What the Seahawks are saying about the Patriots this week
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll always revels in taking on his former team.
The Seahawks have not yet found the level of performance they have become accustomed to from the last few years, but they’re coming off a win Monday night against the Bills that improved their record to 5-2-1. The team suffered a blow when it was announced that Michael Bennett would not be playing this week against his brother, Martellus, but Richard Sherman, Cliff Avril, Bobby Wagner and Earl Thomas lead a defense pretty reminiscent of the iteration from the Super Bowl two years ago.
Here’s what Seattle had to say this week about the prime time matchup at Gillette Stadium.
Head coach Pete Carroll:
- On Malcolm Butler: “He’s a really good player. He’s a good ball player. He seems really instinctive and aggressive and confident. He does a nice job.”
- On the Patriots: “About as good a team as we can play… Nobody’s done it better than they have. I’ve watched it really intensely over the years and really admire the job that they’ve done, the consistency they’ve found. It’s a great tribute to the coaching because [Bill Belichick’s]been the constant, he and Tom [Brady] have been the constants through that, coaches have changed under him, players have changed, but the consistency of their performance and the level and style of their performance has always stayed at the top level.”
- On Rob Gronkowski and Martellus Bennett: “They’re both really good players. The system really works their guys around to suit their style of play, and [Brady] is great at utilizing his guys in that manner. So we have to have a real good understanding of their strengths and the way that they do their things… try to keep them from controlling the game.”
- On Tom Brady: “He looks great. He’s on fire, he hasn’t thrown an interception yet, he’s completed 70-something percent of his passes, he’s on fire. He’s even taken off and run a couple times to show that he can and he looks good moving around. You see no wear at all, if anything he’s fresh and ready to go.”
Cornerback Richard Sherman:
- On Tom Brady: “You gotta tackle well. Be ready for quick passes and the occasional shot. He’s very creative in the way he manipulates a defense, he does a great job with his eyes. And obviously staying off of him, they’ve got several rules to protect him in various situations. So you gotta be careful how you sack him.”
Y’all know what week this is… #Focused pic.twitter.com/r9TdCPQqiL
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) November 9, 2016
Defensive end Cliff Avril:
- On Tom Brady: “The biggest thing is — well one, he’s very consistent — everything is timing with him. He’s getting the ball out as soon as guys are breaking their routes off. They just have a great chemistry and great timing going for their offense, and also, they’re running the ball well and that opens things up for him too.”
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