downs. Good teams get into an identity, they draft to it,

JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- Richard Sherman, Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch deservedly draw the attention for what theyve done in getting the Seattle Seahawks to the Super Bowl. Players like Jermaine Kearse, Walter Thurmond and Malcolm Smith are just as big a reason why Seattle is facing Denver in Sundays championship game. Seattle may have one of the better starting lineups in the NFL, but the depth that general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll have amassed is equally impressive. Its the reason they can rotate eight different defensive linemen. Its why when Brandon Browner was injured and Thurmond suspended, Byron Maxwell could step in and the play in Seattles secondary not suffer. Its a regular refrain in the Seattle locker room to hear teammates say the Seahawks reserves could be starters on other teams. And there is some proof: in the past year 23 players once with Seattle have spent time on the 53-man roster of other teams. "Its crazy because were always saying our backups could be starters. We always say that," strong safety Kam Chancellor said. "Those guys, people dont see this, but in practice those guys play just as good as us. Theyre making plays, getting the ball. Those guys contribute on special teams. Our special teams are probably one of the best. "Those guys put in work on special teams and it just goes unseen." When Carroll and Schneider took over, there was a revolving door of roster moves --839 in total since before the start of the 2010 season -- that followed in an effort to make a roster that was competitive beyond just the starters on each side of the ball. They wanted a depth chart that was the envy of the NFL. They wanted their reserves coveted by other teams. They wanted guys they were going to be released grabbed off the waiver wire the second they were made available. Seattle got its wish. Of the players released in the past year, five ended up in Jacksonville and four landed in Kansas City. "John and I have joined together aggressively to compete at every single turn, at every opportunity whatever it may be, to see if theres something in there for us," Carroll said. "Hes done a great job of having the competitive will to keep pushing and fighting and clawing and scratching to have the opportunity that has sent us down the road early on with the hundreds of guys that came through the program." Kearse, Thurmond and Smith are just three examples of players not counted on as full-time starters that have proven invaluable. Seattles seen contributions from Michael Bowie, Clinton McDonald, Jeremy Lane and Heath Farwell just to name a few more. Kearse was an undrafted free agent that signed with Seattle in 2012 and became a needed option as a third and fourth receiver this season with Percy Harvin and Sidney Rice suffering through injuries. Kearse finished with 22 receptions and four touchdowns in the regular season, but his biggest catch came in the NFC championship game when his 35-yard TD grab in the fourth quarter gave Seattle a 20-17 lead. Thurmond missed four games late in the season when he was suspended for violating the leagues substance-abuse policy. But hes started three games at cornerback this season and is Seattles best option as the fifth defensive back covering slot receivers -- a big emphasis this week with the amount of times the Broncos throw. Smith has shown the same kind of versatility at linebacker. Hes played both outside spot this season, first when Bruce Irvin was suspended and later when injuries to K.J. Wright and Bobby Wagner forced shuffling. "Through all the stuff we have gone through there has always been a guy who stepped up and made plays," Wagner said. "Last year it was Walter, this year it was Walter and Maxwell and guys like Malcolm, everybody. We have a bunch of players that if someone went down can step in and do a great job." One of the ways Seattle was able to create such a dynamic roster came from the three-way quarterback competition that Carroll had last season and which Wilson eventually won. It sent the message to the entire roster and to any free agents -- big-name or small-time -- that Seattle was a place they could come and have a chance. "You could tell looking at our board of players that we had fast, confident, intelligent individuals," Schneider said last week. "Guys who knew they were going to come in and compete for positions because the previous year we had a three person quarterback competition. "You know you have a shot when you have a three person quarterback competition as a player." Juuse Saros Jersey . Shot outdoors against the stunning backdrop of Banff, Alta., the networks 30-minute original production airs Friday at 8 p.m. ET on TSN2. 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The Windsor, Ont., native will be especially important to a team that has lost veteran quarterback Anthony Calvillo to retirement and is expected to go with the less experienced Troy Smith and Tanner Marsh this season.After a slow start to the season, the Winnipeg Jets have been able to pick up points on a very regular basis -- an eight game point streak (6-0-2) came to an end in Montreal on Tuesday. Coach Paul Maurice on a number of occasions has referenced the second period of the home game against Calgary on October 19. The Jets were up 1-0 after one period; the Flames scored three in the second, firing 18 shots on Ondrej Pavelec, and won the game 4-1. That loss dropped the Jets record to 1-4 and did not sit well with the team. Not the coaches, not players, not management. It brought a lot of questions from media and fans; questions about just where this team is and where it is headed. Perhaps the 1-4 start should not have been a surprise. We need to start the process to be a contender, Maurice said at the start of camp. Past results tell us we are not where we need to be. We are big and fast and its up to us coaches to get them all going in the right direction. Prior to this current five-game road trip, coach expanded on the tough start and what the expectations are going forward. I knew we had to go through it. The way the second period vs Calgary happened and how we reacted to it, all those things are good now vs January - that memory is built into your system. As long as youre routine is right. How we get ready for a game, how we expect to play, what it looks like when we play our game, its game time - time to get more wired, that is your identity. And accept that identity, this is who we are and we can win playing like this. Have an awareness of who you are. Be willing to do what fits into that identity. They can all do what we are asking them to do. Be good at what you are good at. We dont need more. Now back to the Calgary game. After that loss, coach talked about his team not handling adversity very well. He didnt like the response after a goal against - not the mood on the bench, nor the next on ice shift. We have to fight our way through being a quiet team. So was there a bit of a reset after that game? Seems that way. Some players will tell you yes, some will tell you no. Coach Maurice feels there was. Since then we have handled our adversity during the game. Not allowed some of the negative things that happen in game to take as an emotional toll, said Maurice. The result is fewer negative things happening in the game when you make a mistake. And when we make a mistake, our goaltenders are closing it down which cuts down on in game adversity - the emotional swings arent there. We have a more consistent emotional game. How you handle the mistake is bigger than the mistake. Assistant captain Wheeler has been very much a leader on this team. We believe in our system. Prior to a home game against Pittsburgh, Wheeler was asked if that system would work against the offensively gifted Penguins who at the time led the league in goals for and had the leagues number one power play. We believe what we do will work against any team and regardless of the how the game goes will not deter us from what we do. We want to make the game as boring as possible, said Wheeler. Well, he was wrong on the boring but right on the system. The Jets went five-for-five on the penalty kill, kept Evgeny Malkin off the score sheet for the first time this year, and also kept perhaps the NHLs best line of Crosby-Kunitz-Hornqvist off the score sheet as well. We are identifying what we are. Yes, its great to score but winning the game is more fun, said Wheeler. Were maturing. We battle and have a dedication to one another. We have a great feel in our locker room - sort of a feeling we havent had around here yet. Jim Slater, with over 500 NHL games played with this franchise, feels having a coach with plenty of experience has been a big help. Paul has come in here and really relayed the message on how we need to play. He makes it clear on what he needs out of you as a player. Assistant captain Mark Stuart does not point to the Calgary loss as a reset. Every day is a reset. Whether you are winning or losing, he said. You start to concentrate on your next opponent. You have to stay on an even keel as hard as it is to not get down. You have to be vocal, you have to have fun. A big part of winning is enjoying what you are doing. Something we continue to work on is being engaged every day, whether its a practice, or whether you are staying off the ice and are just in the weight room. That way when its game day you dont have to flip a switch. A question that has been asked many times is about the identity this team is creating. Stuart feels that may be an overused word. That word gets thrown around a lot. I dont think we are creating one, I think we have one. Its just a matter of fine tuning it and being consistent with it. Battle and compete are words coach Maurice uses when talking about his team; referring to the compete being the best part of their game. Stuart feels its everybody contributing that is critical. The Jets have been good in the tough areas of the game. Blocked shots, an excellent penalty kill, sticking up for one another even if it means the gloves coming off, which all leads to finding a way to win. In order to win consistently we are going to have to play like that. Its hard, its a challenge, but we are capable of it. Yes its hard, but its fun, concluded Stuart. Interesting thoughts from both Wheeler and Stuart, but where does captain Andrew Ladd sit on all of this? Was the Calgary game a reset? Not sure I see that game specifically, said Ladd. There was a build up towards learning how we had to play to be successful. The Colorado game for me was the one where we had that really strong third period when we needed it. You gain confidence from playing in those situations, doing well in those situations and weve kind of built off that. So what has changed for this team? On ice, I think we have been more patience holding the middle of the ice, thats been key to really forcing teams to outside and keeping the defensive game up and keeping scoring chances down, continued captain Ladd. The first few games we were running around almost trying to do too much. Had to figure out, less is more. So that was on the ice, but what about away from the actual xs and os of the game. And more to coaches comments about this being a quiet team and learning how to handle adversity. Weve worked on trying to have a more vocal bench, and at times when things go wrong keeping the positivity up on the bench, with talking and chatter and keeping everybody involved that way, added Ladd. When asked specifically about the second period of the Calgary game, we wont quote the capptain.dddddddddddd Lets just say he made it very clear that it wasnt good. But thats all part of learning what you need to do to be successful - what makes your team tick, added Ladd. Our group is different, we really dont have a lot of vocal guys and we have to force it sometimes to keep everybody talking but once you start doing it, it becomes contagious. Back to identity, we asked Ladd if it is an overused word. Depends on how you use it. For me there is a style of play we need to play to be successful so if you want to throw identity under that category then its something we need to pay attention to. Youve seen the growth in our group in terms of understanding what we are and how we need to play to win hockey games. Dont need to snap it around and make a perfect pass and play an exciting brand of hockey, it can be boring, hardnosed, and just grind it out, which has worked for us the past few weeks. We got a little more into this with coach Maurice, why he continues to reference the Calgary game and what has happened since. We had some things go against us in that second period and there was three goals against, but thats going to happen. My concern was the next shift out after those goals and where we were mentally as a group that got us to that. This team has always competed, even before I got here. This team will compete, they will work hard and they will drive and give you everything, but at times there wasnt enough, and I will use the word communication, amongst the players to have a plan to how they were going to handle that next shift. And I guess that goes to an awareness, be aware of the adversity, being aware on the bench when four or five minutes goes against you. That happens pretty much in every single game. We were so dominant in the first in that game against Calgary, scoring chances were 9-1, its NOT ending up 27-3, so when the push back came we didnt handle it well. And it doesnt get fixed in a day. That communication has to be worked on daily. Practice, morning skates and on the bench during games. And I think its starting to come. Rewind to a win in Chicago to finish the previous four game road trip with a win. This comment from coach Maurice: Our bench communication is much better the past two weeks. Our game prep has changed since the Calgary game - more vocal in the room. So yes, it seems this group is working at becoming what they all want to be but its not without challenges. There are some specific things and youll understand that I cant give you the exact details of what goes on in the room - that stays between players and coaches - but a big part of it is just the awareness that its happening. Coach Maurice feels some issues are issues todays game deals with. Twenty years ago the players were far more connected to each other. They needed each other more. Now, and its not a Winnipeg Jets issue, rooms are different, mandatory days off which is fine, but there is far less connection between the players. You see teams doing team building, and for me it was that concept BUT hockey specific - a closer knit group in terms of the game, and I think theyve embraced it. Coach offered these thoughts on identity. I think its a hard to define term, but a critical term. Not just in terms of everybody loving each other and feeling good, but when you bring a new player into your group, he should have an idea I played against this team, I know how they play. Identity is key to success. From my point of view, when you take the elite teams and pre scout them, you can watch one period of hockey and you know what all their systems are. Thats the identity of their team. Compete and all those other things, culture and identity, they are talking about that part of it, but the structure has to be there. You cant hold anybody accountable to anything if you dont have a structure in place. So where is this team on the identity chart? A long thoughtful pause from coach. Oh moving four to five on a ten chart, and that sounds like a low number, Im sure players would give it a higher number, but we still, and Im not talking about wins and losses, there is still a lot of quality of work we can improve on. Its not an effort issue with our guys, they work hard in practice, the came to camp in great shape, its habits, and those just take time. And Maurice feels it goes further than the current teams on ice ups and downs. Good teams get into an identity, they draft to it, they brought players in to it, and then you can afford to bring a guy who has a completely different style into that group and have him flourish, because you dont all have to be the same. That identity is organizational, its not just your hockey club. Its how you view your team and the style you want to play. More and more now when opposition players and coaches get asked about playing the Jets, the response is they are a hard team to play against. Is that the identity for this team? Coach says yes. It has to be. Because of the way we are built and what we can be good at, there is going to be a physical element that makes us hard to play against. He referenced Detroit when he was coach of Carolina and his team met the Red Wings in the Final in 2002. In their heyday they werent a big physical team. They didnt throw a hit in their own end, but we never had the puck. So theres their identity. They never gave you any ice. You couldnt skate the puck 15 feet to make a play. Were not there yet, but thats our idea, our concept, the tight gap game when we dont have the puck, we contest every puck and that were not giving up ice. So the work in progress continues. The road is pretty smooth right now, but to think there wont be bumps would be na?ve. In fact, there have been certain times in game since the Calgary game when a quick refresher course was needed. It may have even required the coach or a player or two to raise their voice. But thats all part of it. After the loss in Montreal, a vocal, quick-paced practice in Carolina and when practice was done, no one was in a hurry to leave the ice. There was plenty of banter, friendly competitions with plenty of debate on who won and who lost and who was playing outside of the rules that seem to change on a regular basis, players working on what they felt needed work, and just an overall good reset day. Not sure this type of practice would have happened a month ago. Yes the point streak is over, now its not letting that one game be a negative. Have confidence that you can handle the latest adversity - struggling to score. And have belief that if you keep getting the chances, the puck will start to go in the net. 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