NEW YORK -- The Seattle Seahawks are Pete Carroll's team from top to bottom. They think differently; they draft differently; they practice differently.
The Seahawks returned to the field Wednesday and practiced at a "mostly breakneck" pace. Pool reporter Peter King from TheMMQB.com said it was the "fastest practice" he's ever covered at the Super Bowl. (Carroll loved hearing that.)
Carroll's energy is everywhere to see in New Jersey this week. Our Around The LeagueSeahawks correspondent Marc Sessler says Seattle has been a loose, focused bunch all week. They are enjoying their moment. And they aren't changing who they are on the big stage.
Here's what we learned from King's pool report and the rest of the news that came out during a busy day in New Jersey and here at the media center in Manhattan.
- Marshawn Lynch rested Wednesday, as is his usual custom. Doug Baldwin (hip), Percy Harvin (concussion) and defensive tackle Brandon Mebane (ankle) reportedly all looked good at practice. This Super Bowl has virtually no injury concerns. NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport said Harvin is expected to play every snap.
- Seattle had its final "Competition Wednesday" of the year where the first-team units worked against each other, instead of facing the scout team like most teams do. Richard Sherman had an athletic interception at one point.
- The Seahawks practiced indoors, but kept the temperatures just over freezing at 36 degrees. Those are the conditions that are now forecast for the Super Bowl on Sunday.
- The Broncos, meanwhile, practiced in full pads outdoors. John Fox called Peyton Manning's work "very sharp."
- Knowshon Moreno has taken a long and winding road to this Super Bowl. We learned from Rapoport that it will probably be his last game with the Broncos.
- One of our favorite nuggets from Wednesday's Carroll presser was his anecdote about an early-morning phone call from Manning that shook him from his sleep and almost changed the course of the Seahawks for years to come.
- Carroll also weighed in on the flock of suspensions for performance-enhancing drug use and substance-abuse policy violations during his time in Seattle. "We've had team meetings. We've had speakers. We've had seminars. We've had one-on-ones," said the coach, who added that the "new mentality" in Seattle is that "we're Seahawks 24/7."
- Sessler says that the funniest Seahawks player on the roster is Michael Bennett. And that there are "more luxurious scenarios on the planet than being packed into a fleshy, odorous scrum of scribes trying to hear a defensive behemoth opine on Seattle's four-man front."
- Demaryius Thomas' impressive young career was nearly over before it started. The top-five receiver revealed Wednesday that injuries forced him to second-guess his football future before Manning arrived in town.
- Thomas isn't the only one to benefit from Manning's ability to change lives. Here's our master list of the men Manning has made over the past 16 years.
- Manning detailed how John Elway lit into the Broncos after a preseason manhandling by the Seahawks.
- Elway used to think that Manning would cement his reputation as the greatest quarterback of all time with another ring. Now Elway believes that people will always argue about the greatest ever, no matter what Manning does. We agree. (And we usually prefer arguing.)
Brooks: How the 'Hawks can win
- Around The League's Dan Hanzus got some great access with two great running backs Wednesday: Matt Forte and Maurice Jones-Drew. MJD is ready to move on if the Jaguarsdon't want to re-sign him.
- Adam Vinatieri had a fun suggestion for Hanzus when it comes to rule changes: Why not make long field goals four points?
- Marshawn Lynch made it another day without getting fined. Try to continue to be a boss in all that you do, and we'll see you back here for a huge day of coverage Thursday.
Live from New York, it's "The Around The League Podcast!"
