Good morning, 12s, and happy Thanksgiving.
Here's a look at what's "out there" for today - Thursday, Nov. 26 - about your Seattle Seahawks:
Cliff Avril Talks Big Ben
The Seahawks defense's 2015 sack total (25) ranks in the top half of the League (T-11th) thanks large in part to the play of defensive end Cliff Avril, who is tied with fellow defensive end Michael Bennett for the team lead with 6.5 sacks.
The eighth-year pro Avril, who with six games to play has already topped his sack total from last year (5.0), is enjoying one of his best seasons. His 38 tackles are the second-most he's recorded in his career and he's tied his career-high with five passes defensed to go along with two forced fumbles. But most importantly, he's found ways to consistently apply pressure to the opposing team's quarterback, even if he's not getting credited with a sack each time.
"Nobody wants to stay stagnant, so for me I always want to keep growing," Avril told 710 ESPN Seattle's 'The Huddle' on Wednesday. "We have so much talent on this team, you definitely don't want to be the weakest link on the team, so that kind of motivates me to keep continuing getting better."
>>> VOTE: Cliff Avril 2016 Pro Bowl
The Pittsburgh Steelers, a team the Seahawks welcome to Seattle's CenturyLink Field this Sunday, feature a 6-foot-5, 240-plus pound quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger, whose knack for avoiding pressure has seen him sacked just 10 times on the year, and whose flair for hitting on big plays down field has him averaging 8.94 yards per pass attempt (2nd NFL).
"His pocket awareness is pretty good," Avril said of the 12th-year signal caller. "I mean he's a veteran quarterback, he's been doing it forever in the day. He's huge, he knows how to shake guys off of him, he feels the pocket and he still gets his throws.
"But no quarterback likes getting hit, so that's the big thing for us."
Avril said the Seahawks' priority this week will be to stop running back DeAngelo Williams and the Pittsburgh ground game, in turn forcing the Steelers to rely on Roethlisberger's arm. Corralling Roethlisberger, who Avril labeled, "every bit of 260" pounds, will then be key to Seattle's success.
"Somebody like Big Ben, even though he's a pocket passer, just throwing your arm into him isn't really going to knock him down," Avril said. "He's a big dude, so you're definitely going to have to tackle big on him."
Tweet Of The Day
Today's "Tweet of the Day" comes from Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch, who lets fans know what he's thankful for on this day.
More From Around The Web
Here at Seahawks.com, digital media reporter John Boyle highlights how well Patrick Lewis has played at center and notes Sunday's game will be Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's first in Seattle.
Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch underwent surgery yesterday and could return "within three or four weeks."
Five Seahawks did not participate in Wednesday's practice, the team's first workout of the week.
Seahawks wide receiver Jermaine Kearse has been nominated for the NFL's second annual Sportsmanship Award.
Scott Engel at RotoExperts.com previews Week 12 around the NFL from a fantasy football perspective.
Danny O'Neil at 710Sports.com pegs Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger as his person of interest ahead of Sunday's game at CenturyLink Field and shares highlights from his latest Hawk Talk chat with Seahawks fans.
Bob Condotta at the Seattle Times tracks the Seahawks playoff odds after 10 games.
D*id I miss anything you think is worthy of inclusion? Let me know on Twitter *
