Pete Carroll cautions against underestimating one-win Giants

The Seahawks are coming off of their bye week and heading to the East Coast this weekend to face off against the New York Giants (1-5). Head coach Pete Carroll, though, isn’t expecting a cakewalk and cautioned against underestimating the one-win team during his weekly Friday appearance with Dori Monson on KIRO Radio 97.3 FM.

“If you look at those scores and watch their games closely, they could have won all those games,” Carroll said. (710 ESPN Seattle’s Jim Moore also agrees, and predicts the Giants’ defensive front will pose a real threat to the Seahawks’ run game.)

Seattle is relatively healthy heading into the contest. Just two players sat out practice Thursday — left guard Luke Joeckel and defensive end Cliff Avril — both of which were expected to be out with longterm injuries. Also out was Earl Thomas, though it was a personal day for the veteran safety.

Seahawks Insider: Seattle moving forward without Avril

Here are a few notes:

• On the status of Cliff Avril: “He’s gone on injured reserve, and he’s working at trying to figure it all out… we’re in total support of him, and giving him all of the backup to take the time and make sure he makes good decisions. It’s very important. He’s had a great career and he’s been a great performer here with us and a great team guy with us, and we just want to support him and love him up as much as we can as he figures it out.”

• Pete Carroll has invited several celebrities, musicians and former athletes to the Seahawks’ training facility. Asked which guest has had the biggest impact on him: “One of the guys that really impacted me the most was Bill Russell. He came by and visited with us one time a couple years back, and I just had so much respect for his championship history and background and his teamsmanship that he stood for. I thought he was one of the most significant guys that could ever talk to our players, and that I could have a chance to talk to. There’s been a lot of guys, but that’s one here in particular that jumps out.”

• On Doug Baldwin co-signing a letter with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in support of sentencing reform: “I’m just thrilled that the Commissioner saw the significance and the perspective that Doug represented, and acted on it. Because that’s when some things can start to happen and move, when you get some institutional support of some kind… that’s substantial. Really proud of Doug and all the guys that have stayed after it to try to do something really positive and do something good. It’s a good indication of how valuable our players are and how they can help. So many people are wondering and doubting and miss the point of what really demonstrations, and guys taking the opportunities to speak out, is all about. It’s about change and it’s about trying to make this place a better place; it’s not about a lot of other things that people want to think it is. And it certainly isn’t disrespecting anything, it’s really respecting the things that are really important to us…

“(Baldwin) is a remarkable young man and he means so much to this program and this area, but he’s quickly showing that he can be significant on a much larger scale too. It’ll be really exciting to watch him in the years’ come.”

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