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scouting report

Coach: Pete Carroll (ninth year with Seahawks — 79-48-1 regular season, 9-5 postseason; 13th year overall — 112-79-1 regular season, 10-7 postseason).

Last year鈥檚 record: 9-7 (2nd in NFC West, no playoffs).

OFFENSE

Play caller: Coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.

Analysis:

• Schottenheimer, 44, is in his first year, replacing Darrell Bevell. Now in his 19th NFL season, Schottenheimer鈥檚 first three professional posts were working for his father, Marty. The Seahawks are his third coordinator job (Jets 2006-11, St. Louis 2012-14). He was Indianapolis鈥� quarterback coach the past two years.
• The Seahawks were 15th in yards (330.4) and 11th in scoring last year (22.9). In addition to Schottenheimer, veteran OL coach Mike Solari was hired to replace Tom Cable.
• In the starters鈥� final preseason game (at Minnesota), the Seahawks ran only two personnel groups (3WR-1RB-1TE on 25 snaps and 2WR-1RB-2TE on 10 snaps).
• Two of the few wrinkles Seattle showed on tape was lining three WR to one side and running to the opposite edge and trying to get the RB split out wide against a LB.
• QB Russell Wilson is a terrific player. He is 65-30-1 in the regular season and 8-4 in the playoffs (1-1 in the ). An accurate passer (64.0 career completion percentage), his 34 touchdown passes last year led the league. Smart with the football (56 interceptions), Wilson is lethal when the play breaks down. He retreats and moves back or side to side, allowing for his receivers to get open.
• RB Rashaad Penny was drafted in Round 1, the hope being he can spark a run game that has finished outside the top 20 in three consecutive years. The nation鈥檚 leading rusher last year for San Diego State (2,248 yards), Penny missed most of the preseason with a broken finger that required surgery but should be available Sunday.
• RB Chris Carson (broken leg last October) is expected to start. C.J. Prosise is the third-down back.
• WR Doug Baldwin (knee) and WR Tyler Lockett (toe) were nicked up last month, but could have played last week. Baldwin has four consecutive years of at least 66 catches and 825 yards. He led the league with 14 TD catches in 2015.
• WR Brandon Marshall, the former Bronco, is with his sixth team. He could start ahead of Lockett.
• TE Nick Vannett and rookie TE Will Dissly will be on the field in two-TE personnel. They big have cleats to fill after (57 catches, 10 TDs in 2017) signed with Green Bay. Vannett was also used as a fullback in the preseason.
• The Seahawks hope they have finally found the right mix on the offensive line. The starting group is LT Duane Brown, LG Ethan Pocic, C Justin Britt, RG D.J. Fluker and RT Germain Ifedi. All are former first- and second-round draft picks (Brown by Houston, Fluker by the Chargers). Fluker is nursing a hamstring injury. If he can鈥檛 play, J.T. Sweezy will start. He missed all of the preseason with a high-ankle sprain.

DEFENSE

Play caller: Coordinator Ken Norton, Jr.

Analysis:

• Norton, 51, returns to the Seahawks鈥� staff after three years as Oakland鈥檚 coordinator. Norton coached for Carroll at USC and Seattle (five years apiece). In January, he was hired as San Francisco鈥檚 assistant head coach but re-joined the Seahawks a week later, replacing Kris Richard (now Dallas鈥� DB coach).
• Seattle was 11th in total defense (323.2) and tied for 13th in scoring (20.8) last year.
• When the starters played at Minnesota two weeks ago, the Seahawks rushed four on 23 drop-backs and five players on six drop-backs.
• Their go-to pressure against the Vikings was a cornerback blitzing from the slot.
• The starting DL are Tom Johnson and Jarran Reed at DT, Clinton Jefferson or rookie Rasheem Green at 鈥渂ig鈥� DE and Frank Clark at weak-side DE (called the 鈥淟eo鈥� in Carroll鈥檚 system).
• Veteran DE Dion Jordan has not practiced since December (stress fracture in leg) but Carroll has not ruled him out for Sunday.
• Clark led the team with nine sacks last year and can win matchups from stand-up and three-point stances.
• Weak-side LB K.J. Wright (knee surgery) won鈥檛 play and will be replaced by rookie Shaquem Griffin, the former UCF star whose left hand was amputated at age 4. Griffin can run sideline to sideline, but is still learning the Seahawks鈥� scheme.
• MLB Bobby Wagner never leaves the field (507 tackles in 88 games) and has three All-Pro nods. He knows how to move laterally to avoid second-level blocks.
• Journeyman and former first-round pick Barkevious Mingo is the strong-side LB and a pass-rushing threat if used in nickel situations. In base defense, he will usually line up on the ball.
• The secondary has been revamped. Gone are CB Richard Sherman (San Francisco), SS Kam Chancellor (retire) and FS Earl Thomas (holding out). Shaquill Griffin (Shaquem鈥檚 twin brother) debuted last year opposite Sherman and showed promise. He can run with all receivers. He is expected to reduce his penalty total (seven last year). Against Minnesota, he stayed on the left side. Opposite Griffin is CB Dontae Johnson, a 16-game starter for the 49ers last year. Justin Coleman is the nickel.
• Bradley McDougald (45 career starts) will start at SS and Tedric Thompson at FS (none).

SPECIAL TEAMS

Coordinator: Brian Schneider.

Analysis:

• Schneider, 47, is an original Carroll staff member with the Seahawks. He attended Pomona High in Arvada. At Colorado State, he played linebacker (1990-93) and started his coaching career there (1994-2002). 鈥� Big changes on the Seahawks鈥� special teams this preseason.
• K Sebastian Janikowski, a 17-year Raider who missed last year because of injury, beat out Jason Myers for the kicking job. He has 414 career field goals (10th all time). Last year, Seattle kickers were 21 of 29 on field goals. Janikowski also handles kickoffs.
• P Michael Dickson won a camp competition against Jon Ryan, who was with Seattle for 10 years. Dickson, a fifth-round pick, grew up in Australia before attending Texas. He averaged 43.6 yards net on 17 preseason punts and six inside the 20-yard line.
• Last year, the Seahawks were fifth on kick returns (23.3-yard average). Lockett had a 25.6-yard average and a 99-yard TD. He signed a three-year, $31.8 million contract extension last month but was also slowed by a toe injury.
• Lockett averaged 6.6 yards on 36 punt returns last year.