Tag Archives: Pete Carroll

Nothing against Lynch’s awesome run, but Beast Quake was better

December 22, 2014 cc Leave a comment

In the heat of the moment, plenty of people are calling Marshawn Lynch’s career-best 79-yard touchdown run Sunday the best run of his career. It certainly was another unbelievable effort by Beast Mode, but those people apparently have short memories.

While Lynch’s cutback dash past and through the Arizona defense was a sick run, especially for a guy who had a queasy stomach early in the game, it was only his second-best run ever. His 67-yard Beast Quake run against New Orleans nearly four years ago still stands as the superlative play of his career.

That is not to diminish the Beastly beauty of this latest run, which was remarkably similar to the one that sealed Seattle’s upset win in the 2010 playoffs. On both runs, he started left, cut back right to the sideline and then knocked down a defensive back (or two) on his way to the end zone. And he also finished each run with a satisfying backward dive into the end zone.

Continue reading Nothing against Lynch’s awesome run, but Beast Quake was better →

Contracts, The roster

All rainbows: Defense set to dominate through 2017

December 19, 2014 cc Leave a comment

Double rainbow at Seahawks headquarters — A double rainbow at Seahawks headquarters in Renton on Friday was quite apropos considering K.J. Wright and Cliff Avril got their pots of gold.

The Seahawks’ deals for Cliff Avril and K.J. Wright had been in the works pretty much all year, so it was no surprise they got them done before the end of the season.

It takes away the top two players from Seattle’s sizable 2015 free-agent list and means Seattle now has all but one starter from the league’s No. 1 defense under contract next year (two if you add Kevin Williams to Byron Maxwell).

Wright and Avril join Legion of Boom stalwarts Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman, plus defensive lineman Michael Bennett, as the keys to a defense that could reign over the NFL through 2017.

Continue reading All rainbows: Defense set to dominate through 2017 →

State of the team, Week 15: San Francisco, X's & O's

Once again, Hawks are winning despite O-line

December 17, 2014 cc Leave a comment

The Seahawks have rediscovered the formula that won them a Super Bowl: No. 1 defense plus Beast Mode plus DangeRuss plus crappy offensive line.

Can you imagine what kind of season Marshawn Lynch would have if he was running behind the 2005 Super Bowl line that featured future Hall of Famer Walter Jones and All-Pro Steve Hutchinson? We’re probably talking a 2,500-yard season with 30 touchdowns.

But that’s fantasy. Reality is that this line is basically in the same shape as the one that limped into the playoffs last season.

Continue reading Once again, Hawks are winning despite O-line →

Week 15: San Francisco

That bogus roughing call was a rare flag in favor of Seattle

December 16, 2014 cc Leave a comment

For just the second time all season, the Seahawks on Sunday had fewer penalties than their opponent — and some people are griping about it. Figures.

Specifically, people are ripping that ticky-tack roughing-the-passer penalty called by Ed Hochuli that gave the Hawks a second chance at a touchdown early in the fourth quarter after Russell Wilson had thrown incomplete on third down.

Yeah, linebacker Nick Moody’s hit on Wilson looked clean to us, too, and the NFL confirmed Monday it was the wrong call. Just like the NFL confirmed it missed a huge fourth-down end zone pass interference against Kansas City four weeks ago in a game the Seahawks lost 24-20.

The call against the 49ers was nowhere near as impactful. Seattle scored on a 10-yard TD pass from Wilson to Paul Richardson two plays later, giving the Hawks a 17-7 lead. But the 49ers didn’t score again anyway, so 13-7 would have been just as good for Seattle.

Pete Carroll, who has joined us over the past month in pointing out the huge disparity between flags thrown against Seattle and their opponents, had no problem getting a cheap call or two for once.

“We actually felt the benefit of a couple calls. We rarely feel that,” he told 710 ESPN on Monday.

Continue reading That bogus roughing call was a rare flag in favor of Seattle →

Week 15: San Francisco

Seahawks can clinch playoff spot vs. Arizona

December 15, 2014 cc Leave a comment

At 10-4, the Seahawks control their playoff destiny and can lock up a playoff spot with a win over Arizona in prime time Sunday.

They also are now the favorites for the No. 1 seed in the NFC after Green Bay lost. If the Hawks beat Arizona and St. Louis to finish 12-4, they would win any three-way tie.

The only way they would not get the No. 1 seed by winning out is if Green Bay loses to Tampa Bay this week and Detroit loses to Chicago; in that case, the Hawks would need Dallas to lose once as well to avoid a head-to-head tiebreaker (which Seattle would lose).

Continue reading Seahawks can clinch playoff spot vs. Arizona →

State of the team, Week 15: San Francisco

Defensive leaders explain resurgence

December 13, 2014 cc Leave a comment

The Seahawks’ late surge was born of roster health, leadership and camaraderie — things that were missing at midseason — and the Hawks have emphasized for the past three weeks that they are playing for each other more than ever now. And, because of that, they are able to play smarter and faster.

With every win, they reinforce the reborn mantra that they will continue to win if they trust each other.

After the 24-14 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Kam Chancellor was asked if the defense had sent a message. He said yeah, “but the message wasn’t to anyone outside of this team. The message is to each other.”

Continue reading Defensive leaders explain resurgence →

Contracts, State of the team

Hawks got it together and can keep it together after this season, too

December 12, 2014 cc Leave a comment

Over the last three weeks, the
Seahawks’ defense has gone on a tear
unlike anything it has done under Pete Carroll and the Hawks have
re-established themselves as the Super Bowl repeat threat we all expected them to be.

Assuming the rejuvenated Seahawks maintain their dominant play and take it to the same conclusion as last year, the big question will become: How do they keep this going to create that dynasty we all projected?

Continue reading Hawks got it together and can keep it together after this season, too →

State of the team, Week 14: At Philadelphia

More about that awesome defense

December 10, 2014 cc Leave a comment

The Seattle defense is the toast of the NFL again — now that Bobby Wagner, Kam Chancellor and Byron Maxwell are healthy and the unit is playing perhaps the best it ever has.

Pete Carroll said it has been “significant” to get back Wagner, who missed five games with a toe injury, and Chancellor, who sat out two games with a groin issue and got to rest his bad ankles.

“I think the camaraderie of all those guys being back in there and feeling right has been resounding,” Carroll said Monday. “You can really feel it.”

Continue reading More about that awesome defense →

Week 14: At Philadelphia

Hawks are for real now — and won’t lose again

December 8, 2014 cc Leave a comment

It’s official: The Seahawks are back. And it will be a surprise if they lose again this season.

They are peaking at the perfect time and look fully capable of beating any team that is forced to oppose them (because no one would willingly play them at this point).

A pair of convincing 19-3 wins over their contending division foes were impressive, but there were still doubts about whether the Hawks truly were back to Super Bowl form. After all, the Cardinals and 49ers both were struggling on offense, so was it really an accomplishment for the Seattle defense to hold them to six total points and 368 yards the past two weeks?

It was fair to wonder how a defense that had been gashed by Kansas City’s running game three weeks ago would handle Philadelphia’s high-powered offense.

Were the returns of Bobby Wagner, Kam Chancellor and Byron Maxwell — along with one “come to Jesus” meeting — enough to bring the defense back to its 2013 form?

After a stunningly dominant 24-14 win in Philadelphia, the answer is a resounding “Yes!”

Continue reading Hawks are for real now — and won’t lose again →

State of the team, Week 14: At Philadelphia, X's & O's

Seahawks need to flip red zone performance

December 4, 2014 cc Leave a comment

The Seahawks’ matching 19-3 wins over Arizona and San Francisco the past two weeks have been impressive defensive feats — the lowest two-game total by Seattle opponents since the Hawks beat Philadelphia and San Francisco 83-3 late in their 2005 Super Bowl season.

Of course, led by coach Mike Holmgren and quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, the 2005 Hawks had the best offense in the league (in yards and points) and were No. 2 in red zone scoring.

About the only thing this Seattle offense shares with that one is a strong running game. Russell Wilson’s offense has struggled to score touchdowns, especially over the last three games.

Continue reading Seahawks need to flip red zone performance →