Bob Condotta analyzes the re-signing of Christine Michael.
Although Michael is back, Bryce Brown figures to get most of the carries Sunday vs. Cleveland.
Tyler Lockett, Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor and Steven Hauschka are among the top two at their positions in Pro Bowl voting.
It looks like Chancellor will not play Sunday.
Here’s a look at the stats of the Browns (3-10) and Seahawks (8-5).
It looks like Bryce Brown will take over the No. 1 tailback duties for the Seahawks on Sunday vs. Cleveland — and possibly for the foreseeable future.
Keith Myers of 12th Man Rising put together a few Vines showing some of Brown’s runs while with the Eagles:
In what really came as no surprise Tuesday, the Seahawks released running back DuJuan Harris among a flurry of moves.
They also cut defensive back Akeem Davis and wide receiver B.J. Daniels while placing Thomas Rawls on injured reserve.
Those moves made room for the team to sign running back Bryce Brown and tight end Chase Coffman while activating linebacker Brock Coyle from IR. They have one spot open on the 53-man roster.
They also terminated three from their practice squad: WR Antwan Goodley, DT Justin Hamilton and LB Alex Singleton.
Anyone hoping Marshawn Lynch will be back before the season finale in Arizona had better rethink that idea. In fact, it appears the Seahawks might be lucky to have Lynch back for the playoffs.
Pete Carroll said Monday he doesn’t know whether Lynch, who had abdominal surgery Nov. 25, will return before the playoffs.
“He went through a big surgery. He’s got a lot to get through, and he’s got to get past that, whatever impact that’s had,” Carroll said. “He’s got to get back into shape and get going. … He hasn’t been able to go yet very hard. He’s going to have to work through that and get himself going again and come back and show that he’s back and ready to go.”
Asked about the timeframe, Carroll said, “I don’t know. We won’t know until the work starts happening.”
It’s becoming harder and harder for the Seahawks to remain a running team.
With Thomas Rawls suffering a season-ending broken ankle in Baltimore and Marshawn Lynch unlikely to return until the playoffs — if then — this offense is all Russell Wilson’s now. But the Seahawks, who came into the game as the NFL’s leading rushing team, clearly are determined to keep running it.
Wilson continued to chew up depleted NFL defenses, throwing five more touchdown passes in a 35-6 win in Baltimore, giving him 16 TD passes and no interceptions in the last four games against San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Minnesota and Baltimore. He is the third player to do that in a season, joining Tom Brady (2007) and Peyton Manning (2013).
Wilson also has the 28th four-game streak with three TD passes since 1960; there have been seven streaks of at least five games with three TDs (per Pro Football Reference).
On top of that, Wilson is the first player to have at least three passing TDs and no interceptions while completing 70 percent in four straight games, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
The Seahawks might seem to have a bit of an identity crisis, but don’t be fooled by Wilson’s gaudy numbers: This is still a running team, and they will have to figure out how to keep it such.
Continue reading Wilson’s streaking & Rawls is out, but Hawks are still a running team
Jimmy Clausen will start for the Ravens — putting him in rare company in NFL history.
Jordan Hill and Demarcus Dobbs will sit out again today.
Former Seahawks WR Chris Matthews has been promoted to Baltimore’s active roster from practice squad for today’s game.
Despite a seemingly lopsided matchup vs. the Ravens, the Seahawks have plenty of motivation.
Russell Wilson’s dominance in the pocket has been crucial to the Seahawks’ offensive resurgence.
Pete Carroll, Darrell Bevell and Tom Cable explain the unorthodox way they run the offense.
Cable’s faith in the revamped offensive line has been rewarded during this offensive surge.
The Seahawks are still a run-first offense and will lean on Thomas Rawls.
Defensive back DeShawn Shead is the latest to claw his way into the Seahawks’ starting lineup.
Marshawn Lynch and Jimmy Graham are back in the Seahawks’ facility for recoveries.
Darrell Bevell said he is not pursuing the BYU job even though the school is interested in him. He said he is intent on helping the Seahawks reach a third straight Super Bowl.
Anthony McCoy is back with the Seahawks, replacing short-timer Chase Coffman.
Marshawn Lynch was back at VMAC on Wednesday, but Pete Carroll said Monday that Lynch is a “few weeks” away from being able to play. Sure sounds like Lynch could end up on IR.
Doug Baldwin is having his best statistical season and could end up as Seattle’s first 1,000-yard receiver since 2007.
Now you know why John Schneider doesn’t pay big money in free agency very
often: It usually
isn’t worth it.
The release of Cary Williams this week was the latest example. It was the second straight year the Seahawks have gotten rid of a highly paid veteran addition during the season — and they probably set a record with this one, dumping Williams just 12 games into a three-year, $18 million contract.
A year ago, the Seahawks traded Percy Harvin — the pouting malcontent who for a time had poisoned the Seattle locker room.
Since he took over in 2010, Schneider has acquired nine big-contract veterans — defined as making $5 million a year or more — and six of them have not been worth it.
Going into last offseason, the Seahawks were suddenly uncommonly thin at cornerback — and that, in a nutshell, explains why they wasted $7 million on Cary Williams and ended up losing Tony McDaniel.
After the Super Bowl, Richard Sherman, Jeremy Lane and Tharold Simon were all facing recovery from injuries of varying severity. On top of that, Byron Maxwell was getting ready to sign a blockbuster contract with another team, which turned out to be the Eagles.
That left young Marcus Burley as the only healthy cornerback and DeShawn Shead as a largely untested emergency option who had more experience at safety. So, the Seahawks covered themselves by signing two veteran corners — Williams and Will Blackmon. And then they drafted Tye Smith in the fifth round.
Blackmon once again did not make the roster, and Williams struggled so badly that he was benched three weeks ago, made inactive the past two games and released Monday.
Pete Carroll and John Schneider have never been afraid to admit mistakes and move on from them — e.g., Percy Harvin last year — and that’s basically what they did here.
But they did it because they have plenty of talent at the position, and the future is bright.
Continue reading Hawks are no longer desperate at cornerback
Three weeks ago, after Seattle lost a shootout against Arizona, the big question was not whether the Seahawks would win the NFC West but whether they would even rally to make the playoffs.
Two weeks ago, the Seahawks put together their best offensive game of the season, blowing out San Francisco 29-13, and the question was whether they could do it again against better opponents, Pittsburgh and Minnesota.
Well, they answered both questions emphatically, putting up 77 points in two wins while seizing control of their playoff destiny, and there are no more questions about the offense or the playoffs.
The only question now is: Can the Seahawks do this against Arizona and Carolina — the teams they will need to beat to get to the Super Bowl?
“I think this has been a few weeks that we’ve been feeling like we’re feeling,” Pete Carroll said. “Our confidence, sticking with our style, just the basic principles of what we expect and standards that we’re setting, everybody is really in line right now. This is that feeling that you’re looking for. We have a chance.”
Continue reading Only question now: Can Hawks beat Cardinals & Panthers?
CHAWK TALK: Everything being said about the Seahawks 