Seattle defensive coordinator Dan Quinn’s group dominated Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in a 43-8 romp in last season’s Super Bowl.
Before he becomes the next head coach of the Falcons, Quinn’s defense will be called on to turn in another stellar performance against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots on Sunday.
Here’s what Quinn had to say:
Q: How challenging it is to put your safeties in positions to be successful?
A: I don't think it is necessarily new positions. They are two unique guys; Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas are both so different. With Kam Chancellor, we try to feature him in the things he does best like playing near the line of scrimmage. Earl Thomas is a speed backer, something that really jumps out in his game. The way he can play the middle of the field is important.
Q: How much can a coach impact his players’ ability to play better?
A: It is about the players. It is about our role to see how far we can take the guys. That is one of the things I loved most about coaching is how far you can develop the players. It is 100 percent about the players, and the things I love most about coaching is how far we take a guy from where he is now to where we think he can go.
Q: What are the preparation challenges that the Seahawks face this year as compared to last year?
A: When you play against terrific quarterbacks, everybody has got an idea of 'this check means this, this means that.' What I learned early on last year in the process, is 'let's stay true to who we are, let's get our cleats in the grass and go attack people.' That message came through in terms of our preparation for last year. Really this year is quite the same. We treat each game as a championship game.
