Tag Archives: Pete Carroll

Week 1: At Green Bay

How to make the offense go behind this line

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Seahawks at Packers helmetsThe Seahawks’ offense picked up right where it left off last season — in the gutter. And the result was a 17-9 loss to Green Bay that put Seattle in an early hole in the chase for home-field advantage.

The performance of the supposedly much-improved offensive line was just more of the same sewage at Lambeau as the Hawks lost there for the eighth straight time. The unit gave up three sacks and seven QB hits and put together a horrible effort in the running game (53 yards on 15 running back carries).

It was another one of those games in which Seattle’s offense was so pathetic that the defense (which also had problems on third downs) was on the field for almost 40 minutes. As Earl Thomas said, “It has been like this for eight years. We understand that sometimes our offense is not going to be in a rhythm like they need to be.”

Pete Carroll said Monday that he doesn’t think this is indicative of what Seattle has on offense and he expects the unit to show better going forward.

But the reality is this will continue to be a problem off and on for at least a few weeks. So how do the Seahawks fix it?

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Week 1: At Green Bay

Home field already on the line as Hawks open with familiar Pack

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Seahawks at Packers helmetsOne game won’t decide a season, but — if the Seahawks and Packers are really the two best teams in the NFC, as Vegas thinks — home-field advantage might already be on the line when they open the season Sunday.

And that means the Seahawks are going to need to buck some bad history at Lambeau Field.

The Seahawks have lost seven straight games in Green Bay, by an average of 18.9 points. That includes last December, when Russell Wilson threw five interceptions in a 38-10 blowout that was the Hawks’ worst loss since 2011.

As we have chronicled previously, the Seahawks and Packers have been one of the best non-division rivalries in the NFL for the past two decades. This will be the sixth meeting in six years and the 14th since 1999 (the Hawks are 4-1 at home, 1-7 at Lambeau).

On top of that, they still have a thriving pipeline — Eddie Lacy the latest to go from one team to the other. He’ll face his former Packers teammates Sunday.

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Contracts, The roster, Trades

DT notes: McDowell back, Richardson’s future

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Seahawks bandagesWhile rumors continue to circulate that Malik McDowell might never play again, Pete Carroll said the Seahawks’ top pick (35th overall) will return to the team “with really no demands on him” so “he has a sense of coming to work.”

Carroll also confirmed what was pretty clear: The Sheldon Richardson trade was driven largely by the loss of McDowell, as the team sought an interior rusher for this season (and beyond).

“That was an area we really were excited about him coming in and adding in,” Carroll said of McDowell, “and then when we realized we weren’t going to have him, it just made us look in earnest to see if we could find some way to help that spot.”

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Preseason, The roster

Backup QB choice: Big plays both ways or just play it smart?

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Logo -- PreseasonLast year proved pretty definitively that backup QB is one of the least important positions in Seattle.

They went with a rookie behind Russell Wilson, who then refused to miss a start despite major knee and ankle sprains that had him functioning at around 50 percent or less for much of the season.

If Wilson didn’t miss a game last year, it seems unlikely he will ever miss one (barring an ACL injury or something similarly major).

So this summer’s battle between incumbent No. 2 Trevone Boykin and Austin Davis is not really a big thing. Still, the Hawks need a second passer and need to make a choice.

The question Seattle coaches must ask themselves: Do they want a guy who makes big plays both ways or a guy who makes smart plays? Because that is the difference between Boykin and Davis.

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Preseason, The roster

Which position gives for McKissic?

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Logo -- PreseasonAs they prepared for their final preseason game, the Seahawks seemed to have made some key roster decisions.

The report that they are looking to trade Jermaine Kearse basically confirms that J.D. McKissic will be on the 53-man roster after Saturday’s cuts. It also could mean they are clearing a spot for Tanner McEvoy to join receivers Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett, Paul Richardson, Kasen Williams and Amara Darboh.

With the do-it-all McKissic now counting as a running back, the Seahawks seem locked in on these positional numbers: QB 2, RB 6, TE 3, DL 9, LB 6, ST 3. And most of the decisions are made at those spots, with backup QB maybe the only position of contention (if David Bass and Marcus Smith are the final two D-linemen and D.J. Alexander is a keeper at linebacker).

So the fluid positions appear to be WR (5 or 6), OL (8 or 9) and DB (9 or 10) — with one of those groups destined to go light a player.

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Preseason, The roster, Trades

Carroll hopes Odhiambo can hold left tackle

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Logo -- PreseasonPete Carroll isn’t ready to move Luke Joeckel to left tackle yet — he is holding out hope that Rees Odhiambo will play with confidence and consistency, letting his physical talent take over.

In the wake of George Fant’s season-ending ACL injury, Carroll indicated Monday that Odhiambo will get first crack at replacing Fant, Joeckel will remain at left guard and Mark Glowinski will remain at right guard.

The Seahawks also traded for versatile lineman Matt Tobin, who started 20 games at guard for the Eagles since coming into the league undrafted in 2013. Tobin started for the Eagles at right tackle last weekend, and the Seahawks surely see him as a versatile backup.

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Preseason, The roster

Hawks vs. Vikings: What we’re watching

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Minnesota logoIt’s been a week of interesting developments for the Seahawks, with Tramaine Brock signing, K.J. Wright out with a knee issue and Justin Britt becoming a rare O-line keeper.

With Brock in, Wright out and a few other personnel comings and goings, we will have plenty to keep an eye on tonight as the Seahawks host Minnesota in their second preseason game.

“It’s a really good test for us,” Pete Carroll said. “It’ll be a really great test for our guys up front on offense; it’s a very, very good defensive front. We look forward in all that we have to try to accomplish in this game. We know we are going against a really good group, so it’ll be a great test for us.

“We are hoping to continue to grow and see areas of emphasis and concern, and kind of get it taken care of so that we are making progress,” he said. “We are looking for progress, really, and there’s a million different areas of that. We don’t want to go take a big step and take a step back and all that. We like to make steady progress, moving forward. We are looking for really good plays on the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. We are looking for great effort.”

Here’s what we’re looking for …

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Contracts, Preseason, The roster

Will any other O-linemen be as worthy as Britt?

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Minnesota logoWe learned a lot about the Seahawks’ offensive line over the past couple of days — and we’ll learn a little more tonight when the Hawks host the Minnesota Vikings.

On Wednesday, Tom Cable announced that three-fifths of the line is set for the season opener, and Thursday the team announced that one of those three is set for the next four seasons — Justin Britt signing a three-year, $27 million extension.

It’s the only second deal for a Seattle starting lineman since 2012, when the team re-signed Breno Giacomini and extended Max Unger. As everyone knows, those two and the rest of the 2013 Super Bowl line were all gone by 2016 — none of them meriting what the market dictated the Hawks would have to pay.

His first two years, it certainly didn’t look like Britt would buck that trend. But he found a home at center last year and benefitted from the departure of J.R. Sweezy, becoming a technician rather than a Sweezy-style brawler.

“He has been a fantastic leader for us up there,” Pete Carroll said. “He had an excellent (2016) season and (has) played three spots and started at tackle, guard and center now. We really think he is in the best spot for him. I think it’s a recognition and acknowledgement of the player and teammate he has become for us.

“And also the fact that we are able to do it in the offensive line — I think it is important to note.”

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Injury report, Training camp

McDowell out for 2017?

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Training camp logo2Malik McDowell seems unlikely to play this season, although the injuries from his ATV accident do not seem to be career-threatening — per several reports.

Pete Carroll said McDowell suffered “multiple injuries,” including a concussion but no cracked skull, and is still only walking, not exerting himself physically. He has returned home to Michigan.

“He had a serious accident. He had multiple injuries; he had the injury to his head,” Carroll said. “It’s going to be quite a while, and we’re going to have to wait it out. He’s on NFI and he’s going to be there for a while, and we’re just going to have to see how he progresses really down the road. We’re not looking for him to get back in the immediate (future), not even for the first game of the season. … We’re going to wait it out and see how he does.”

Asked later on KJR whether McDowell will play this year, Carroll said, “It might be a lot to ask right now.”

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