SEATTLE — As the Seattle Seahawks get set to take on the Raiders on Sunday, they go into the game as healthy as they've been all season.
The team has the bonus of extra rest as they come off their bye week.
Head coach Pete Carroll has a winning record after bye weeks and told KING 5 on Seahawks Central this week there are a few things that always concern him when players come back after time off.
"I think kicking right back into high gear and being able to recapture the mentality that got you there," Carroll said. "That's what I'm concerned about a lot. Are we on it again? Will we be sharp after a week away? We practiced really hard this week with concerns in those areas, making sure the discipline that it takes isn't the issue in this game coming up."
The Raiders come to town with a record of 3-7 under first-year head coach Josh McDaniels. Carroll is the NFL's oldest active head coach, so he knows a thing or two about finding success during that initial season with a new franchise.
"There's always so much unfamiliarity you have to get through," Carroll said. "That's the part that takes some time and growing together. You want to be as smooth as possible. You don't want to be a factor in causing any issues or having negative responses to things. It's hard to control that first time through.
When a first-year head coach goes out there and does really well, it's a tremendous accomplishment because there's a lot working against you."
Sunday's game marks the return of cornerback Tre Brown who will make his season debut as he comes back from a knee injury. Brown has been sharing snaps in practice preparing for his return. Carroll said anytime players have to split playing time it can be a test of their character as much as their ability.
"It does challenge guys," Carroll said. "These guys are here to play. Nobody comes to the NFL to be a backup. They don't think that way. They want to be a star player if they can and I want them to have that mentality. I don't want them to be satisfied sitting around and not getting the playing time. We expect guys to be fighting every chance they get to show who they are."
With the Seahawks back at Lumen Field they'll get a chance to play in front of the home crowd for the first time in nearly a month. Carroll said the 12s have taken their excitement to a new level this season and he can feel it.
"In the opener, they went crazy," Carroll said. "It showed our new guys and new coaches what it's like to play here at Lumen and the factor that it can be. We just want to keep winning. We need to help them get fired up and they need to help us stay fired up. It felt like in the games we've been (at Lumen) there was a juice about it that felt really familiar. That's that comradery that's always been here and always been so special, so I'm counting on them and they should be counting on us."