It was a little different than the games we've been playing in

After four straight weeks of playing tight http://www.losangelesramsteamonline.com/cooper-kupp-jersey , one-score games decided in the fourth quarter, Pete Carroll enjoyed spending a Monday reviewing a rare comfortable victory."," Carroll said. "It was nice to see us get out ahead and hang onto it and work with the lead and play in that fashion."Seattle's blowout win over San Francisco on Sunday only strengthened what is becoming another late playoff push by the Seahawks, and after a day in which they got results that helped in trying to get back to the playoffs after missing last season. Seattle is currently in command of one of the wild-card spots in the NFC and its hopes were strengthened by Carolina and Minnesota suffering losses. Seattle holds the tiebreaker over Carolina and can have that in place over Minnesota with a win at home next Monday night against the Vikings.The only teams Seattle (7-5) could end up in wild-card contention with that it won't face head-to-head are Washington and Philadelphia. But if the Seahawks continue winning, it won't matter. They'll be in the postseason."These are must-win games for us. Every week, we approach it like that," Seattle left tackle Duane Brown said after the win. "We approach every week like a playoff game and that's the kind of intensity guys came out with from kickoff on."Seattle's current roll is reviving memories of 2015, when it was 4-5 after nine games. But this time, success is coming a different way. That season, the Seahawks leaned on the passing arm of quarterback Russell Wilson as he threw for 24 touchdowns and just one interception over the final seven games as Seattle went 6-1 down the stretch and made the postseason. Wilson averaged 272 yards passing and 31 pass attempts per game during that stretch.So far, it's been balance and efficiency that's defined Seattle's offensive performance during its current three-game win streak, although his overall numbers aren't that dissimilar. Wilson has eight touchdown passes and no interceptions during the stretch, averaging about 250 yards passing. But there's been no fall-off with Seattle's run game of late, meaning Wilson isn't being forced to carry the offense.In Sunday's 43-16 win over San Francisco, Wilson attempted just six passes in the first half. He threw for touchdowns on three of them. Seattle will take that kind of efficiency 鈥?even with reduced numbers 鈥?all the time."I think that the development of the pass protection has been really obvious and Russ has taken advantage of that," Carroll said, noting Wilson's movement on a 52-yard TD pass to Tyler Lockett on Sunday. "That's why he's been able to be more effective getting the second looks and sliding up in the pocket and hitting Tyler on the big play was a perfect example of that. Really good protection, he gets to move to give one more beat to get Tyler a chance to get behind him and deliver the throw. I just think it's connected with what's going on up front, but his overall command of what we're trying to get done communication-wise has really helped the other guys play well."Seattle did come out of the win over the 49ers with one major injury concern after guard D.J. Fluker suffered a hamstring strain. Carroll said Fluker had a "grade 1" strain and would likely miss a couple of weeks. When Fluker was unable play last month against the Rams, it was Jordan Simmons who stepped in to start."He seems to be moving in the right direction to be a really Jared Goff Jersey Elite , really viable option for us," Carroll said of Simmons. "He doesn't get that much practice time, so when he does get the practice time like he did in the Rams week, he did a very good job with it. So, we're going to count on him playing and see how that goes."NOTES: Seattle waived LB Emmanuel Ellerbee on Monday, clearing a roster spot for LB Mychal Kendricks after his suspension was lifted. Kendricks has been practicing with the Seahawks for the past two weeks, but next Monday against Minnesota will be the first time he's eligible to play. He could end up moving into a prominent role with K.J. Wright still out due to knee troubles, although Austin Calitro has played well. Carroll said he believes Kendricks could play a significant amount of snaps, if needed. ... Carroll expects RB Chris Carson (finger), FB Tre Madden (chest) and DT Shamar Stephen (foot) to be able to play next Monday. Carson suffered a dislocated finger in the win over San Francisco, while Madden and Stephen were both inactive. Ezekiel Elliott never lobbied publicly for a few snaps once the Dallas Cowboys decided to sit their healthy star running back for the entire preseason.Frank Gore actually got two plays with the Miami Dolphins, and the 35-year-old going into his 14th season wanted more. Coach Adam Gase wouldn't have it."I heard about it during the game that he wasn't real happy," Gase said after the third preseason game, when starters usually get their most action before sitting in the finale. "When we went three-and-out, I'm kind of going, 'You got a catch, so does this count? He has a carry and a catch. Can I get him out of the game?'"Sending able-bodied starters into the regular season without a game-speed snap isn't all that unusual, nor is the inevitable hand-wringing and second-guessing every time an important player gets injured in an exhibition.It's all part of the age-old balance of getting players ready for that first big hit or full-speed burst while protecting important pieces of Super Bowl hopes. The regular season starts Thursday night with Atlanta visiting defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia."It's kind of hard to say you shouldn't or should play in them," said Cowboys receiver Cole Beasley, who nursed a sore groin most of training camp but got 13 snaps in Dallas' third preseason game. "You can get hurt in a regular-season game just like those. It's just football http://www.losangelesramsteamonline.com/jared-goff-jersey , man. It happens."Several teams rested at least one offensive starter throughout the preseason. The Los Angeles Rams didn't play 10 of their 11, the exception being right guard Jamon Brown because he will be suspended for the first two games and needed extra work.While Sean McVay preferred to get third-year quarterback Jared Goff some playing time, he didn't want it to be behind backup offensive linemen because it was more important to the coach to rest the veteran starters up front.Plus, McVay is counting on familiarity with 10 returning starters, including running back Todd Gurley , from a unit that led the Rams to the playoffs last season."I've been around a lot of players that have gone through preseasons where they haven't played and seemed like they were ready to go," McVay said. "I think the reason that we felt like this was best was because of the continuity that we did have, specific to the offense."Coaches who sit healthy stars in the preseason will say they believe their practice tempo gets them ready. Cowboys right guard Zack Martin, a Pro Bowler in each of his first four seasons, would slightly disagree, even after a preseason scare with a knee injury in the second game against Cincinnati that ended up not being serious."You need those reps," Martin said. "You're in training camp. Obviously those are good reps, but you're going against the same guys, the same defense. Just the fact that you get to see new guys, new moves, new defenses. That's a big part of it. I think that's huge."Receiver Julio Jones and running back Devonta Freeman sat the entire preseason for the Falcons despite being healthy.Pittsburgh receiver Antonio Brown didn't play while nursing a minor injury and Odell Beckham Jr. sat out for the New York Giants coming off a broken left ankle that sidelined him most of last season.It appeared Tennessee was protecting Delanie Walker before revealing that the 34-year-old tight end sustained an undisclosed injury during joint practices with Tampa Bay and was unavailable for the final three exhibitions."I am very confident that I'll be ready," said Walker, a three-time Pro Bowler. "I have been playing 13 seasons, and I've played in a lot of preseason games. So when you only get like five plays in a preseason game, I don't know if that helps you or not."Stephen Jones Authentic Brandin Cooks Jersey , executive vice president of personnel for the Cowboys and owner/general manager Jerry Jones' son, doesn't think it helps. Even without a name being mentioned, he knew the question was specifically about Elliott, his third-year back who led the NFL in rushing as a rookie in 2016."I'm sure every back is different," Jones said. "I've read quotes from other backs in the league that they don't think they need it. I don't know what five snaps does in a preseason game."Jones, however, disagrees with his dad on shortening the preseason. NFL football operations chief Troy Vincent says teams are polled every year on that idea, and are usually split about down the middle. Stephen Jones believes it's important for younger players to get a chance to show what they can do in games."I know the fans may not love it as much," he said. "I understand that, but there are a group of fans out there who really enjoy watching these young players develop."Vincent, a defensive back for 15 seasons, remembers playing in multiple exhibitions — and sometimes skipping the preseason entirely."To get into football shape — true football shape — the only way to do that is on the field, and the best way is in game action," Vincent said. "I really feel for the coaches and putting together a roster because they have to make sure the players are getting in the work to be evaluated."But there are plenty of players who don't need to be evaluated. Elliott is obviously among them after leading the league in yards rushing per game for the second straight year while missing six games on a suspension over domestic violence allegations."This is the most comfortable I have felt in this offense," Elliott said at halftime of the preseason finale in Houston. "I believe I have had a great camp and enough reps that I'm ready to play."AP Pro Football Writers Teresa M. Walker and Barry Wilner and Sports Writers Greg Beacham, Will Graves, and Steven Wine contributed to this report.