After playing two games in the past five days, the Seahawks will enjoy a weekend off following Thursday night’s 24-3 NFC West-clinching win over the Los Angeles Rams, a break that Seattle head coach Pete Carroll referred to as a "mini bye" that will be "really good for the players."
"We're looking forward to this time that we get this break," Carroll told reporters during his Friday press conference at Virginia Mason Athletic Center. "This is a great time for this break to come."
Other than injuries to defensive end Michael Bennett (neck) and punter Jon Ryan (concussion), Carroll said the Seahawks made it through last night's game "really healthy" and will have a chance to get players like linebacker Brock Coyle (foot), who's missed the past four games, back in the lineup when Seattle plays its Week 16 game on Christmas Eve against the Arizona Cardinals at CenturyLink Field.
"We could have played him last night, but one more break gets him these days too," Carroll said of Coyle. "It's going to help Michael [Bennett] come back from the comeback. It's going to help Russell [Wilson]. It's going to help so many guys. Now that we're here we're going to max it out and make the most of it. I think it's great. We'll come back roaring after it."
Carroll also had more to offer on the setbacks Bennett and Ryan suffered in last night's game.
"Mike felt good this morning, I saw him," Carroll said. "I did not see Jon. Both reports on the tests that they did on both those guys were negative, so that was great. But I don't have any updates on Jon."
If Ryan is unable to go when the Seahawks next play, Carroll said "we'll have to do something and we'll figure that out" in reference to the punter position, noting with a smile that several players, including Wilson and wideout Jermaine Kearse, lobbied to boot the football after Ryan left the game following a big hit he took on a fake punt in the fourth quarter. Ryan was taken to the hospital after the game, where his wife, comedian Sarah Colonna, provided encouraging updates on his status via Twitter.
"I'm glad they did all they possibly could to take care of him," Carroll said of Ryan's trip to the hospital. "He obviously had some really clear symptoms and so they just did the max to take care of him, and it sounds like everything's worked out fine."
Carroll also provided updates on the status of strong safety Kam Chancellor, who briefly left last night's game, and running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the past four games with a shoulder injury.
On Chancellor, Carroll said: "He just felt something, it might have knocked the wind out of him a little bit, but he felt something in his back that was fine."
On Prosise, Carroll said the team should receive an update on Monday: "That's when we're supposed to get some more news."
And despite Carroll acknowledging concessions were taken with certain players' playing time against the Packers and Rams to account for the short turnaround between games, the Seahawks head coach said the quick week had "minimal" impact, adding "You always want a win before the bye."
"This opportunity to play Thursday night worked out great for us because we get to bounce back, we have the fun of winning the division, we know we've got the break that's going to make us stronger," Carroll said. "What happened is long gone. I'm so glad that we did it the way we did it. It had as minimal amount of effect as it could have had and hopefully we maxed out the turnaround and the refocus and the ability to do that because you always need that as you're going forward."
Seahawks players and coaches react in the locker room following a 24-3 NFC West-clinching victory over the Los Angeles Rams.