By MICHAEL NOWLES
Cronkite News
With three days left before Super Bowl XLIX, the Seattle Seahawks can leave the Super Bowl circus behind and focus on what they came here to do – beat the New England Patriots Sunday.
The players’ last media availability was Thursday at the Arizona Grand Resort. Time to get back to their regular schedule.
“We really try to keep our schedule the same as best we can and everyone has their different ways of approaching the game,” tight end Cooper Helfet said. “I think most guys like to really just save up all that energy, all that fight for game time. We’ve been here before so I think people will be pretty good at controlling their nerves.”
Linebacker Bobby Wagner, whose return from a toe injury this season coincided with a resurgence for the vaunted Seahawks defense, said the team played it cool before the big game last year.
“Last year we went to basketball games,” Wagner said. “We went to games and just chilled with each other.”
The Seahawks had a similar schedule prior to Super Bowl XLVIII. Judging from their 43-8 drubbing of the Denver Broncos, they prepared well.
Star cornerback Richard Sherman thinks his team has a similar mentality for this game as they attempt to become the first team since the Patriots to to win back-to-back titles. New England won in 2003 and 2004.
“ I think the advantage those guys have over what we have is we haven’t won it yet,’’ said Sherman. “We haven’t won the game. They won it, they were two-time Super Bowl champions. We’re confident. We’re about the same as we were last year.”
Starting quarterback Russell Wilson is embracing the big stage. He said his Seahawks are confident.
“I have no fear. There’s no fear in me at all so I’m always ready to go in my mindset. I’m always going to compete at the highest level,” Wilson said. “There’s a definite certain mood to our team to just trust what we’re doing, a certain conscious confidence to what we do and confidence that we’ll make the plays.”
Backup quarterback Tarvaris Jackson’s family arrives this weekend but he knows where his priorities lay.
“I definitely can’t wait until we get our families here and enjoy them for a little bit,” Jackson said. “But we’ve got a big game on Sunday and we’ll be able to enjoy them better later.”
Wagner expects his plan Saturday night to be like most Saturday nights before games.
“I’ll just chill – probably just watch some Sean Taylor highlights,” Wagner said. “Maybe throw in some Ninja Turtles and just chill.”