12th Man Rising
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Pete Carroll says Seahawks won’t rest starters, and that’s great news

By Todd Vandenberg

SEATTLE, WA - DECEMBER 23: Head coach Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks yells to his team during warm ups before the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at CenturyLink Field on December 23, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - DECEMBER 23: Head coach Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks yells to his team during warm ups before the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at CenturyLink Field on December 23, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /
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Seahawks close in on Jared Goff
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 11: Jared Goff #16 of the Los Angeles Rams passes as he is rushed by Frank Clark #55, Bobby Wagner #54 and Barkevious Mingo #51 of the Seattle Seahawks in the third quarter during a 36-31 win over the Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 11, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

Let’s assume the Seahawks get past the first round. If they’re the fifth seed, they’ll travel to Los Angeles to face the Rams for the third time this season. You know what they say about three times and charms. The Rams are obviously tough, but they did lose two of their last three games. I’d rather try for some revenge against them than face the Saints.

New Orleans has a better defense than Los Angeles, and a better offense. I mean no disrespect to the Rams. They beat the Hawks twice this season, as we know all too painfully well. But Drew Brees is simply a better quarterback than Jared Goff. The Saints defense is better than the Rams, too. Who would have ever thought that was possible just two years ago?

The Rams defense is ranked 17th in points allowed. The Saints are ranked eighth. More importantly, New Orleans has one of the NFL’s toughest run defenses. They rank first in yards allowed and third in average yards per carry, at just 3.7 yards. Compare that to Los Angeles, which ranks 22nd in yards allowed and 31st in average allowed, at 5.0 yards per carry. The Rams may have beaten the Hawks twice already, but they’re a better matchup.

Regardless of potential matchups, the Seahawks won’t be resting the starters. As Carroll said,

"“We don’t do that. Maybe the game allows you to make some decisions or something during the game that would be a little bit different. But I’ve done that in the past and I don’t like that at all. I don’t like doing it, I think it messes with us. Just go play.”"

There is no end to the articles on the myth of momentum in the NFL. Study after study shows that there’s no link between a playoff team’s performance in their last few regular season games and their postseason wins. However, this article by former NFL lineman Geoff Schwartz for SB Nation nails it.

Next. Seahawks grades for their huge win over the Chiefs. dark

It isn’t about momentum, it’s about confidence. A win by the Seahawks against the Cardinals, a perennial thorn in their side, would launch Seattle’s confidence as high as Mount Rainier. The Cardinals aren’t very good, but that hasn’t stopped them from embarrassing the Hawks over the years. It’s time to put those losses behind us, and head to the playoffs on a winning note.

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