The Seattle Seahawks are getting ready to host the Detroit Lions on Sunday as both teams try to right the ship after last-second losses last week – Detroit in Atlanta and Seattle to Chicago.
Here's what Seattle players and coaches have to say ahead of Sunday's matchup:
1. Like Lions head coach Dan Campbell, Seattle head coach Pete Carroll said nothing changes this week in terms of their preparation, even with neither team in the NFC playoff picture.
"Keep our focus on playing this week, just one week at a time and just keep rolling," Carroll told seahawks.com. "Our approach has been setup for whatever the circumstance is bringing and in this regard it's no different."
2. Seattle defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. said Detroit's a team that wants to run the football. Seattle is a defense that wants to stop the run, and are pretty good at doing so. Norton said that aspect of Sunday's game – Detroit's rushing offense vs. Seattle's run defense – is best on best.
3. Seahawks defensive end Darrell Taylor had this to say about Detroit's offense: "From what we see on film they are a physical offense that wants to run the ball. They try to pound the ball on offense and want to run it down your throat and try to be physical upfront. That's what they do. We are ready to take on that challenge and we accept it."
4. Carroll was asked if the familiarity he has with quarterback Jared Goff, having played in the same division for Goff's first five seasons, could have any impact on Sunday. Carroll said Seattle does have a lot of background on Goff and feels familiar with what he's capable of doing. Carroll says they have a good sense of what Goff brings to the table, and said Goff is a good game manager.
5. Seattle All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner was asked about Detroit's propensity to attack the weakside of a defense in the run game. Detroit leads the NFL in the number of weakside rushes (186) this season. Wagner said good teams understand their tendencies and teams usually break those tendencies when they play Seattle's defense. Wagner said the Seahawks' defense has to be mindful of where Detroit likes to run it, but also be open-minded that the Lions have nothing to lose and could come in with a new game plan Sunday.
"They can run left, they can run right, they can run up the middle," Wagner said. "They can do trick plays. I would strongly feel they'll do whatever it takes to win the game, as will we."
6. Campbell and the Lions are on pace to set the NFL record for most fourth-down attempts. Carroll said that aggression does change the awareness you have to have on the field as an opponent. Carroll fully expects Campbell to go for the record, and he thinks Campbell deserves it having stayed committed to being aggressive all year.
Speaking further on Campbell's aggressiveness, Carroll thinks the Lions jumped offside on purpose on a 4th and 1 play last week in Atlanta just so they could fake a punt, which they converted.
"He's got a real attitude and his football team has an attitude," Carroll said of Campbell. "That's obvious. They are tough and physical and they are going for it and that's an illustration of that mentality of how they are approaching fourth down."
