Seahawks notebook: Irvin aims to ‘rattle’ Bridgewater again

Bruce Irvin wants to make Teddy Bridgewater scared again.

The Seahawks’ outside linebacker considers the Minnesota Vikings quarterback a “really good friend” from his college days at West Virginia when Bridgewater was at Louisville. Irvin has Bridgewater’s purple Vikings game jersey hanging in the middle of his locker at Seahawks’ headquarters.

“That’s my man,” Irvin said.

Still, Irvin would like to see a repeat of the earlier matchup against Minnesota, when the Vikings failed to score an offensive touchdown in the Seahawks’ 38-7 pummeling in Minneapolis on Dec. 6. Bridgewater was sacked four times, threw one interception and finished with a quarterback rating of 11.6.

“But I speak the truth,” Irvin said. “We had him rattled.”

And when the Seahawks (10-6) play at the Vikings (11-5) on Sunday in an NFC wild-card game?

“Come Sunday, I’m gonna try to rattle him again.”

Jersey swaps between opponents are common in the NFL. What may not be as common is how Irvin got Bridgewater’s and vice versa.

Irvin asked Bridgewater for his during the game. He asked while they were getting up off the TCF Bank turf after Seahawks teammate Brandon Mebane tackled Bridgewater.

They swapped shirts after the game.

These could be the final games for Irvin with the Seahawks, who took what was seen as a risk by drafting him in the first round in 2012. Seattle decided before this season not to pick up the team’s option for 2016in his four-year rookie contract. It would have paid him $7.8 million next season. Instead, he will become a free agent in March — unless the Seahawks re-sign him before then.

He has 5 1/2 sacks this season, one fewer than in 2014 and 2  1/2 off his career high from his rookie year when he was a passing-situation rush end. He isn’t been used as a hand-on-the-ground end as much as he might like; the team used him about half the time just off the line as a stand-up linebacker and in pass coverage.

“It could be (my last games). I’m hoping it’s not,” Irvin said. “I’m just trying to make the best of it, man. I’ve had a great four years here. I’ve been put in a great situation. Being able to come in, didn’t have to start and didn’t have a lot of pressure on me my first year, and I was able to translate into a ’backer and just feel this thing out.

“I will always appreciate Pete (Carroll) and John (Schneider). Like you said, this could be my last three games. But we’ll handle that when we get to it. I just want to enjoy these last games, and make the best of it.”

NO GLOVES FOR RUSSELL WILSON

Quarterback Russell Wilson shrugged when asked about the forecast for Sunday in Minneapolis: a high of 4, a low of minus-5 with wind chills 10-15 below zero. He noted he practiced in snow and cold during his one season starting at the University of Wisconsin, when Badgers coach Bret Bielema had Wilson and his teammates outside for evening practices.

Wilson said he has no need for wearing gloves in Sunday’s game.

“Fortunately, I have big enough hands,” he said. “I don’t really think that I need it. I think also, when it comes to throwing, you want to be comfortable. You want to do what you always do, for me. That’s what I’ve always done, just throw with my bare hand. Growing up, too, as a kid (born in Cincinnati, raised in Richmond, Virginia) I used to just always play in the snow, and just always do that.

“So it shouldn’t be a factor at all.”

LYNCH FULL GO AGAIN

Marshawn Lynch was a full practice participant for the second consecutive day, reinforcing the Seahawks’ belief he’ll start on Sunday in his first game since Nov. 15. He had abdominal surgery Nov. 25.

NFL rushing champion Adrian Peterson missed his second consecutive Vikings practice with a sore lower back Thursday, but all reports out of Minnesota say he will play Sunday.

THOMAS CREATES HIS OWN MOTIVATION

How much does Earl Thomas seek an edge in motivation? He creates edges from within when they don’t exist.

“What motivates me is if the coaches get on to us, or if they start sleeping on us a little bit, that kind of motivates us,” Seattle’s All-Pro safety said Thursday.

Turns out, his coaches don’t actually “sleep on” Thomas’ game.

“I make up stuff in my mind sometimes, like ‘He’s trying to call me out right here,’ ” Thomas said. “You just feed off of every little thing you possibly can.”

EXTRA POINT

Every returning-from-injury player fully participated in practice — with the exception of TE Luke Willson. He did not practice while still trying to get back from a concussion.

This story was originally published January 7, 2016 at 11:08 PM with the headline "Seahawks notebook: Irvin aims to ‘rattle’ Bridgewater again."