Tag Archives: Pete Carroll

Special teams will win some games; St. Louis a good place to start

September 9, 2015 cc Leave a comment

The Seahawks’
special teams have always been good under Brian Schneider. Well, almost
always.

They have had a little trouble against one team in one venue — and, of course, it happens to be the place where they start the season Sunday: St. Louis.

The Hawks have been beaten by Jeff Fisher’s and John Fassel’s special teams twice in the past three years, and you know Schneider and Pete Carroll are sick of it.

It’s probably no coincidence that the Seahawks added a special teams standout the week before they open the season in St. Louis. Ostensibly, Kelcie McCray is safety depth. But, it just so happens that he is one of the top special-teams guys in the NFL — which is why the Hawks had to send the Chiefs a fifth-round pick.

According to Pro Football Focus, McCray was the NFL’s best “vice” in 2014. (That’s the guy on the punt return team who hinders the gunner on the punting team.)

McCray joins a fully loaded special teams crew that Carroll strongly thinks has “a chance to be very, very good.”

The Hawks lost two of their top teams guys, Malcolm Smith and Jeron Johnson, to free agency, but second-year players Kevin Pierre-Louis and Cassius Marsh were all over the place in the preseason and clearly are prepared to step in alongside mainstays Mike Morgan, DeShawn Shead, Brock Coyle, Derrick Coleman, Ricardo Lockette and Luke Willson.

“As the younger guys … elevated, you saw their impact. That’s KPL; that’s Cassius,” Carroll told 710 ESPN. “They had fantastic preseasons in adding to a core group that’s already pretty good.

“I don’t know if we’ll see it all in Game 1 or 2, or when it’s going to show, but over the long haul this is a really good special teams group.”

It’s appropriate that the Hawks open in St. Louis and Green Bay — special teams played key roles in two of their four games against the Rams and Packers last season.

Seattle’s teams were huge in the comeback win against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC title game. Punter Jon Ryan threw a touchdown pass to Garry Gilliam on a fake field goal, and Steven Hauschka and Chris Matthews teamed up on a pivotal onside kick with 2:07 left and Seattle trailing 19-14.

Of course, Seattle’s kicking teams lost the game in St. Louis. Russell Wilson became the first player in NFL history to throw for 300 yards and run for 100, but Seattle surrendered a 75-yard kickoff that set up one touchdown, got fooled on a punt return that went 90 yards for a TD and got burned on a fake punt late in the game that helped seal the Rams’ 28-26 win.

It was the second time the Hawks had been burned by Jeff Fisher and his special-teams coach, John Fassel, in St. Louis in three years. In a 19-13 win in 2012, Greg Zuerlein hit four field goals — including from 58 and 60 yards — and the Rams fooled the Hawks on a fake field goal as punter Johnny Hekker threw a 2-yard TD pass to Danny Amendola.

The Hawks quite obviously are aware of their failures in St. Louis, and they did all they could this year to make their kicking units even better than they have been.

The big addition, of course, was Tyler Lockett, who quickly proved this preseason that the Hawks’ return game is back in gear — like it was when Leon Washington was the main man from 2010 to 2012.

“With the addition of the return threat, we’re loaded,” Carroll said, “and we can win games on special teams.”

St. Louis would be a good place to start.

CHAWK LINES

September 8, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Fred Jackson was beloved in Buffalo, but he’s excited to come to Seattle, according to the Buffalo News.

Jackson said he called Marshawn Lynch and had him “put a bug” in the ears of Pete Carroll and John Schneider about signing Jackson.

Carroll said the Seahawks are not interested in trading Kam Chancellor.

Dave Boling wrote that Chancellor’s nonsensical holdout has defied his heroic persona.

If Chancellor misses the opener, it could cost him $517,647.

Remember, if Chancellor stays out all year, he still will be under contract for three more. And it will have cost him $6.55 million. The Hawks hold all of the cards for as long as they want to.

Russell Wilson worked on his speed this offseason and now runs a 4.47 40.

The Seahawks and Rams are on USA Today’s list of the five NFL teams with the biggest OL concerns. Against those stout defensive fronts, get ready for an ugly 9-6 slugfest.

State of the team, The roster, Week 1: At St. Louis

Carroll gives scouting report on McCray

September 8, 2015 cc Leave a comment

The hot topic on Day 1 of Seattle’s prep for the season opener in St. Louis was the arrival of veterans Fred Jackson and Kelcie McCray.

Pete Carroll was stoked about the 34-year-old Jackson, saying “he’ll play a lot” against the Rams. Carroll really likes the 26-year-old McCray, too, but is not so sure he will be ready to play this week.

The Hawks sent the Chiefs a fifth-round pick for the 6-foot-1, 205-pound player because they didn’t want to go with first-year safeties. McCray, a fourth-year player, joins Earl Thomas, Dion Bailey, DeShawn Shead and Steve Terrell — all but Bailey played for the Hawks during their Super Bowl season last year.

“We’re ready to start Dion and go; he’s ready to play football,” Carroll said. “He had a good preseason and he’s ready to go. We wanted some depth with some experience, and the other kids were going to be first-year guys. We thought we needed a little bit more depth than that with some background.”

Carroll’s scouting report on McCray, as told to 710 ESPN: “Kelcie McCray is a really good-looking football player. He’s a terrific looking athlete. I’ve seen a ton of film on him. He’s active, he’s physical, he’s a featured special teams guy, which is always a good indicator of an overall general football ability of a guy. He’s a hitter. He moves well in space. He’s played strong safety and free safety back and forth. We’ve seen him in all kinds of situations, close to the line of scrimmage and in the middle. He’s very well-versed.”

Continue reading Carroll gives scouting report on McCray →

State of the team, The roster, Trades

Carroll on trading Michael: ‘We just thought it was time’

September 7, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Pete Carroll said the team thought it was time to give up on Christine Michael, the former second-rounder who was sent to Dallas for a conditional seventh-round pick.

“We spent a lot of time with him. We gave him plenty of opportunities. He’s a good, hard-working kid. … We just thought it was time.”

Carroll said Jackson offers much more experience and in the passing game, catching and blocking. “On this team at this time, it was just the way to go.”

Carroll said Jackson is a “good pass pro” guy and “he’s a terrific catcher. So that part is going to fit in really well.”

“We like Marshawn on third down, but he needs a break now and then,” Carroll said. “I like to have a real steady guy going in. Without Turbo available to us, he was the steady guy to go in. Christine wasn’t that guy to take that spot, and we didn’t want to put that on Thomas (Rawls) at this point.

“We think that’s going to be a good, solid move and get a real classy guy to add to the locker room.”

Preseason, State of the team

Lockett, Clark finish preseason like they started it: Bang!

September 4, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Tyler Lockett and Frank Clark finished the preseason the way they started it — with a bang (or two or three).

And B.J. Daniels surely locked up a roster spot with his display of diversity in Seattle’s 31-21 win over Oakland on Thursday.

Lockett’s 63-yard touchdown catch off a perfect pass from Russell Wilson was the rookie’s third touchdown of the preseason — he returned a kick for a score in the first game and also had a punt return for a TD.

Clark dominated the line of scrimmage vs. the Raiders, notching a tackle for loss and causing a fumble for a TD on a sack in the end zone.

Pete Carroll was impressed with all three players.

“Obviously B.J. had a great night tonight,” he said, referencing Daniels’ great running (75 yards on seven rushes) and saying the receiver/quarterback managed the team well.

As for Lockett and Clark, Carroll said, “They’ve made great strides throughout (the preseason). Their going to definitely help us.”

Continue reading Lockett, Clark finish preseason like they started it: Bang! →

Preseason, The roster

10-11 spots up for grabs

September 3, 2015 cc Leave a comment

As the Seahawks get ready for their final preseason game, at least 22 of them are playing their final game for Seattle.

NFL teams — currently at 75 players — have to get down to 53 by 1 p.m. Saturday.

The Seahawks have about 10-11 spots up for grabs, with almost half of those being hotly contested in the secondary.

Among the DBs, Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, Cary Williams and DeShawn Shead seem like locks, with Dion Bailey very likely to make it, too.

That leaves — realistically — seven players battling for four or five secondary spots: corners Will Blackmon, Tye Smith, Tharold Simon, Marcus Burley and Mohammed Seisay and safeties Steven Terrell and Ronald “Buck” Martin.

Many assume Blackmon is a lock for the nickel role, but that’s not necessarily true. Burley and Smith can play the role as well, and they are cheaper and under club control for longer than Blackmon.

Pete Carroll said he looks forward to all of the DBs showing what they can do vs. Oakland.

“Guys are going to get significant playing time where they really can get out there on the field,” he said. “It’s going to be a big game for Tharold Simon to show where he is; he had a very good first game. This will be a very big game for Mohammed Seisay to get a chance to play finally; he’s been banged up. Will Blackmon will play a good deal of minutes.

“These guys are going to get some really significant playing time — of course, the safeties, too — so this is a very important game.”

Continue reading 10-11 spots up for grabs →

Injury report, State of the team

Jackson a possible fill-in for injured Turbin

September 1, 2015 cc Leave a comment

The reason for Fred Jackson’s visit became clear when Pete Carroll talked to media Tuesday: Robert Turbin suffered a “significant” high ankle sprain in San Diego.

Carroll said he did not know how long Turbin will be out, but it obviously will be a while (short-term IR?).

Carroll said Jackson is in just for a meeting and physical and the team had not yet decided whether to sign him.

“This is a visit for us,” Carroll said. “This isn’t a signing. This is a visit for us. We have tremendous respect for this player. He’s got obviously a wealth of background. He’s tough, he’s smart. He’s sharp. So we need to see where he is right now at 34 years old and see what he looks like. He’s got a big physical coming up today and we’ll talk to him later. But … we have not made that decision at all at this point. We love that he’s here and we are trying to get our ducks in a row for what may be necessary later on.”

Continue reading Jackson a possible fill-in for injured Turbin →

Preseason, State of the team

Expect offensive issues to continue for a while

August 30, 2015 cc 1 Comment

It’s no surprise the Seattle offense looks like two
turtles in a three-legged race — slower than usual,
confused, clumsy and very green. And we expect it to
remain that way for the first few games of the season.

A year ago, the Seahawks returned four starters on the offensive line — their offense was clicking in the preseason and kept on rolling in the season opener against the Packers.

This clearly is not 2014, though. Oft-injured Max Unger and James Carpenter are gone and the Hawks are working in new starters at three line positions. Meanwhile, Russell Wilson has not looked sharp in his preseason action. He has underthrown and overthrown and failed to find receivers when he has had time.

The No. 1 offense has not scored all preseason. And, for the second straight week, Wilson correctly took blame for the offense not moving as well as it should: “Ultimately we have to finish drives. That’s on me.” But he also said he is not concerned it will carry over into the season.

We disagree. And Pete Carroll is getting a bit anxious, too.

Continue reading Expect offensive issues to continue for a while →

Preseason, State of the team, The roster

Preseason status report & projections: offense

August 29, 2015 cc Leave a comment

The Seahawks loved B.J. Daniels so much last year that they paid him 150 percent of the standard rate to keep him on the practice squad.

They called him up at the end of the season as a reward for his hard work on the squad, and now they are giving him every chance to make the team for real this year — as a wide receiver instead of a quarterback.

“The thought was we love him as a football player (so) let’s see if we can find a place where he can make the team and play,” Pete Carroll said. “He wants to get on the 53, so lengthy discussion back and forth really allowed us to get to that thinking: Let’s give it a shot. So he went for it in the offseason, which he needed all of that time just to kind of get acclimated, and we’ve continued on with him. He’s doing a good job and playing well in the games.”

Seattle values versatility as much as any team in the NFL, and Daniels scores points there with his ability to play wide receiver, kick returner and quarterback.

“Yeah, it’s the more you can do,” Carroll said. “That’s a real motto in the league, and he’s an example of it. I love that he covers kickoffs so aggressively too.

“He’s shown a lot of good things, got a lot of natural ability. He’s a very, very competitive kid. We like the heck out of him, and the fact that he can play quarterback is huge. Who else can do that? It’s rare to have a guy like that.”

The Seahawks have to cut the roster from 90 to 75 by Tuesday and then to 53 four days later.

Here’s a look at the offense heading into today’s game in San Diego:

Continue reading Preseason status report & projections: offense →

CHAWK LINES

August 28, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Marshawn Lynch won’t have to pay his $75,000 fine for not talking after the NFC title game — provided he talks to the media going forward. So, be prepared for more variations of “I’m just here so I won’t get fined.”

Recovery Watergate is still overflowing with overreaction, with some people taking Russell Wilson’s comments far too seriously. Have a Recovery Glass of Wine and chill out, folks.

K.J. Wright said he felt like he gave up too many touchdowns last year — he is right — and he explained how he is going to fix it.

Tharold Simon thinks he’s going to compete for a starting gig. He also admits he was not prepared in the Super Bowl. Tell us something we don’t know, Simon. And, yeah, good luck with that starting job.

Continue reading →