GAME: Seattle Seahawks (7-9-0, 3rd, NFC West, 2011; 2-0 preseason) at Kansas City Chiefs (7-9, 4th, AFC West, 2011; 1-1 preseason) TYPE: Preseason. WEEK: 3. WHEN: Friday, 5 p.m., Arrowhead Stadium. MEETING: 4th, preseason (Seahawks lead 4-0). STREAKS: Seahawks W 2; Chiefs L 1. HEAD COACHES: Pete Carroll, Seattle; Romeo Crennel, Kansas City. LINE: No line. TV: Q13. RADIO: 97.3 FM KIRO.
Most NFL franchises have already announced their starting quarterbacks for the opening week of the regular season, but Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said this week that he might wait until the week of the first game (Sept. 9 at Arizona) before choosing among Matt Flynn, Russell Wilson and the incumbent, Tarvaris Jackson, who has yet to take a snap in preseason play.
Wilson, the rookie from Wisconsin, will start against the Kansas City Chiefs after having played the second halves of Seattle’s first two preseason games. Carroll said he wants to see how Wilson, who played well, responds to working with the Seahawks’ first unit.
“Matt (Flynn) has done very well and we’re pleased, but theres a difference playing with the ones and the twos,” said Carroll. “We are really excited about what we have so far. Lets take another week and see what that means. We have 16 quarters (in preseason) and we will use all of them.”
Jackson remains in the competitive battle to start, said Carroll, even though he didn’t play in either of Seattle’s first two preseason games.
Were still going to bank on the same approach and are hoping this is going to work out for us,” said Carroll, referencing Jackson. “He can still hang in there with the background that he has had. He is still ahead of the other guys in terms of knowing the system. Im hoping his work in practice is still sharp enough that he’s still evolving. We will check him out after week three and see what happens. Hes been great about it and a pro. Hes supportive and I appreciate that.
As for not naming a starter until opening week, Carroll said, “Yes, it could be. I said earlier we would like to have done this earlier, but that just was not available to us.”
Wide receiver Sidney Rice practiced in pads this week for the first time since last season, and is expected to see playing time. Rice is coming off surgeries on both shoulders.
“I just need to get out there,” said Rice, who went on injured reserve last season after sustaining two concussions in a three-game span.
RIVALRY: Dates to Dec. 11, 1977, when the Seahawks won a 34-31 victory at Arrowhead Stadium in which Seattle fullback David Sims ran for two TDs and Jim Zorn threw a 35-yard TD to Sherman Smith. Teams have met 50 times, the Chiefs winning 32. Seahawks have lost two in a row and five of the past seven, including the last meeting Nov. 28, 2010, 42-24. Matt Hasselbeck threw for 282 yards and two TDs.
LAST GAME (Seahawks, Aug. 18): Rookie quarterback Russell Wilson completed 10 of 17 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns as the Seahawks doused the Denver Broncos 30-10. With Wilson playing in the second half, Seattle scored 21 points, overcoming a 10-9 halftime deficit. Seattle’s starting QB, Matt Flynn, completed 6 of 13 passes for 31 yards, no TDs and no interceptions.
LAST GAME (Chiefs, Aug. 18): Sam Bradford threw three touchdowns, leading the St. Louis Rams to a 31-17 victory over the Chiefs. Kansas City committed four turnovers, including three lost fumbles, and played from behind the entire game.
2011 Seahawks: 7-9-0, 3rd, NFC West; scored 321 points (20.1 per game), ranking 23rd; allowed 315 points (19.7 per game), ranking seventh; differential of +6 points ranked 18th. 2011 Chiefs: 7-9-0, 4th, AFC West; scored 212 points (13.2), ranking 31st; allowed 398 (21.1), ranking 12th; differential of -126 points ranked 29th.
QUARTERBACKS: Wilson completed 22 of 33 for 279 yards and three TDs with one interception for a passer rating of 110.7 . . . In his final season at Wisconsin, Wilson completed 225 of 309 passes (72.8%) for 3,175 yards with 33 TDs and only four INTs, compiling an NCAA-record 191.7 passer rating and gaining 3,513 yards in total offense; responsible for 39 TDs . . . Seattles third round draft pick (75th overall) . . . In two preseason games, Matt Flynn is 17 of 26 for 102 yards with one TD and one INT . . . 56.9 passer rating.
Matt Cassel: Made nine starts in 2011, completing 160 of 269 passes for 1,713 yards, 10 TDs, nine interceptions for a passer rating of 76.6 . . . Began career with New England . . . Attended USC under Pete Carroll . . . Cassel played the first half for Kansas City last week and was 13 for 18 for 142 yards.
SEAHAWKS STATS / NOTES
- SEASON SUMMARY (Preseason): Record: 2-0. Home: 1-0. Road: 1-0. Vs. NFC: 0-0. Vs. AFC: 2-0. Vs. NFC East: 0-0. Vs. NFC North: 0-0. Vs. NFC South: 0-0. Vs. NFC West: 0-0. Points For: 57 (28.5). Points Against: 27 (13.5).
- In two preseason games, Seattles defense is tied for the league-lead with a +3 turnover differential, and its six takeaways lead the NFC (T2nd NFL).
- Seahawks have the best run defense, allowing only 61.5 yards per game, and at +30, rank second in points per game differential, outscoring opponents, 57-27.
- Offensively, Seahawks rank third in the NFC (5th NFL) in rushing, aided by their 228-yard performance last week at Denver.
- Seahawks said this week that CB Roy Lewis, a former Washington Husky, will undergo knee surgery. No timetable has been set for his return.
- RB Marshawn Lynch (back) and FB Michael Robinson (toe) are not expected to play.
- Seahawks traded LB Barrett Ruud Monday to New Orleans to for an undisclosed future draft pick; Seahawks signed Ruud after losing LB David Hawthorne.
- Seahawks waived DE Dexter Davis Monday and re-signed CB Denny Lisowski, an undrafted rookie free agent from Montana who attended O’Dea High.
NFL OFFENSIVE RANKINGS (2011)
| Seahawks | Stat | Rank | Chiefs | Stat | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 4861 | 28 | Total Yards | 4873 | 27 |
| Yards / Game | 303.8 | 28 | Yards / Game | 310.8 | 27 |
| Rush Yards | 1756 | 21 | Rush Yards | 1893 | 15 |
| Rush / Game | 109.8 | 21 | Rush / Game | 118.3 | 15 |
| Pass Yards | 3105 | 22 | Pass Yards | 3080 | 25 |
| Pass / Game | 194.1 | 14 | Pass / Game | 310.8 | 25 |
| Points | 321 | 23 | Points | 212 | 31 |
| Points / Game | 20.1 | 23 | Points / Game | 13.3 | 31 |
| Differential | +6 | 18 | Differential | -126 | 29 |
NFL DEFENSIVE RANKINGS (2011)
| Seahawks | Stat | Rank | Chiefs | Stat | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 5315 | 9 | Total Yards | 5333 | 11 |
| Yards / Game | 332.2 | 9 | Yards / Game | 333.3 | 11 |
| Rush / Allw. | 1797 | 15 | Rush / Allw. | 2112 | 26 |
| Rush / Game | 112.3 | 15 | Rush / Game | 132.0 | 26 |
| Pass Allw. | 3518 | 11 | Pass Allw. | 3221 | 6 |
| Pass / Game | 219.9 | 11 | Pass / Game | 201.3 | 6 |
| Points Allw. | 315 | 7 | Points Allw. | 338 | 12 |
| Pass / Game | 19.7 | 7 | Points / Game | 21.1 | 12 |
SEAHAWKS OFFENSIVE LEADERS (Preseason)
Rushing
| Player | G | Att. | Yards | TDs | Long | Y/G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russell Wilson | 2 | 8 | 92 | 1 | 32t | 46.0 |
| Kregg Lumpkin | 2 | 15 | 61 | 1 | 16t | 30.5 |
| Robert Turbin | 2 | 20 | 58 | 0 | 10 | 29.0 |
| Tyrell Sutton | 2 | 5 | 51 | 0 | 46 | 25.5 |
Passing
| Player | G | Att. | Cmp. | Yards | TDs/INT | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russell Wilson | 2 | 33 | 22 | 279 | 3/1 | 110.5 |
| Matt Flynn | 2 | 26 | 17 | 102 | 0/1 | 56.9 |
Receiving
| Player | G | Rec. | Yards | TD | Long | Y/G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Turbin | 2 | 5 | 19 | 0 | 8 | 9.5 |
| Deon Butler | 2 | 4 | 26 | 0 | 10 | 13.0 |
| Anthony McCoy | 2 | 3 | 39 | 0 | 26 | 19.5 |
| Sean McGrath | 2 | 3 | 35 | 0 | 22 | 17.5 |
| Vai Taua | 2 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 21.0 |
SEAHAWKS DEFENSIVE LEADERS (Preseason)
| Category | Skinny |
|---|---|
| Tackles | Chancellor 7, Johnson 7, Sherman 7 |
| Sacks | Scruggs 1.5, Allen 0.5 |
| Interceptions | Sherman, Lane, Wright, Browner, 1 |
| Passes Defensed | Thomas 2, Bryant 2 |
| Forced Fumbles | Sherman 1, Lane 1, Farwell 1 |
| Fumbles Recovered | Farwell 1, Hill 1 |
COACHES: Pete Carroll (47-49-0 career, 14-18-0 Seattle) is in his third season as head coach of the Seahawks. In 2010, he directed Seattle to the NFC West title, the Seahawks becoming the first team in NFL history to win a division with a losing (7-9) record. Prior to joining the Seahawks, Carroll served as head coach at Southern California, where his Trojans won seven Pac-10 titles.
Romeo Crennel: Began his NFL head coaching career with the Cleveland Browns in 2005 and went 24-40 over four seasons. Crennel enters his third season with Kansas City in 2012 and embarks on his first full season as head coach after serving two seasons as the clubs defensive coordinator (2010-11). Crennel is a graduate of Western Kentucky University.
KEY DATES: Monday — 90-man roster cutdown to maximum of 75 players; Friday — Roster reduction to 53 players; Sept. 1 — Clubs establish practice squad of eight players; Sept. 9 — Start of regular season; Nov. 18 — Seahawks bye week; Jan. 5-6, 2013 — Wild card weekend; Jan. 12-13 — Divisional playoffs; Jan. 19-20 — Conference championships; Jan. 27 — Pro Bowl (Honolulu); Feb. 3 — Super Bowl, New Orleans. Feb. 20-26 — NFL combine (Indianapolis); April 25-27 — NFL draft.
COMING UP: Seahawks close out their preseason schedule Thursday by hosting the Oakland Raiders and startlaunch the regular season at Arizona Sept. 9. Seahawks play at Century Link Field Sept. 16 against the Dallas Cowboys.
2012 Seahawks Preseason Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Time | TV | W/L | Score | Rec. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/11/12 | vs. Tennessee | 7 p.m. | Q13 | W | 27-17 | 1-0 |
| 8/18/12 | at Denver | 6 p.m. | Q13 | W | 30-10 | 2-0 |
| 8/24/12 | at Kansas City | 5 p.m. | Q13 | — | — | — |
| 8/30/12 | vs. Oakland | 7 p.m. | Q13 | — | — | — |
2012 Seahawks Regular-Season Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Time | TV | W/L | Score | Rec. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/9/12 | at Arizona | 1:15 p.m. | FOX | — | — | — |
| 9/16/12 | vs. Dallas | 1:05 p.m. | FOX | — | — | — |
| 9/24/12 | vs. Green Bay | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN | — | — | — |
| 9/30/12 | at St. Louis | 10 a.m. | FOX | — | — | — |
| 10/7/12 | at Carolina | 1:05 p.m. | FOX | — | — | — |
| 10/14/12 | vs. N. England | 1:05 p.m. | CBS | — | — | — |
| 10/18/12 | at S. Francisco | 5:20 p.m. | NFLN | — | — | — |
| 10/28/12 | at Detroit | 10 a.m. | FOX | — | — | — |
| 11/4/12 | vs. Minnesota | 1:05 p.m. | FOX | — | — | — |
| 11/11/11 | vs. NY Jets | 1:05 p.m. | CBS | — | — | — |
| 11/18/11 | Bye Week | — | — | — | — | — |
| 11/25/12 | at Miami | 10 a.m. | FOX | — | — | — |
| 12/2/12 | at Chicago | 10 a.m. | FOX | — | — | — |
| 12/9/12 | vs. Arizona | 1:15 p.m. | FOX | — | — | — |
| 12/16/12 | *at Buffalo | 1:05 p.m. | FOX | — | — | — |
| 12/23/12 | vs. San Francisco | 1:15 p.m. | FOX | — | — | — |
| 12/30/12 | vs. St. Louis | 1:15 p.m. | FOX | — | — | — |
* in Toronto