Check out what the Seahawks are saying about the Rams before the two teams meet in Week 15 at CenturyLink Field.
Head Coach Pete Carroll
(On Jeff Fisher being relieved from duties as head coach of the Rams...)"Jeff has been in the league for a long time, battling. That's tough news. I can't even imagine what that does for those guys, in terms of turning the corner and getting moving ahead forward. I'm sure that they'll do it and [interim head coach] John [Fassel] will do a good job of directing that. He's a terrific coach. That's a big transition. They've kind of been a team in the midst of a lot of transition with their move and all the things they've gone through. This is kind of more of it."
(On if he has had to go against a team right after their head coach was released before...) "I probably have somewhere along the line, I don't know. Just more so watching it happen in football, lots of times teams rally. I know that those guys like Jeff [Fisher] and he's a great dude and I wouldn't be surprised if they are very spirited and very inspired to play hard and play well. John [Fassel] is a good guy, he's been involved with a lot of great stuff that they've done over the years, and I'm sure he's tapping into everything he can to get them going. We expect them to play high and flying and really tough. We don't expect anything but that."
(On if he has a relationship with John Fassel...)"Not too much. Just that he's worked with some guys that are here and known him over the years and have a lot of respect for the work that he's done."
(On if the Rams offense looks different with Jared Goff at quarterback...) "They pretty much have done the same stuff. They've probably been a little more wide open downfield oriented than before, counting on the terrific arm that he has and all. Basically it's the same stuff and same kind of rhythm and all that."
(On why Aaron Donald is so good...) "He has two things, he has extraordinary quickness, he's faster than all the defensive linemen that play in that spot. He's a 4.6 guy, that's one. He has tremendous instincts, he has instincts like Michael Bennett does, they can feel a play coming and undercut a block and jump across a block and in just really destructive fashion for the offense. He's been a great playmaker for them and he does it with quickness, but without the instincts that he has he wouldn't be able to be so effective. He's really special."
(On the Rams' 2016 season...)"You couldn't have had more challenges, continuity and being settled and all of that. They faced so many issues with the move and all of that, I don't know how to equate it. It's rare when this happens. I'm sure it's been difficult for them, going into a new stadium and new setting and all of that. Imagine all of the families have to move, they have to figure out how to relocate and they're all over the place with where camp was and where they hold up now. It's just been as difficult and challenging as it could be. No wonder it's been hard."
Offensive Coordinator Darrell Bevell
(On this week's game against the Rams...) "Big challenge this week for us. This is a defense that's pretty stacked, the one that always gives us trouble. We have to be on it this week. We're ready and up for the challenge, they have a great front. Robert Quinn, [Aaron] Donald, probably a couple of the best guys that play the game today. We'll have to be ready for that. The one thing I really see about this defense, and it's really been since we've played them, and it's regardless of what's been going on over there, is they fly around, they're still playing hard, they still run, they're still hitting. I really haven't seen much of a change from Week 2 when we played them to where they are now. Maybe a guy or two that's different on the defense, but for the most part they're playing hard and they're doing a nice job."
(On why the Rams have had so much success against the Seahawks...) "They play us well. Obviously we know them, they know us. I think they have really solid personnel, [Rams defensive coordinator] Gregg Williams does a great job with the defense. He's got great schemes and then the personnel is outstanding. They've got a great front, they got nice linebackers that run, the safeties are running downhill, hitting like crazy, and they play at a frenetic pace. They play hard and I have to give it to them, each and every time that we play them, we get their best."
Defensive Coordinator Kris Richard
(On Rams quarterback Jared Goff...) "He's a young quarterback, there's no doubt about it. He's got weapons on the outside, on the perimeter, that historically these guys have been an explosive offense. Just attacking on the outside, they got a really good running back. All the stuff that's there that's evident, we know what we're going to have to deal with. They're a divisional team so it's been a battle, there's no doubt about it. That's what we are preparing for. It doesn't make a difference who they put back there for quarterback, we're preparing for a battle. No doubt about it. They're going to hand the ball off, they got number 30 [Todd Gurley] in the backfield, that guy can run the ball, number 11 [Tavon Austin] is a guy that they love in the short, intermediate zones. They love him when it's fly sweeps and reverses and things like that. They try to throw the ball deep to number 18 [Kenny Britt] as much as possible. It's stuff that we certainly need to be prepared for."
Cornerback Richard Sherman
(On how much the fact that Jared Goff is a rookie changes the game...) "It doesn't change it at all. They've showed running the same stuff with the rook, so it doesn't change what we do and it hasn't changed what they do."
(On if you can make life tougher on a rookie quarterback...)"You always can but it's no different than you would any other week. He's not going to go through his reads like A. Rod [Aaron Rodgers] did last week. He's not going to go to his first read, second read, third read, fourth read, back to his first, back to his second, make those kinds of decisions. He'd be happy to get through three, so you understand that."
Quarterback Russell Wilson
(On the Rams' success rushing the passer...)"They're extremely talented up front. They've got a great defensive line, their front seven is unbelievable, they've got guys that rotate in and out. We have tons of respect for what they've been able to do and what they're doing, and like I said, they have great players, so it starts there."
(On if the Rams change of head coach will impact the Rams' players on Thursday...) "We know that obviously they lost their head coach, coach Fisher, but at the same time they're professional football players and they're a great football team in terms of their players and what they've been doing and how their defense plays and all that kind of stuff. That's not really a factor for us, we have to focus on us and getting prepared on a short week, playing Seahawk football, playing great football, being really efficient with the ball, playing great defense, playing physical, playing fast and continue to make our plays."
(On his difference in health now versus the last time they played the Rams in Week 2...)"Obviously that was the second game of the year and I had that severe ankle injury so obviously this time I can move around a little bit more. We had a chance, we had a chance last time we played them in a tough environment down in LA, it was their first home game, it was a great game. We had a chance even at the end of the game there, we hit Tyler Lockett down the field deep with not too much time left and we had a chance to win and unfortunately we didn't. Every game is a new game, every situation is a new situation. This time, we're just getting ready to do what we do best and try to be on time, be physical, make our plays and continue to try to win football games."
