Tag Archives: Pete Carroll

This O-line group looks worth keeping

Hawks in London 2Tom Cable won’t recognize the offensive line on the other side of the field in London — because it is playing better than any unit he coached in Seattle since 2012.

Mike Solari replaced Cable (who ended up back in Oakland) this year and has tailored his hybrid scheme to fit the talents and aggressive nature of a line that now includes former first-round picks Duane Brown, D.J. Fluker and Germain Ifedi; second-rounder Justin Britt, and Cable’s one-time conversion project, J.R. Sweezy.

Since Fluker and Sweezy took over at the guard spots in Week 3, the Seahawks have led the NFL in rushing (474 yards on 105 runs) and are now in the top 10 overall — like they used to be when Marshawn Lynch was Beast Moding to bail out Cable’s poorly schemed and oft-injured lines.

If they keep going like this, the Hawks should try to keep this group together for a couple more years.

Continue reading This O-line group looks worth keeping

As Hawks face Lynch, rushing game is back — without Penny

Hawks in London 2The running back drama is operatic this week.

The Seahawks finally have rediscovered their long-lost running game just as they prepare to face the embodiment of their old one and, just as coincidentally, the coach they ditched so they could find it again. Meanwhile, Seattle’s first-round pick has had nothing to do with it, frustrating him and fans who are calling him a bust and wanting to trade him for a kicker.

Continue reading As Hawks face Lynch, rushing game is back — without Penny

Youthful secondary can learn a lot from failure vs. Rams

Logo -- Los AngelesThe Seahawks’ secondary got schooled by the Rams on Sunday, and we have to hope they learned a few lessons — because they still face a handful of the league’s top offenses down the road.

Granted, only Kansas City looks as powerful as the Rams, but the Hawks need to learn from the lax coverage techniques, loose zones and missed tackles that enabled the Rams to roll up 468 yards and gain 30 first downs in a 33-31 shootout win.

Continue reading Youthful secondary can learn a lot from failure vs. Rams

Hawks expected short suspension for Kendricks

Logo -- Los AngelesPete Carroll and the Seahawks were surprised to learn Mychal Kendricks was suspended for more than just two or three games, which is the punishment they expected when they signed him after Week 1.

Kendricks, who is facing up to three years in prison for insider trading, was suspended indefinitely by the NFL on Tuesday. As we wrote, that probably means he is finished for the year — and until he returns from prison.

Carroll was clearly annoyed by the NFL’s decision.

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Seahawks’ status report after NFL’s first quarter

at-arizona-logoThe Seahawks could barely get out of their own way in Arizona, missing two field goals, going 0 for 10 on third downs, committing eight penalties, losing Earl Thomas and Will Dissly.

If it weren’t for a 171-yard rushing day, some stout defense against David Johnson and rookie QB Josh Rosen and Arizona dropping some passes, the Hawks might not have evened up their record at 2-2 as they prepare to host the juggernaut Rams, who sure look like the NFL’s top team at this point and come to Seattle as touchdown favorites.

The Hawks are a game off our projection due to the loss in Chicago, but how does Pete Carroll see his team after the first quarter?

Continue reading Seahawks’ status report after NFL’s first quarter

Positive news ahead of Arizona this time

at-arizona-logoThe last time the Seahawks traveled to Arizona, in November, they were already beaten up — and then lost Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor forever.

This time, the Seahawks enter their Arizona preparation with a lot of positive news: Doug Baldwin and Justin Britt returned to practice, Mychal Kendricks will be available again this week, and Pete Carroll and Earl Thomas are “in a good place” after the non-practice drama last week.

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Hawks found their formula vs. Dallas

Dallas logoBefore the season, Brian Schottenheimer said his key for winning offensive football is the number 53: The combination of pass completions and runs that typically result in victory.

“If you rushed the ball, say, 30 times and throw 23 completions, that was like the second determining factor of wins and losses after turnovers,” Schottenheimer told The Seattle Times. “Some weeks, it’s going to be different and it’s going to be 33 completions and 20 rushing attempts. But we are always going to go in with the understanding that we should be able to run the ball, and believing and expecting we can do it at a high level.”

The Hawks hadn’t done that in the first two weeks. They had run the ball just 38 times and completed 41 passes. The combo tally was 35 in the loss in Denver, where they also broke even in the turnover battle. In Chicago, the formula netted 44 and another split in turnovers.

But, in their 24-13 win over Dallas, they ran it 39 times and completed 16 passes — hitting the magic number (Pete Carroll calls it an even 50) and also winning the takeaway battle 3-0.

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Thomas & Co. take a bow after first win

Earl takes a bowEarl Thomas and company, take a bow. Oh, Earl already did?

Well, he deserved to. Along with Bradley McDougald, Chris Carson, Tyler Lockett and the rest of the Hawks, who finally got on the board and avoided the dreaded 0-3 start.

The Seahawks played great defense, overcame a reshuffled offensive line, ran the ball and took advantage of Dallas’ defensive blunders in a 24-13 win Sunday.

Continue reading Thomas & Co. take a bow after first win

CHAWK LINES -- Cowboys at HawksEarl Thomas sat out a couple of practices and Pete Carroll was evasive in his explanation, calling it a “personal” issue. That led to fair speculation that the Hawks might be talking trade. But Dallas denied it was talking with the Hawks again, and then Thomas basically declared he was playing against his favorite team.

Russell Wilson has a hamstring injury but says he’s “ready to go.” Meanwhile, Ethan Pocic is out, with J.R. Sweezy moving to left guard as D.J. Fluker returns at right guard. Justin Britt (shoulder) is expected to miss more than just one game, meaning Joey Hunt will start at center. It also sounds like Doug Baldwin will be out several more weeks.

On defense, Bobby Wagner said he will start vs. the Cowboys after doing the “grown-up” thing and sitting out Week 2 (he watched the game with Cliff Avril and Kam Chancellor). Mychal Kendricks could be available as his suspension appeal continues to be reviewed by the NFL — but he is questionable with an ankle injury.

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Triangle of distrust

Logo -- At ChicagoRobert De Niro’s “Meet the Parents” character would be disappointed. Pete Carroll, Brian Schottenheimer and Russell Wilson would not make Jack Burns’ “circle of trust.”

They can’t even create their own triangle of trust with the Seahawks. Wilson does not trust Schottenheimer’s scripted plays, so he holds the ball too long, which puts the Hawks in deficits. Then Carroll gets impatient and orders Schottenheimer to abandon his balanced attack and take deep shots. When those fail and the Hawks are in desperation mode, Wilson starts calling more audibles. But, because his lack of trust helped put them in this position, Carroll and Schottenheimer don’t trust him to do that.

On top of that, no one buys Carroll’s explanations for his running back roulette.

It’s a vicious circle of antitrust.

Continue reading Triangle of distrust