Pete Carroll

Seattle Seahawks left tackle Russell Okung has a sprained left ankle but coach Pete Carroll doesn't believe it's as serious as the ankle problems that sidelined Okung for six games last season. Carroll said Saturday that it's conceivable that Okung could be ready for the season opener on Sept. 11 at San Francisco, and the Seahawks are planning as such. Okung was injured on Seattle's first series in its preseason opener on Thursday night in San Diego. He "felt something pop" as Carroll put it after the game as Okung planted to block during a pass play.

The Seattle Seahawks are hoping another Green Bay backup turns into their franchise quarterback. The Seahawks reached agreement Sunday with Matt Flynn on a three-year deal, bringing one of the most wanted — yet unproven — free agents to the Pacific Northwest to try and solidify Seattle's QB position. Flynn has been a career backup in Green Bay, stuck behind All-Pro Aaron Rodgers — much the way Matt Hasselbeck was stuck behind Brett Favre before being acquired by Seattle in 2001.

Mike Williams won't say he's frustrated by his lack of involvement in the Seattle Seahawks' offense. Through the first three games of the season, Williams has just five catches for 43 yards and was held without a catch in last week's 13-10 win over Arizona. Williams has gone an entire half in each game without a single pass thrown his way by quarterback Tarvaris Jackson. In fact, Jackson has more rushing yards (45) through three games than Williams does receiving yards. Both Jackson and head coach Pete Carroll said, unprompted, after the victory that they need to get Williams...

Marshawn Lynch loves the prime-time stage, even if he's rarely given such a spotlight. Seattle's hard-charging running back bulled through Philadelphia for 148 yards and a pair of first-half touchdowns, David Hawthorne returned the third of Vince Young's four interceptions 77 yards for a score, and the Seahawks rolled to a 31-14 victory Thursday night that only added to the Eagles' miserable season. Lynch ran into and escaped from a massive pileup for a 15-yard TD run in the first quarter, then made a quick cut and went back against the flow for a 40-yard scoring dash on the...

Here's why Southern California is No. 1 in the Associated Press preseason college football poll: Every player who scored a touchdown in the Trojans' 55-19 victory over Oklahoma in last season's Orange Bowl is still playing. And so is Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart, who threw five TD passes. Leinart, Reggie Bush, and the rest of Pete Carroll's crew provided a scary glimpse of what was to come in 2005 when they wrapped up their second straight national title on that warm January night in Miami.

The Atlanta Falcons are interested in Southern California coach Pete Carroll for their head coaching job. A person familiar with the team's coaching situation said yesterday the Falcons want to speak with Carroll, who is on vacation in Hawaii. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Falcons have not officially met with Carroll. Carroll spoke with USC sports information director Tim Tessalone yesterday and told Tessalone there are no developments worthy of comment.

LOS ANGELES - Pete Carroll loves challenges and the NFL game. The Seattle Seahawks offered both, and not even Southern California could compete. Carroll ended his nine-year tenure with the Trojans yesterday, leaving behind a program facing multiple woes for a lucrative deal to coach the Seahawks. “If you know anything about me, you know I can’t pass up this challenge,’’ Carroll said. USC quarterback Matt Barkley also said quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates is leaving with Carroll after just one season, presumably to become the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator.

Peyton Manning became the first player to win The Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player honors four times. The Colts quarterback romped to the award in balloting by 50 sportswriters and broadcasters announced yesterday. He received 39 1/2 votes to 7 1/2 for Drew Brees of the Saints. Only four players - all quarterbacks - earned votes. The other two were Philip Rivers of the Chargers (2) and Brett Favre of the Vikings (1). Manning also won in 2003, 2004, and 2008, breaking a tie with Favre at three MVPs.

Two of Seattle's biggest offseason acquisitions aren't even certain to be ready for the season opener Sunday in San Francisco. Both offensive lineman Robert Gallery and wide receiver Sidney Rice are hobbling just days before Carroll's second season in charge of the Seahawks begins. The larger question looms around Gallery, who sprained a knee Friday night in the exhibition finale against Oakland. Gallery was hurt late in the first quarter and his availability for the 49ers is in question.

The Seahawks’ Pete Carroll will not only trot out Charlie Whitehurst , a quarterback making his first NFL start, against the sack-happy Giants tomorrow, but the quality of the line in front of him is, at best, unknown. Carroll said yesterday that rookie left tackle Russell Okung is “as doubtful as you can get’’ as he continues to recover from a high-ankle sprain sustained two weeks ago against Arizona. Seattle also lost left guard Ben Hamilton for the season to a concussion last week.

Twelve minutes away from becoming relevant in a rebuilding season, the Seattle Seahawks reverted to their losing ways. Now any thoughts the Seahawks might have held about getting back into the fringes of the NFC playoff picture are likely gone after a fourth-quarter meltdown. "I don't know what we've got to do better," Seattle QB Tarvaris Jackson said. "I feel like we had the game, all we had to do was finish it and we didn't finish it. " Washington QB Rex Grossman hit Anthony Armstrong on a 50-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter and the Redskins went on to...

In 13 turbulent seasons with the Browns, kicker Phil Dawson has learned all wins — the good, bad and ugly — are to be savored. No matter the blemishes, they're all beauties. Even Sunday's field-goal snoozer. Dawson converted two field goals over 50 yards and had two others blocked, but booted Cleveland to a a dull 6-3 win over the sloppy Seattle Seahawks, who came in missing starting quarterback Tarvaris Jackson and lost running back Marshawn Lynch to a back injury during pregame warmups.

Jim Harbaugh's aggressive, second-long handshake and back slap with Lions coach Jim Schwartz has talk radio all atwitter, and Twitter, too. And, boy, were his 49ers players entertained by it all. San Francisco's emotional first-year coach is winning, and celebrating the team's turnaround in his unique style — even if he rubs people the wrong way in the process. The Niners are 5-1 heading into their bye week after a 25-19 victory over the previously unbeaten Lions. "It's something you don't see every game.

After changing their roster at the start of the season and their offensive tempo a week ago, the Seattle Seahawks saved their biggest change for the New York Giants. Pete Carroll and his team of relative unknowns found a way to make plays when it counted — and win. Backup quarterback Charlie Whitehurst threw a go-ahead 27-yard touchdown pass to Doug Baldwin with 2:37 to play and Brandon Browner returned an interception 94 yards to thwart a desperate, late challenge by the Giants in a 36-25 victory Sunday.

Out there in their little corner of the NFL world, Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks like what they are putting together. The Seahawks were derided, not praised, for winning the weak NFC West a year ago, doing it at 7-9, the first team with a losing record to walk off with a division title. Even after they stunned the then-defending Super Bowl champions, the Saints, in a wild-card playoff game, they were dismissed by many. That's dangerous business in the NFL, especially when an opponent has that attitude.

Unsung is an understatement for the guys who lifted the Seattle Seahawks to victory Sunday. Doug Baldwin, Brandon Browner and Charlie Whitehurst were the unlikely stars as Seattle beat the New York Giants at their own game: with a fourth-quarter rally. Backup quarterback Whitehurst threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Baldwin with 2:37 to play and Browner returned an interception 94 yards to thwart a desperate, late challenge by the Giants as the Seahawks won 36-25 on Sunday.

DECLARING THAT sports scandals may be jeopardizing “the integrity of the collegiate model,’’ NCAA President Mark Emmert announced that he would hold a “retreat’’ in August for about 50 Division I university leaders. If college sports are to survive in their present form, the NCAA must come away with more enforcement power. The association needs the cooperation of universities for quicker investigations, so that penalties don’t get levied long after championships are won and the offending players have left campus.

The Seattle Seahawks are hoping another Green Bay backup turns into their franchise quarterback. The Seahawks reached agreement Sunday with Matt Flynn on a three-year deal, bringing one of the most wanted — yet unproven — free agents to the Pacific Northwest to try and solidify Seattle's QB position. Flynn has been a career backup in Green Bay, stuck behind All-Pro Aaron Rodgers — much the way Matt Hasselbeck was stuck behind Brett Favre before being acquired by Seattle in 2001.

Mike Williams won't say he's frustrated by his lack of involvement in the Seattle Seahawks' offense. Through the first three games of the season, Williams has just five catches for 43 yards and was held without a catch in last week's 13-10 win over Arizona. Williams has gone an entire half in each game without a single pass thrown his way by quarterback Tarvaris Jackson. In fact, Jackson has more rushing yards (45) through three games than Williams does receiving yards. Both Jackson and head coach Pete Carroll said, unprompted, after the victory that they need to get Williams...

Pete Carroll hardly considered Ted Ginn Jr. a threat in the return game since he had barely been back deep during the preseason. Twice total, in fact: one punt, one kickoff. Seattle saw more than enough of Ginn in less than a minute. Ginn returned a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns 59 seconds apart late in the fourth quarter, and the San Francisco 49ers gave new coach Jim Harbaugh a 33-17 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in his much-hyped debut and renewed coaching rivalry with Carroll.