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Check out what the Seahawks (9-5-1) are saying about the 49ers (2-13) before the two teams meet in Week 17 at Levi's Stadium.
Head Coach Pete Carroll
(On this week's game against the 49ers...) "We want to try to finish this thing off right. There's a lot going on this weekend in the league and things can happen and all of that. We need to take care of our business and play a good football game. It's really on us to play well, we want to do things the way we want to do them and look right, knowing next week is coming up and whatever happens after that. We're excited to see if we can put together a really good week of preparation."
(On the 49ers now versus how they were at the beginning of the season...)"The big change is the quarterback for sure. Colin [Kaepernick] has looked really effective. He's back to playing comfortably and running and throwing and scrambling and all that stuff. He's averaging over seven yards a carry, he's got a pretty good passer rating, touchdowns and interceptions is really good. All that stuff. He's that threat again that he's been in the past. With the offense that they run there's a lot of option in there for him to take it. It fits very well. I think that's the biggest obvious note, they've got a couple guys that are banged up that they lost. Offensive line is playing really good, they've run the ball formidably throughout the season and 130 something a game. They're able to do that. That's what catches my attention is that Colin is back doing the stuff that he knows how to do and he really looks effective."
Defensive Coordinator Kris Richard
(On playing against Colin Kaepernick...) "The guy can still run, still has a powerful arm, still presents the same challenges that he always has. When he decides to break the pocket and get first downs, earn first downs with his legs, he is still as dangerous as they come in the NFL."
(On the 49ers losing Carlos Hyde...) "They're still going to run the ball. I truly believe they're still going to come out and run the ball. Carlos Hyde is a huge piece of their offense, there's no doubt about it. He's a really good back, one of the best backs in the NFL, so you certainly have to give him credit for that. Like I said, they have a plethora of backs that can get out there, it's a good system, the guys know what they're doing in regards, the quarterback's a running option. So like I said, they have multiple threats."
(On whether he saw improvements from the 49ers in their win against the Rams...)"Essentially, their games have been close. You can take a look back when they played Dallas, when they played new England. Those games are competitive, it's a competitive football team that we're talking about. They are professionals. Their system is good, they've got guys who understand what they're doing. [Colin] Kaepernick has been a fantastic quarterback in the zone read and things like that. He fits the offense. All the RPOs, run pass options, and things of that nature, they're all prevalent. We know we're going to have to deal with it, we just have to make sure we are right."
Offensive Coordinator Darrell Bevell
(On what he's seen that's different about San Francisco from Week 3...) "They have a little bit different personnel. On the defensive side they've lost a few guys so that's a little bit different. As far as scheme wise, we know all the scheme, we know all the players that they have. They have added a couple new guys but scheme wise it's pretty much the same."
Linebacker Bobby Wagner
(On Colin Kaepernick...) "He looks a little bit more confident in his throws. The first time we played them, they ran some zone stuff but like I don't think [Blaine] Gabbert kept it that much, if he did he's not the athlete that Kaepernick is, so that's not really something they want to do. You can see that they really utilize his legs with Kaepernick. Whether it's trying to get him out the pocket try to get him running, some throws. I think the last game he ran it in for a touchdown and a two-point conversion or something like that. We've got to be prepared for him to run the ball. We feel like if we do a great job in coverage that's what he's going to do. We feel like we have the athletes to track him down."
Quarterback Russell Wilson
(On it being the last regular season week of the season...) "I think it's gone by fast. It's a blessing to play in the National Football League, to play on this football team, I always say it. I always believe that I have the best job in the world. I'm grateful for it. This season has gone by fast in a good way, we've accomplished a lot of good things and there's a lot more to accomplish. I think the only way to accomplish it is focus one day at a time, having a deliberate approach to everything that we do and continue with that thought process."
Defensive End Michael Bennett
(On the team's focus for the 49ers game...)"Just win. I think ultimately everybody just wants to win, it doesn't matter how we do it, just get that W and solidify our place in the playoffs wherever it may be. Overall we just want to win the game. I think you go into the game every week just to win. When you don't win, I think people just start talking about why we lost and you don't get to grow from that. You try to grow from that, but losses are never good for the organization because it makes the fans panic, obviously it makes the media panic and it's just one of those things."
(On Colin Kaepernick...)"Kap has always been a really good quarterback. He's very explosive, you see him running the ball and he can do so many things. The way he runs the ball is very awkward but he runs really fast and a lot of guys can't catch him. He runs with no technique, but he's running so fast. He's done a great job of the option, good job getting the passing game going. I think he's been probably their best offensive player so far when they got the opportunity and he started playing. I think him not playing at the beginning kind of slowed the team down a little bit because he's been the starting quarterback for years then all of the sudden it became a controversy. Then it usually takes a little while to get back but I think he's done a great job of filling in right now."
(On the rivalry with the 49ers a few years ago...) "I think you do miss that. That game was built around the same type of team. A running quarterback, a great defense and it was just a fun game to play in because you had to match the intensity of the other team. They're trying to turn the organization around, but at the same time, you can't let what's going on with that team get in the way of what you're trying to do. Obviously you miss those and those rivalries because all those players are out of the league right now. You think about Justin Smith, Aldon Smith, NaVorro Bowman, he's hurt. You think about P. Willis [Patrick Willis], Ray McDonald, he got in trouble but he's still a great player. They had so many great players on that team. It was just one of those games where it was the same team playing against each other. The intensity was outstanding."
