Tag Archives: Pete Carroll

Week 5: At New Orleans

Trends — good and bad — continue in mistake-filled loss to Saints

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Three trends continued in New Orleans – one really pleasant one and two supremely disappointing ones.

Geno Smith once again played very well, continuing to prove wrong all of us who thought he could not be an NFL starter. Far from being the weak link on this team, he has been a steady, competent leader and one of the top passers in the NFL in 2022.

But the dysfunctional defense continues to make it hard for Smith to win games. With even an average unit, the Hawks could be 4-1 and leading the division. Smith has played that well — the top-rated QB in the league. But the defense has been that bad — on pace yet again to be the worst in franchise history.

Continue reading Trends — good and bad — continue in mistake-filled loss to Saints →
Week 4: At Detroit

Hawks won’t always face defenses that bad, so theirs needs to improve

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The Seahawks are in the thick of the division race – for now. But an average offense and horrible defense can’t keep them there.

Yeah, yeah, the offense put up 41 points Sunday in Detroit — against the NFL’s worst defense. That followed 23 against the league’s No. 25 scoring defense, Atlanta. But the Hawks were shut out by the NFL’s top scoring defense, the 49ers, after scoring just 17 (all in the first half) against Denver, which is a top-five defense.

So far, the Hawks have struggled vs. good defenses and scored well against bad ones. In other words, Geno Smith and Co. look like an average group that needs some help from the defense.

Continue reading Hawks won’t always face defenses that bad, so theirs needs to improve →
Week 3: Atlanta

Until Hawks figure out how to run 3-4, losses will keep coming

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The Seahawks are losing games the way they would like to win them: On the ground. Until they get that figured out, they will keep losing – because Geno Smith and the offense are not a come-from-behind bunch.

The Hawks are 1-2 – with an emotionally charged prime-time win over Russell Wilson’s Broncos followed up by a self-inflicted blowout loss to the 49ers and a defense-driven home defeat to the Falcons.

The Hawks are headed to Detroit to face a high-scoring Lions team (32 ppg) that lost a shootout to the undefeated Eagles in Week 1 and had the Vikings on the ropes until late in the game last week.

The Hawks are still trying to find their way on defense, which bodes poorly for this week, obviously.

Continue reading Until Hawks figure out how to run 3-4, losses will keep coming →
Week 1: Denver

Don’t write off Geno & the Hawks so soon

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“They wrote me off; I ain’t write back though.”

That was Geno Smith after winning his first opening-game start in eight years, against Russell Wilson’s Broncos on Monday Night Football.

It also could be the entire Seahawks team, which felt a measure of vindication after beating the highly favored Broncos and Wilson, Seattle’s longtime franchise QB.

Smith was nearly perfect in the first half and then fizzled in the second thanks to DK Metcalf’s fumble and the Broncos owning the ball for over 20 minutes. But the defense rose up and showed how improved it already is — and signs of how very good it may become as this season goes on.

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CHAWK LINES, Week 1: Denver

Russell Wilson returns

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Russell Wilson’s first game with the Broncos will be against his old Seahawks. Here’s a good in-depth look from Brady Henderson of ESPN.com at why Wilson is no longer a Seahawk.

A big question is: How will Seattle fans greet Wilson? Cheers or boos? We expect a mix of both before the game and a very loud crowd when Wilson has the ball during the game.  Pete Carroll seems all in favor the latter. Wilson said, “I know they’ll be rowdy. I know they will be excited. I know that. It’s ‘Monday Night Football,’ so it’ll be a special environment.”

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Preseason, The roster

First game shows Drew Lock’s upside

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In the first game of the post-Wilson era, Drew Lock showed he probably will end up the starting quarterback and the Seahawks’ top rookies all showed early evidence that they will live up to the promise of draft day.

We think the Hawks could win eight or nine games, depending on the quarterback play, and the rest of the team sure seems capable of backing that projection.

Now we just need to see what Lock can do against starting defenses.

In a 32-25 loss in Pittsburgh, Lock showed more arm strength, zip, mobility and decisiveness than Geno Smith. Yes, he was facing the Steelers’ reserve defenders and lost the ball on a blitz sack late in the game, but he clearly looked like the more explosive quarterback.

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OTAs, Video, X's & O's

Hawks still looking, but Waldron breaks down Lock’s positives

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Pete Carroll recently told KJR that the Seahawks did not draft a QB because they considered Drew Lock, a 2019 second-round pick, to be better than every rookie passer.

Carroll also said the Hawks will not trade for a veteran QB at this point, but he and John Schneider also said they will “keep looking” for possible upgrades at QB.

Meanwhile, as Lock and Geno Smith begin their QB competition during Seattle’s OTAs, Shane Waldron broke down some film on Lock from his Denver days.

Continue reading Hawks still looking, but Waldron breaks down Lock’s positives →
NFL draft

Will other teams be as ‘pliable’ as Hawks?

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It’s no surprise that the Seahawks want to trade down from No. 9 – or that they might be entertaining moving back into the bottom of the first round to get a quarterback.

Those are moves we’ve been projecting in our own mocks leading up to this week’s draft. But the latter might be easier than the former.

John Schneider stated the obvious last week when he said, “People know that we’re very open to moving around. We’re pliable.”

But will any teams have incentive to trade up to No. 9? Which players would be targets?

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NFL draft, Trades

This draft’s template was created in 2010

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In some ways, it is 2010 all over again for Pete Carroll and John Schneider.

They have a top-10 pick for the first time since that inaugural year – and they need similar positions: a new QB, a left tackle and some defenders to fit a new scheme.

One thing they don’t have that they had in 2010: a second first-round pick to help hasten their franchise rebuild. But that may be coming, too.

We’ll get to the DK Metcalf trade options in a minute. First, let’s revisit a little history to see how Carroll and Schneider might approach this draft as they build the roster again.

Continue reading This draft’s template was created in 2010 →
The roster, Trades

Metcalf trade always seemed possible; now it looks likely

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We’ve been talking about a possible DK Metcalf trade since December, and now everyone else is catching on to the idea that this could indeed happen — especially as the explosive wide receiver market has surprised John Schneider and the Seahawks.

In the first week of free agency, three receivers got deals worth at least $20 million. Then Davante Adams, who annually is among the three best receivers in the league, topped the market at $22 million per year after he was traded from Green Bay to the Raiders.

Then Tyreek Hill trumped that, getting $25 million a year from Miami as part of a trade from Kansas City.

Metcalf has not earned that much, especially after a disappointing 2021, but he certainly can argue that he should be paid more than the Bucs’ Chris Godwin ($20 million), the Chargers’ Mike Williams ($20 million) or Christian Kirk, whose deal with Jacksonville could be worth $21 million a year.

So, yeah, Metcalf may seek $25 million. And the Seahawks probably don’t want to pay it.

Continue reading Metcalf trade always seemed possible; now it looks likely →