Pat Kirwin and Jim Miller

Interviewing Broncos wide receiver Demarius Thomas:

KIRWIN: So, Demarius, you've played both teams. If the Pat's split Gronk out wide to the right in the X, Sherman's gonna be on him, because he never moves, right?

THOMAS: Yes sir. He'll be on him.

KIRWIN: So, if I'm the Pats, I run a quick slant to Gronk and test Sherman's arm. What do you think about that?

THOMAS: I think that would be a very good thing to do. I mean, you hate to go after a guy, but it's football. If he's hurt, you've gotta attack it....

Smart guy

Awesome interview, BTW.

Kirwin's breaking down the weakness in the Seahawks pass defense. They play a Cover 3, with Sherman and the other corner pressing at the line, and then dropping to take their deep zone responsibilities.

KIRWIN: So, if you line up with two receivers on each side, what does Sherman do with the inside receiver on a dig route? He can't go with him, can he?

THOMAS: Nope.

KIRWIN: He has to stay with the outside receiver going deep, doesn't he?

THOMAS: He has too. He has to take the deep zone and pass off the inside receiver.

KIRWIN: So there's an opening to throw the ball.

THOMAS: Yes. You just have to trust the QBs arm...

KIRWIN: So, those guys like to jam.

THOMAS: They always press at the line.

KIRWIN: Is that going to work against the Pats?

THOMAS: I don't think so. It works against big guys like me, but the Pats have small, quick receivers. It's hard to get your hands on receivers like that.

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KIRWIN: So the Seahawks don't want to go against Revis.

THOMAS: No. Revis is always in your face.

KIRWIN: They have to go against Browner and hope to get him with double moves. He'll grab...

THOMAS: You have to. He's a big guy. He has to grab. But, the problem is that it's hard for bigger receivers to stop and go like that.

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THOMAS: When we played the Pats, that secondary was always switching it up. They play man and then they switch it up and play zone, which we hadn't seen. I think that's why we had trouble with some of those picks.

hwc said:

THOMAS: Yes. You just have to trust the QBs arm...

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Subtle dig at Peyton?

Sicilian said:

Subtle dig at Peyton?

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I don't think so. I think he was just saying that the receivers and the QB have to execute to take advantage of small windows in the zone.

hwc said:

I don't think so. I think he was just saying that the receivers and the QB have to execute to take advantage of small windows in the zone.

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Probably right, it's just interesting that Thomas seems to have all the answers to the test, but when it came time to execute the Broncos forgot how to use a pencil.

Now, Seahawk play by play guy Warren Moon:

KIRWIN: So against the Packers, there really wasn't much pass rush. Wounded Rodgers and he was never touched. What happened to the pass rush?

MOON: It'll be back for the SuperBowl. Guys needed a rest.

KIRWIN: So after watching Lacey, does Belichick pound Blount up the middle?

MOON: Well, Lacey was good in the first half, but he didn't do much in the second half.

@hwc coming through big time!

Great insight by DT!

Would love to have him next year

I think Kirwin is right on the money. Seahawks weaknesses are d-line (weakened by injury and depth problems) and opportunities for multiple WR sets to attack the Cover 3 zone.

I don't think Demarius Thomas is headed for the Pats. He knows football, but listening to him, I would say that he isn't even functionally literate. I doubt that he can spell his name.

I foresee lots of up tempo offense catching Seattle with 12 on the field and wearing them down.

All the crayons in the box come out.

hwc said:

KIRWIN: So after watching Lacey, does Belichick pound Blount up the middle?

MOON: Well, Lacey was good in the first half, but he didn't do much in the second half.

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Yes, because Mike McCarthy tried to win by running (and running out the clock). He took the ball out of Rodgers' hands and SEA didn't have to worry about the pass. Even with a noticeably hobbled FS and CB. Really, the only drive he let Rodgers do his thing was the last one of regulation when they kicked a FG to tie the game. McCarthy spit the bit in that game.

Sicilian said:

Subtle dig at Peyton?

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I noticed that as well. And yes, I think it was…

Maybe he would like to play on a team with good QB...

Yes. I think it is highly unlikely that Belichick goes 100% run. I think he'll attack the Seahawks' patchwork D-line with both the running game and the play action passing game.

Pete Carroll on now.

PETE: Yeah, we are really pumped up about this....

Pete complained to the league about the Solder play.

Pete mentioned that an ineligible player can step back behind the QB and catch a lateral. We've worked on Edelman being ineligible and running or throwing.

hwc said:

Pete Carroll on now.

PETE: Yeah, we are really pumped up about this....

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Forgot "jacked."

PETE: Players aren't used to listening for ineligible or eligible. They don't pay attention to it. That's why we asked for new hand signals.

On Gronk:

PETE: Are you trying to make me feel bad, here, Jim?

PETE: It couldn't be a harder challenge. We just don't want him to control the game, but we know he's going to make some plays.