Tag Archives: Pete Carroll

Week 9: Washington

That was the worst home loss in Wilson era; now it gets tougher

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Logo -- WashingtonSeattle’s 17-14 debacle against Washington was easily the worst home loss of the Russell Wilson era — a ridiculous defeat to an undermanned team that the Seahawks couldn’t afford to take, not with the toughest part of their schedule about to begin.

This was just the seventh home loss in the Wilson era. But it came against a broken-down Washington offense and a defense giving up 25.7 points per game. In other words, it was completely unacceptable. Seattle could have — should have — won at least 22-17.

But, thanks to a record penalty day, three missed field goals and two interceptions, the Seahawks are just 5-3 midway through another disjointed season. They have struggled to stay above .500, with five wins against teams that are a combined 13-29. And it is about to get really hard. The winless 49ers are the only losing team in the final eight games, with the seven others a combined 32-17.

That’s not a good sign for a Seattle team that halfway through the season still has no running game and is now beating itself with record penalty counts and many other errors.

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Franchise history, State of the team, Week 9: Washington

Seahawks are always scrambling on offense

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Logo -- WashingtonThe Seahawks say they aim to be the best scrambling offense in the NFL — so it figures that’s what they’re doing this week: Scrambling once again to fix their offense.

The trade for Duane Brown, an excellent if belated move to shore up left tackle, and the decision to ride one running back are steps that should have been taken long ago. These moves at this late date are emblematic of Pete Carroll’s offense: They never seem to have a good plan.

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Injury report, The roster, Week 8: Houston

Freeney will play, plus injury updates

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Seahawks bandagesDwight Freeney is going to play this week. Jeremy Lane just wants to play. Dion Jordan is finally practicing, but DeShawn Shead and Malik McDowell are not ready yet.

Those were the top takeaways from Pete Carroll on Wednesday, as the Seahawks brought in the 37-year-old former All-Pro Freeney, apparently demoted Lane and allowed Jordan to return to practice.

Freeney, who has 122.5 career sacks with four teams, said he had always wanted to play in Seattle since leaving the Indianapolis Colts in 2013.

“I think it’s a little something different on defense in this city,” he said. “Now that I am here, I already know how special a place this is.”

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State of the team, Week 7: At NY Giants

Slow-starting offense frustrates everyone

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Logo -- NY GiantsWhen Doug Baldwin pushed aside Tom Cable in the second quarter in New York, it was a perfectly timed expression of frustration that reflected what every Seattle fan was feeling.

Although some fans would love for Cable to be shoved out the door, Baldwin apologized for the physical move — but he also made it clear he, like all of us, was sick of how the offense was playing.

“At that moment, I was really frustrated with the offense as a whole,” Baldwin said. “Not the coaching staff — the players. Again, it goes back to our X’s and O’s. We had the play calls. We just didn’t execute. Whether it was passing the ball, blocking, catching, jumping offsides, false-starting, whatever it may be, we weren’t executing as players.”

Although Baldwin and the Seahawks came up with three touchdowns in the second half to win 24-7, the very poor first-half starts remain. And the red zone continues to be a black hole for Russell Wilson and company.

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Franchise history, Injury report, It's bigger than football

Is this goodbye to Avril?

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Avril on NFLNIt looks, unfortunately, like Cliff Avril’s career is finished.

Pete Carroll told SiriusXM NFL Radio that the Seahawks are going to put Avril on injured reserve, meaning his season probably is over. Carroll said the 31-year-old is “seeing a bunch of doctors, seriously looking at a big decision.”

If he can’t play now, despite apparently feeling fine after suffering a stinger against the Colts, why would he return off IR in eight weeks or come back at all in 2018? Carroll previously said tests “showed some stuff” — and the IR move indicates that “stuff” was serious enough to shut down one of Seattle’s top defenders.

Avril told Yahoo Sports he is not thinking of retiring right now and that the “big decision” is whether to undergo neck surgery.

But Michael Bennett made it sound very much like Avril, who is in his 10th NFL season, knows he needs to retire.

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State of the team, The roster

With Avril in doubt, what is future of D-line?

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Avril on NFLNThe sudden concern over Cliff Avril’s health — and thus career — has put the spotlight on the future of Seattle’s defensive line.

Almost exactly 10 years ago, Mack Strong faced a similar neck injury and decided to immediately call it a career (after 15 years). Avril, injured against the Colts on Sunday, might face the same choice in his 10th season. He is out indefinitely as he and the team investigate the cause of the stingers that numbed his arms and hands after he was kicked in the chin tackling Jacoby Brissett.

“Whenever it’s the spinal stuff and you get stingers, that means that there’s some nerve action going on there and you’ve got to be really careful and really safe with all that stuff,” Pete Carroll told KIRO Radio on Friday. “In this case in particular, we’ve just got to make sure, so we’re going to take our time with this and let it quiet down. He’s really not uncomfortable, but just some of the tests he took showed some stuff and we’ve just got to make sure we’re really honoring it and make good choices here. We’re on the same page and (will) take it one step at a time, and we’ll get to it when we can.”

It’s entirely possible Avril will return soon — maybe even after the Week 6 bye. But the 31-year-old also might decide after this injury that the ongoing risk is not worth it anymore.

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Week 5: At Los Angeles

First-half offense has held Hawks back

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At Los Angeles logoA quarter of the way through the season, the Seahawks are right where we figured they would be: 2-2.

It’s what you have to expect from a typically slow-starting offense that is once again trying to build an offensive line.

“We have been close to doing a lot of good stuff; it just hasn’t clicked like we like it,” Pete Carroll said.

If they could have added a few more points in the first half, they easily could be 4-0. Instead, they have been Seattle’s worst first-half offense after four games since Russell Wilson arrived in 2012.

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Injury report, Week 4: Indianapolis

Win over Colts was painful for Hawks

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Seahawks bandagesThe Seahawks’ 46-18 blowout win over the Colts on Sunday night was costly, as they lost Chris Carson to a broken leg and high ankle sprain, Rees Odhiambo to a bruised sternum, Cliff Avril to a spinal injury and Jeremy Lane to a groin injury.

The Seahawks put Carson on injured reserve — which means he will be out at least eight weeks. It also means Thomas Rawls should return to the starting role — after being inactive vs. the Colts. Mike Davis could be elevated from the practice squad to replace Carson, unless the Hawks are comfortable with Rawls, Eddie Lacy, C.J. Prosise and J.D. McKissic.

Prosise is expected to be available this week, but McKissic’s big game vs. the Colts (a rushing and receiving TD) could keep Prosise on the sideline.

Whoever carries the ball going forward might be doing so behind a new left tackle. Odhiambo reportedly suffered a cardiac contusion when he was hit on an interception return in the third quarter. Odhiambo finished the game but then reportedly collapsed in the locker room afterward and was taken to a hospital. Early word was he could be out for several weeks, but Pete Carroll said he suffered a bruised sternum, not heart, which would bode well for a quick recovery.

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Week 2: San Francisco
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CHAWK LINES -- 49ers at Seahawks

The Seahawks can show the opener was an aberration — or reality.

The Seahawks are 7-0 in home openers in Carroll era, winning by an average of 17.4 points. Here’s a look back at all seven.

Three matchups, including Brian Hoyer vs. the home crowd.

Five things to watch in the game.

“If there’s a matchup where they can get some pressure, it’s this one.” — Analyst and former offensive lineman David Diehl, on the 49ers’ D-line vs. Seattle’s O-line.

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State of the team, Week 2: San Francisco

When will Hawks’ O-line investments pay off?

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Logo -- San FranciscoTalking about it is tiresome, but it’s really the only thing hindering the Seahawks from winning another Super Bowl, so, until the Seahawks fix their offensive line, it will remain the topic du jour.

People can talk all they want about Kam Chancellor’s 2015 holdout or Earl Thomas’ 2016 injury being major factors in the Seahawks not advancing far in the playoffs those years. But the simple fact is: If the Hawks’ offensive line had been anywhere close to average in those seasons, the Hawks would have had a great shot at winning the Super Bowl — even with the issues in the secondary.

So now here we are again, coming off a significant opening loss to one of Seattle’s top NFC rivals, and the offensive line remains the biggest hindrance to Seattle’s success. And we have no idea if it will become any good, despite the insistence of Pete Carroll and Tom Cable that it will.

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