better first-round pick. Strength of schedule is determined by the collective winning percentage of a given team's opponents."

Earl Thomas makes Pro Bowl, ends Seahawks' drought

December 28

Seattle Times

"Free safety Earl Thomas' improvement in his second season didn't translate to more interceptions this season. It did earn him a trip to Hawaii, though. Thomas was named to the Pro Bowl, the league announced Tuesday. He was chosen as the starting free safety, and he is the first Seahawk to be named to the game since 2008. While Thomas was the only Seahawk named in Tuesday's announcement, there's a good chance he'll be joined by at least a teammate or two when the game is played in Hawaii on Jan. 29. Strong safety Kam Chancellor, cornerback Brandon Browner and fullback Michael Robinson were all named first alternates to the Pro Bowl, meaning they would step in should one of the selected"

Out of playoff possibilities, Seahawks seek strong finish in season finale

December 27

Seattle Times

"The Seahawks' regular-season finale in Arizona on Sunday will be the first game they have played under coach Pete Carroll that is utterly irrelevant for the postseason. Carroll wouldn't call it meaningless, though. "We want to win a football game," Carroll said. "There's no hesitation, there's no other agenda at all other than to win a football game." Are there draft considerations? Sure. The Seahawks are one of 13 NFL teams that currently hold six, seven or eight victories. Seattle's first-round pick could wind up just about anywhere in the teens depending on what happens Sunday. Then there's the consideration of getting a chance to evaluate some of the younger prospects on the roster."

Seahawks coming up short at home

December 26

Seattle Times

"Football has been called a game of inches, but that doesn't really apply to the results. Close doesn't count in the final record. If it did, the Seahawks would feel a whole lot better about the game they played against San Francisco on Christmas Eve. In a season when Seattle has built a reputation for second-half turnarounds, it nearly pulled off what would have been its most compelling fourth-quarter comeback of the year. But in the end, it only heightened the frustration that Seattle was again unable to make that one drive that would have changed the outcome. "When it comes to us being able to throw the football in an obvious passing situation," quarterback Tarvaris Jackson said, "and go"

Seahawks, 49ers in for old-fashioned battle

December 24

Seattle Times

"These two teams have more than a division in common. The Seahawks and 49ers share a style of play that starts with a big-bodied defense, includes a hardheaded insistence upon running the football, and continues through a fixation on turnovers that could be diagnosed as clinically obsessive. That's the blueprint that has taken San Francisco to its first division title since 2002, and it's the recipe that explains how Seattle has rebounded from a 2-6 start. "The formula has been very similar," coach Pete Carroll said. That's what makes Saturday's game at CenturyLink Field so very intriguing. Something's got to give."

Scot McCloughan hopes to "Beat the hell" out of the 49ers

December 24

San Francisco Chronicle

"Seahawks senior personnel executive Scot McCloughan said his Seahawks "we're going to beat the hell out of 'em" and 'em are the 49ers. McCloughan made the comment to Yahoo's Mike Silver. This is the perfect out of context comment that can nevertheless spark a backlash. In the story, Silver describes McCloughan as laughing as he said it. But that will likely get lost in translation as the 49ers prepare to defend their second-playoff seeding against Seattle on Christmas Eve."

Seahawks' Marshawn Lynch vs. 49ers' run-stoppers

December 24

San Francisco Chronicle

"Fair warning: You've probably read this story before. The main characters, as always, are the same. On one side: the members of the San Francisco 49ers' defense, which hasn't allowed a 100-yard rusher or a rushing touchdown in, seemingly, forever. On the other side: a talented running back capable of finally snapping the Niners' impressive streaks. Previous versions of this tale in 2011 have featured Cincinnati's Cedric Benson, Philadelphia's LeSean McCoy, St. Louis' Steven Jackson and Baltimore's Ray Rice, a failed quartet that averaged 40 yards a game and 2.8 yards a carry against the 49ers and never reached the end zone. So why keep reading when the script always ends with the same"

Turnovers like gold to Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers

December 23

Tacoma News Tribune

"Forcing turnovers has been the key to success for both the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers this season. San Francisco leads the league in takeaways with 35, and the Niners also top the NFL with a plus-25 turnover differential."It's a product of hustle, players' ability and scheme – all of those things," San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh said. "Much like Seattle, you watch them on tape and you can continually see their guys in the right places with the right leverage. And therefore they make the interception, or they make the tip or the deflection, or make the hit that causes the fumble." The Seahawks have forced 18 turnovers in the past six games, most in the league in that time"

Jim Harbaugh, 49ers missed chance on Seattle WR Doug Baldwin

December 23

Sacramento Bee

"Jim Harbaugh had Doug Baldwin on the line and let him get away.On the final day of the draft in April, Harbaugh dialed Baldwin, one of his wide receivers at Stanford, and told him the 49ers weren't going to select him. Instead he said they were interested in signing him as a free agent when the lockout ended.It's one of the few personnel miscalculations Harbaugh and the 49ers' front office have made this year. Baldwin signed with Seattle instead, and he not only landed a spot on the Seahawks final roster, he has emerged as their top receiver.He has 46 catches for 731 yards and three touchdowns, including a 55-yard score against the 49ers in Week 1. He's on pace to become the first"

Top-ranked defense will try Saturday to tame The Beast -- Seattle's Marshawn Lynch

December 23

San Jose Mercury News

"49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio saw this coming years ago. As a Baltimore Ravens assistant, he once warned his defensive coordinator Rex Ryan that running back Marshawn Lynch was one of the best backs in the league. Fangio remembers Ryan telling him: "Don't worry about it." But by halftime of that game, after Lynch had bludgeoned his way for one tough yard after another, Fangio's phone rang up in the coach's booth. It was Ryan. "You were right," he admitted. Lynch's career has had its ups and downs since, but Fangio's scouting report remains unchanged. As the 49ers prepare to face the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, the defensive coordinator is again sounding the alarm about the"

Seahawks secondary could be one of best in NFL

December 23

Seattle Times

"It's not easy to stand out in Seattle's secondary. Not with two starting cornerbacks who would blend in on a basketball team and a strong safety in Kam Chancellor who could be mistaken for a linebacker. No missing Earl Thomas, though. Not after he turned his jersey backward, putting his family roots on his chest for a portrait of the secondary. Not that Thomas needed to do that: Everyone knows who he is. It's the rest of the Seahawks secondary the NFL is learning about — from the players' sticky-fingered penchant for interceptions to their willingness to invade a receiver's personal space."

Seahawks' offensive line leads charge, despite injuries

December 22

Seattle Times

"The pledge of improving the offensive line is an annual ritual in Seattle, the Seahawks' version of a New Year's resolution. Some people want to lose weight. Others vow to quit cursing. The Seahawks promise to get better up front. They'll sign a veteran or two, switch offensive line coaches or maybe change schemes and then spend training camp predicting improvement only to have the same problems crop up."

49ers: Team bracing for Seattle roar

December 22

San Jose Mercury News

"Left tackle Joe Staley knows the eardrum-rattling peril that awaits the 49ers in Saturday's visit to Seattle's CenturyLink Field. "It's the loudest stadium in the NFL, so it's very difficult to play there," Staley said Wednesday. "It so loud, and you can't hear anything. Huge home-field advantage." No stadium has had more false-start penalties by opponents since 2005 (110 in 55 games). The 49ers had only one such penalty in last season's opener in Seattle but still fell 31-6. "It's a unique environment going up there," 49ers quarterback Alex Smith said. "Obviously we play there every year, but it's still something ... another thing we're going to have to overcome.""

Edwards might play against Seahawks

December 22

San Francisco Chronicle

"On Monday night, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said wide receiver Braylon Edwards was inactive against the Steelers because he felt Michael Crabtree, Ted Ginn Jr. and Kyle Williams gave San Francisco "the best chance." On Tuesday, Harbaugh was asked more specifically about the decision to keep Edwards sidelined. The decision, he said, was based on "the practices and the games." It wasn't a ringing endorsement of Edwards, who has 14 catches in eight games in what's been a disappointing, injury-filled season. But Edwards could return to the active roster for the 49ers' visit to Seattle on Saturday with Ginn dealing with an ankle injury he sustained on the second-half kickoff against Pittsburgh."

Trainer will oversee in-game testing

December 21

ESPN.com

"As a direct result of the Cleveland Browns' failure to test quarterback Colt McCoy for a concussion on the sideline during a game, the NFL will alert all 32 teams that, effective this week, an independently certified athletics trainer will be assigned to monitor all suspected concussion-related injuries, a league official confirmed Tuesday. The independent trainers will be paid by the NFL and approved by the NFL Players Association, according to league spokesman Greg Aiello. The trainer's sole purpose will be to oversee the treatment of any possible concussions and ensure that the medical staffs on each sideline are following proper league protocol and testing for any head trauma. During"

Seahawks eager for rematch with 49ers

December 21

Seattle Times

"Hard to exaggerate the significance of this week's game between Seattle and San Francisco. There are playoff considerations on both sides, more than a little bit of divisional pride and the Seahawks will be playing their final home game with a chance to wash away the aftertaste left by those two shots of Ginn from Week 1. Ted Ginn Jr., that is. The guy who scored twice in the span of a minute to seal the 49ers' 33-17 victory. Saturday's game at CenturyLink Field is a chance for the 7-7 Seahawks to not only show how far they've come since that game, but how far they can go."

Seahawks' second-half success revives season

December 20

Seattle Times

"Finishing wasn't a question when the Seahawks reached the midway point of this season. At 2-6, the Seahawks looked finished. Turns out that was only half the story, and not necessarily the most important half in the mind of coach Pete Carroll. "It's just exciting to see these guys latch on to the ability to play late in the season, late in the games," Carroll said after Sunday's comeback in Chicago. "To finish games.""

Seahawks still hanging on to playoff hopes

December 20

Seattle Times

"The Seahawks' playoff chances aren't all that complicated at this point. They're not all that good, either. Seattle must win its final two games, and that's just for starters. For Seattle to make the playoffs, one of two scenarios must also play out: 1). Detroit must lose both of its final two games. If the Seahawks and Lions both finish 9-7, the Seahawks would win any tiebreaker scenario that would result by virtue of their conference record."

Time to face reality — the Seahawks are legit

December 19

Seattle Times

columnist Jerry Brewer

"Red Bryant was 323 pounds of jolly, high-stepping into the end zone. It was his Deion Sanders impression. He wanted to take it further, but instead he got caught in the moment, stopped and did a belly-roll dance. Primetime, he was not. Michael Jackson, he was not. Heck, Ellen DeGeneres, he was not. But when a man goes by Big Red, he doesn't expect to do much dancing in the end zone. So bear with him. "That's a fat kid's dream right there," Bryant said of his touchdown. And now, it's a reality. So stop rubbing your eyes. What you saw Sunday can be trusted — everything from the Big Man Boogie to the shockingly lopsided 38-14 final score."