Seattle Seahawks ~ We had a very, very physical schedule at the end, so its good to get some rest and recuperate from all the hits that were taking and get some good players back. - Michael Bennett Familiarity with No. 1 seed assists Seahawks approach to postseason. Defensive end Michael Bennett: Weve already been through it one time, so we know what its going to be like For the second straight season, Seattle owns the NFCs top playoff seed and the home-field favor that comes with it. The setup paid dividends for the Seahawks last year, when the club used its position to secure the first Lombardi Trophy in franchise history. But perhaps the most meaningful perk the Seahawks receive with the No. 1 seed is a first-round playoff bye. Seattle enjoyed - or fell victim to, depending on who you ask - the NFLs earliest possible bye week this past season. It came in Week 4 after the Seahawks dispatched the Green Bay Packers in their season opener, dropped a game to the Chargers in San Diego, and gutted out an overtime victory in a Super Bowl XLVIII rematch against the Denver Broncos. The early break meant playing 13 straight games to close the season. I think its perfect timing for us to get a little rest, defensive end Michael Bennett said before Wednesdays practice - one of two bonus workouts the Seahawks will hold this week. Obviously, the schedule that we had last month was really, really tough - whether it was Philly, the 49ers twice, the Cardinals twice, the Rams. We had a very, very physical schedule at the end, so its good to get some rest and recuperate from all the hits that were taking and get some good players back. After starting 3-3 and moving to 6-4, the Seahawks went 6-0 down the stretch to finish 12-4 on the year despite key players suffering injuries through the seasons final weeks. The first-round playoff bye will afford players like center Max Unger (knee/ankle), wide receiver Jermaine Kearse (hamstring), linebacker K.J. Wright (finger), defensive tackle Jordan Hill (knee), safety Jeron Johnson (elbow), cornerback Tharold Simon (shoulder), tight end Cooper Helfet (ribs), and defensive lineman Demarcus Dobbs (ankle) a good chance to be ready in time for the teams first playoff game. Its a comfortable spot for Bennett, who said the Seahawks can benefit from the familiarity of the situation and approach their Jan. 10 kickoff at CenturyLink Field like a regular game - nothing bigger than it needs to be. This is part of our schedule - getting home-field advantage and playing at a high level and knowing that were ready for this, said Bennett. Weve already been through it one time, so we know what its going to be like. What the scenarios are, what the anticipation of the game is going to be, the intensity, all those kind of things. Doug Baldwin knows the extra time off will help the Seahawks return to health, but the teams 2014 leading receiver is itching to get back on the field. Baldwins aspirations were answered with todays Bonus Day practice, and the club will work out again on New Years Day before taking Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off. Were anxious to get back to the grind, Baldwin said. Were anxious to get back to playing football because we know where were at right now. The Seahawks divisional-round foe will remain a mystery until the conclusion of this weekends games. Theyll play the lowest-seeded winner to emerge from the conferences wild-card round, where the NFC South champion Carolina Panthers take on the wild-card Arizona Cardinals on Saturday, Jan. 3 and the NFC East champion Dallas Cowboys meet the wild-card Detroit Lions on Sunday, Jan. 4. As the No. 1 seed, Seattle could potentially host the No. 4-seeded Panthers, No. 5-seeded Cardinals, or No. 6-seeded Lions. Should the No. 3-seeded Cowboys win, theyd travel to Green Bay for a divisional-round matchup with the No. 2-seeded Packers. Baldwin said hell be watching the first round of the postseason during his time off this weekend, but not with an eye fixed on the games Xs and Os. Thatll come next week, when the Seahawks first postseason opponent is set. Im still a fan of the game, so Ill be watching it, Baldwin said. But not really getting too involved in it because at the end of the day it doesnt matter who we play. Its about us in this locker room. Thats really all it comes down to. I dont think the Seahawks could be more ready mentally for what lies ahead. All the factors favor their march toward their 2nd Lombardi in as many seasons. They just need to get everyone healthy. Go Hawks!!! :) seahawks
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 05:11:28 +0000
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