Cardinals

Cardinals HC Jonathan Gannon said that he has the utmost trust in RB Michael Carter and said that his effort level, even when he doesn’t have the ball, stands out.

“His effort was through the roof not just when he had the ball, but when he didn’t have the ball,” Gannon said, via the team’s website. “A couple of snaps come to my mind. Blocking guys way down away from the line of scrimmage, I thought, was awesome. He loves to play football. Ever since he walked in the door when we got him from New York, he’s had a smile on his face, wants to play football, loves to practice and prepares the right way. I know we can count on him.”

Rams

Rams OLB Jared Verse thought that LB coach Joe Coniglio disliked him during the pre-draft process when he met with the team.

“I thought he hated me,” Verse said, via ESPN. “I thought there was no way in hell I was coming to the Rams, because I thought he hated me. He didn’t laugh or smile at all during our meeting.”

Verse and OLB Byron Young have formed a pass-rush that has shaped the identity of the defense.

“They’re really good football players that I think have nice complementary skill sets,” Rams HC Sean McVay said of Young and Verse. “They love and care about each other. I think Joe Coniglio does such a great job setting the temperature and the tone for that room, giving guys the freedom to be themselves, but also has the structure of continuously challenging and pushing them to be who they want to be as players and as men. I love those two guys, and I love watching how authentic and real their relationship and support of one another is. They go at each other, too, in a good way as well.”

Coniglio said he doesn’t want his players to play confined and wants them to perform freely.

“The important piece for Jared is having the ability to do his one 11th, but we also want to make sure that Jared doesn’t play like he’s in a box,” Coniglio said of players doing their part. “When I say that, I mean he doesn’t feel like he’s a robot. He can put his personality on it. His football IQ can come to life. Because that’s the beauty of him as a player. If you tie his hands behind his back, he’s not going to be as good as if you let him play fast and free.”

• Rams DT Braden Fiske was fined $11,881 for a hip-drop tackle, and S Jaylen McCollough was fined $5,361 for use of the helmet.

Seahawks 

The versatility of Seahawks CBs Devon Witherspoon and Nick Emmanwori has had major impacts in Seattle’s defense this year. Seahawks S Julian Love said both players allow them to mix things up.

“That has been our weapon all year,” Love said, via John Boyle of the team’s site. “We’re not a team that’s like, ‘OK, we have a solid nickel, two corners, two safeties. With the skill of and the talent of Nick Emmanwori and ‘Spoon, they can do so much. They can blitz, Nick can play D-end, pretty much, he can play safety, nickel, corner, whatever. He has the size to do it all, and ‘Spoon just has a talent to do it all. So it allows us to be multiple. And that I think has been the story of the season. It’s like, ‘All right, this game might be in Hawk, might be in Big People, Nick might be playing like a linebacker. This week is more cover, we’re going to have ‘Spoon and Nick more as DBs in man and stuff like that.’ I think that’s our strength; it’s been our strength all season.”

Seahawks HC Mike Macdonald called Witherspoon the “sparkplug” for their entire defensive unit. 

“He’s part of the engine that makes the whole thing go,” Macdonald said. “He’s probably the sparkplug behind the whole thing… He’s playing really, really high-level football right now for us that’s really helping us.”

Witherspoon recorded his first interception of the season in Week 14. Seahawks CB Riq Woolen called him a “force multiplier.” 

“Ball-knowers know, football players know and people around the league know that he’s a great player. When he’s out there, he’s a force multiplier. So, having him out there making those plays is amazing, and getting his first pick of the season is pretty cool.”

• Seahawks DL Mike Morris was fined $6,170 for a late hit on a quarterback, and CB Tariq Woolen was fined $17,389 for taunting.