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Make no mistake — Pete Carroll’s end of season press conference was an attempt to set the narrative.
Carroll wanted to send the message that everything was just fine . The Seahawks were on the right track and there was nothing to worry about.
Concerns around their drafting, decision making, scheming and performance were brushed aside. This was a franchise that was simply a little unlucky.
It sounded like a pitch to ownership, more than anything else. An accommodating group of journalists would relay the message to the masses.
This tweet from ‘Idaho Highlander’ summed it up perfectly:
Pete is using the media to try and convince ownership all is well. It’s a strategy that very could work considering the lack of pushback from the local sports media. The real question is: What is Russell Wilson going to say to ownership? — Idaho Highlander (@IDstoryteller) January 11, 2022.
I want to come back to Russell Wilson’s role in a moment. Firstly though, I want to dive into what Carroll said.
There were two striking issues with the press conference. Firstly, the rejection of any implied criticism of the way they’ve drafted (and built the team). Secondly, the relentless talk of being ‘close’ and having the key components of a Championship caliber roster.
Carroll: “We’ve been so close throughout the whole season”
That simply isn’t true. They have the weakest roster in the NFC West. What happened this year has been on the cards for a while. They aren’t close and haven’t been close at any point this season.
They’ve built the team poorly, they’ve wasted resources and the same problems keep repeating while new ones emerge.
This was a rambling performance from Carroll, speaking without the kind of steely direction that was so evident when he took the job in 2010. Instead of a man with a vision and the motivation to execute his plan — he appeared to be trying to justify his continued employment. This was a survival mission of a press conference, rather than a convincing display that made you feel confident that he was remotely willing to make the necessary changes.
It felt like his platitudes and phrases were meant for Jody Allen, while trying to fill out the media articles and airwaves with positivity to strengthen his own position.
It was self-preservation and it mostly went unchallenged.
I came away from it all wondering whether sticking by Carroll was for his benefit or ours, as fans of a team we hope to see return to the Super Bowl.
The rather meaningless win against a well below-par Arizona (1-4 in their last five, including a 30-12 loss to Detroit) has seemingly convinced large swathes of the fan base that this team is in a strong position. Yet there are glaring issues that need to be addressed.
Listening to Carroll however, you wouldn’t know it. He played off that win to paint a picture that defies reality.
I couldn’t help but think this is one of Wilson’s big issues with the Seahawks.
Who in ownership is sitting Carroll down and challenging him?
Where is the accountability?
Even if Jody Allen and co. have no interest in firing Carroll — there still needs to be some serious questions asked.
Do they have the best possible staff? Look at the names available at the moment. A team is going to employ Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator in the coming days. Why aren’t the Seahawks looking at that?
After four years of having Ken Norton Jr as defensive coordinator, is it not time to consider a fresh approach there? After all — look at the way the defense started the 2020 and 2021 seasons as a jumbled mess.
The ‘bear front’ plan didn’t work at all. It took them until the final weeks of the season to realise a.) dropping your best pass rushers into coverage isn’t a good idea and b.) Carlos Dunlap should be getting more than a handful of snaps a game.
Should Carroll be prepared to introduce some outsiders to his staff? Rather than basically employing a series of old pals who will do what he wants? Don’t we all need to be challenged from time to time? Why is Carroll seemingly only prepared to surround himself with people who won’t challenge him?
He admitted a year ago that Carl ‘Tater’ Smith and his son Nate were his main sources of accountability. Does that not concern ownership?
The Seahawks should be aspiring to have staff members who are coveted by other teams for future Head Coaching roles. Norton Jr is never going to be considered for a top gig. Doesn’t that say everything we need to know?
Does Carroll have too much control over personnel? Why does he think they have drafted well? Shouldn’t they be learning lessons on how they’ve used their resources? Are they spending their money in the right areas?
The drafting point, in particular, was a big concern for me. Carroll spoke at length to defend Seattle’s recent record, leaning on an excuse that John Schneider also mentioned on the radio on Sunday.
Both the GM and the Head Coach have now complained about not picking in the top-10 and therefore ‘not having access’ to the ‘top names’ in a class.
It’s a ridiculous point that deserves far more of a challenge than either Carroll or Schneider received when they uttered the words.
You don’t need to pick that early to acquire top-tier talent. Let’s run through the names that were drafted from 2016-2020 in the range Seattle picked:
2016 — Kenny Clark, Chris Jones, Xavien Howard, Derrick Henry, Michael Thomas.
2017 — Tre’Davious White, T.J. Watt, Ryan Ramczyk, Budda Baker, Dalvin Cook.
2018 — Lamar Jackson, Nick Chubb, Darius Leonard, Jaire Alexander, Frank Ragnow, Leighton Vander Esch, D.J. Moore, Calvin Ridley.
2019 — Montez Sweat, Josh Jacobs, Deebo Samuel, Elgton Jenkins, A.J. Brown.
2020 — Jonathan Taylor, Trevon Diggs.
The Seahawks could’ve had any of these players. Instead, they selected Germain Ifedi, Malik McDowell, Rashaad Penny, binary options L.J. Collier, Marquis Blair and Jordyn Brooks.
They have had ample opportunity to draft world class stars and they simply made bad decisions.
Their opinion that not picking in the top-10 has put them at a disadvantage is frankly ridiculous and flat out wrong. Yet they have both said it, unchallenged, in the last 48 hours.
Even worse, this viewpoint was seemingly a big motivating factor in their decision to trade for Jamal Adams. Their line of thinking, it appears, was that they might as well spend two late first round picks on a big name player because in their eyes, those late first rounders are not providing any value.
Not only is that completely wrong because their own bad decisions devalued those picks, not the available talent — but the deal for Adams has also ended up costing them a top-10 pick which they’re now sending to the Jets, because the team has flopped to 7-10.
So while they complain about not picking in the top-10, their own bad decision making is going to prevent them from being able to do the thing they crave.
You couldn’t make it up.
Seattle has now committed $17.5m a year to Adams — a player who has already had two serious shoulder injuries since the trade. Meanwhile, the defense suffered no noticeable drop-off when he was absent. Ryan Neal, on a free agent salary, has provided a perfectly adequate, if not superior, replacement.
And that brings us back to their resource spend. Someone in ownership needs to challenge Carroll on their drafting, not allow him to call it a job well done (as he did in his press conference). They also need to question how they can justify spending as much as they are on Bobby Wagner and Adams when the defensive performance is no worse when they’re not playing.
The Seahawks spent nearly $100m in free agency in 2020 and 2021. How do they justify how they’ve used that money? Carroll should be made to defend that record and explain in detail how they’re going to do things differently.
He did admit during the press conference that fixing the pass rush was the off-season priority. Usually, I would say that was great to hear. It absolutely must be a priority.
Yet he said the same thing in 2020. What happened then? They failed to convince Jadeveon Clowney to come back to Seattle — a priority re-sign in their words. Instead they brought in Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa and felt that was enough.
That is what ‘fixing the pass rush’ looked like in 2020. And what happened? Their pass rush was even worse when the season kicked off.
I’d like to look at a player like Chandler Jones and think the Seahawks would move heaven and earth to bring him in. That would be a real signal of intent. Imagine Jones lining up with Dunlap and Darrell Taylor? That would be a tour de force.
You could then use pick #41 (or even move up) to draft an interior pass rusher such as Georgia’s brilliant Devonte Wyatt or Houston’s Logan Hall.
That would do more than anything to elevate this team to a new level.
Yet based on their last two off-seasons they’re more likely to cut Dunlap like they did with Jarran Reed, before spending $2-3m on a random journeyman and extolling the benefits of depth over elite talent.
That plan hasn’t worked. Yet you’d never know it from Carroll’s words. They’ve just been a little unfortunate, don’t you know?
There have been consistent issues with the team. Third downs. Fluctuating production on offense — jumping from amazing to awful and vice versa. The running game hasn’t been consistent since the Marshawn Lynch days. The defense gives up way too many yards and can’t get off the field and has struggled to turn the ball over.
Why are these problems never resolved?
The Seahawks are pitched as a success story because they’ve won a lot of regular season games. Yet their record of one lousy playoff win in five years is of much more pressing concern.
Their post-season record was bad enough as it was, without missing out on an extended playoff structure this year. They couldn’t even finish as the seventh best team in the NFC.
A quick reminder that #5 Arizona, #6 San Francisco and #7 Philadelphia have all been forced to use backup quarterbacks too. New Orleans, the #8 seed, have had to use four quarterbacks (and none of them are any good).
They still won more games than Seattle.
Losing Wilson for a few weeks was a convenient excuse. Carroll needs to explain why they couldn’t handle it better than they did. He needs to explain why they were left to rely on a quarterback as thoroughly mediocre as Geno Smith is. Why haven’t they done a better job finding a backup to Wilson over the years?
Why will more of the same shift their playoff fortunes, if they even qualify next season? How do they go from post-season also-rans to serious contenders? Why have so many of their playoff exits since 2014 been embarrassing blowouts?
All of this was brushed off. Because the intention of this press conference was to set a positive narrative. There are no problems here. We’re OK. I’m OK. My job isn’t at risk. We’ll have the usual meetings and then crack on. We are a good team. There’s lots to be excited about.
If ownership buys Carroll’s spiel and allows things to carry on as normal, I fear we’ll be right back here in 12 months having the same conversation.
We know Paul Allen used to challenge Carroll. It was reported not so long ago that he insisted they bring in Mike Pettine in 2017 as an outside voice to offer different viewpoints.
If Paul was with us today — I’m pretty sure he’d be demanding some answers to some serious questions. If nothing else, he’d be ordering things to be done differently.
Since his passing in 2018, it feels like all of that has been lost. It feels like Carroll is pretty much a law unto himself. He doesn’t have to answer to anyone and thus, there’s nobody really asking for an explanation when things go wrong.
This is a major, major problem that a win in Arizona shouldn’t cloud and it’s why I sincerely hope ownership are prepared to overlook that one game and the feel-good factor it’s provided, plus Carroll’s press conference attempt to control the narrative, and make some big decisions.
Even if Carroll stays — the Seahawks have to do things differently. The way they draft, the way they approach free agency. Carroll should have less control here.
They should also insist on staffing changes with outside voices being brought in.
If Carroll resists this change, then the next step is obvious for both parties. But he shouldn’t be allowed to dictate the running of this team. He can no longer control everything without any accountability.
There has to be some self-reflection and adjustment after a 7-10 season. We can’t just pretend it didn’t happen.
Colin Cowherd has talked repeatedly about the extent of Carroll’s control being a problem in Seattle. That means Wilson thinks it’s a problem. Clearly Cowherd’s sources are from the Wilson camp.
They aren’t limited to the Wilson camp though. In this piece yesterday he cited a source who worked in Seattle’s scouting department within the last five years (fast forward to 9:00):
According to Cowherd’s source, John Schneider ‘too often deferred to the coach and not the scouting department’.
This is the problem. Too much power and control.
Wilson sees this as an issue, among other issues.
When I see people reducing Wilson’s dissatisfaction to a mere ‘he wants to throw more’ angle — as Mike Salk did last week — it’s really frustrating. This goes way beyond that. It’s about many things, including Carroll’s unshakeable power in Seattle and a feeling that his philosophy, and the decisions he makes, are not going to put this team in a position to succeed at the very top.
If ownership isn’t willing to challenge Carroll — and if things don’t change — Wilson’s next move will be interesting.
A lot of people are suddenly talking themselves into believing he will be content to come back and carry on. Those people are kidding themselves.
Pete Carroll & Russell Wilson duo set for possible finale with Seattle Seahawks, sources say There is a leaguewide feeling, according to sources, that Carroll and Wilson will not be together again next season, which would represent the end of one of the most successful head coach/quarterback duos in NFL history. Wilson has said several times that his first desire would be to remain in Seattle, but only if the Seahawks’ desire to win matches his. The offseason decisions on Carroll, who is under contract through the 2025 season, and Wilson, who has two years remaining on his current deal, will hinge on team chair Jody Allen, who has been the Seahawks’ de facto owner since her brother Paul died in 2018. Some sources believe Schneider is open to starting anew with added draft picks, but he also knows the value of a quarterback like Wilson.
That was just over a week ago. That article was clearly sourced from the Wilson camp. After all, it’s the same journalist who broke the story on the potential trade destinations last off-season.
This article deserves some contemplation. Carroll can say what he wants in the press conference on Monday. It’s going to be up to Jody Allen to determine the path forward.
Carroll’s press conference was his pitch for continuity that he will no doubt relay to Allen. When she speaks to John Schneider, he may well voice a preference to trade Wilson, as the article suggests. If she speaks to Wilson — he will actively voice a desire for change at the top or a trade.
If he doesn’t have a direct line to ownership, expect a media onslaught pretty soon.
Something’s got to give. Allen has to consider a lot of things here, not just Carroll’s preference. He’s tried to imply everything is fine with ownership and the quarterback. Really, he’s in no position to speak for either with confidence.
While it feels like the status quo is likely right now — the truth is there are many chess moves still to be made.
Wilson will not just go along quietly. If you think some form of change is needed, as I do, he’s the one big hope in all of this. He’s the only one who can make ownership sit up and take notice.
Failing that, he’ll ask for a new team. Which could provoke even bigger changes than people realise.
I still maintain that Carroll doesn’t see a future without Wilson. He isn’t talking about any rebuilds here. If he’s forced into one, I don’t think he will accept it.
That remains the key point. Because equally, I don’t think Wilson sees a future in Seattle with Carroll in position, controlling everything as he currently does.
The meetings between Allen and the key components here are crucial.
We heard Carroll’s side of the story on Monday. It was confidence-sapping, denialist and somewhat insulting to our intelligence.
I hope Allen sees it that way too and ensures some degree of change occurs. The thought of the Seahawks just carrying on as normal after the season they’ve just had would’ve been unthinkable two weeks ago. A good win to end the season shouldn’t change that.
Mike McCarthy was an equally successful coach as Carroll. He could make a lot of the same arguments Carroll made in his press conference yesterday. The Green Bay Packers made a change because they could sense it was time. And it was time .
They made a difficult but necessary call and have been rewarded.
The Seahawks need to follow suit.
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595 Responses to “Pete Carroll’s press conference tactics were deliberate”
Can we also talk about the fact that even if they had a top ten pick, it’s very likely Schneider would have just traded down to acquire more picks. Of all the excuses the, "We haven’t picked in the top ten" may be the most idiotic. As Rob points out, they’ve simply drafted terribly for YEARS. Say it with me, one playoff win in 5 years with Russell Wilson in his prime. After 5 years of the exact same result, you can’t get away with saying we’re really close for a 6th year unless your audience is ignorant.
Ironically, of all the years to trade down – unless you had one of the top 3 picks – this is the one for Trader John to do his thing. But yeah, that was really stupid reasoning.
What’s extra annoying about those comments is that in 2014/15 I recall the chatter being we should be trading UP to get a marquee player with a higher pick, not trading down to get lower level picks that weren’t likely to make the roster anyways, given how much talent was on the team – we didn’t have spots for extra 3rd and 4th round guys.
Fast forward to now, where completely ignored a philosophy in the the Jamal trade that we were once so adherent to that we penalized ourselves sacrificing top players for a multitude of picks.
We are adrift up and down management/strategy at this point.
The names that really stand out on that list to me are Montez Sweat and Derrick Henry. No brainer picks at positions of need that they over though opted to let go by on their draft board.
The irony here is that Schneider has actually made some nice picks the few times that he traded up (e.g., Lockett and Metcalf).
Ringer article (on Flores’ firing) notes how much of BFL success is tied to having good QB. Be very wary of losing Russ:
"The NFL, for all of its complexity, is really a binary proposition: You either have the right quarterback, and you are good; or you don’t, and you aren’t."
We have the right QB and the wrong coaching staff. If Paul Allen were alive, I don’t think there would even be a question of whether or not Pete is fired. Unfortunately, he’s gone. And the golden era of the Seahawks may have gone with him.
I think a lot of people understate how impactful a good QB is. It really is a 6+ win difference, which is basically the difference between an 11 win playoff team and a 5 win dumpster fire. The Chargers are another good example of this.
even if we get a new d coordinator, pete will have full control. Rumor that Gus Bradley, Dan Quinn (and who knows who else) had opportunity to come back and chose elsewhere is all you need to know. New England doesn’t seem to have that problem.
Because they want to run the defense.
Not do what Carroll tells them to do.
exactly, pc needs to go.
Clint Hurtt is confounding to me. He got a promotion to Asst HC to come to Seattle.
He appeared on MSD’s podcast this summer and, while not ripping the team or PC to shreds, confirmed a lot of the things our eyes told us all year last year about the DL.
Is he another ‘loyalty/my guy’ hire that isn’t telling Pete what he needs to hear? Sure appears that way.
Thanks, I missed all that last summer.
Interesting note on Hyder taking the leadership/calls role. Kind of explains why he played as much as he did (without looking at snaps). Felt like he was out there a lot, and didnt contribute much, hes got a good motor, sticks with plays, plays sound, but doesnt wreck anything.
The Hawks have some good pieces to build around, but the fact is – as Rob has pointed out – that their team building has been awful. A quick glance at all the mediocre players they have signed on the OL while passing onquality players like Jack Conklin is pretty damning evidence. Don’t worry though, I’m sure Chance Warmack is going to come back and make hay.
Add their trades on to that and the picture gets really ugly quickly. I’m not even going to touch the Adams trade, that’s been done to death. For example, trading a fifth for Gabe Jackson when he was going to get cut and then forcing one of your foundational OL pieces out of position because of it is not sound thinking. Square pegs and round holes.
Rob, if Jody speaks to everyone, understands where everyone stands, do you think there is a scenario where Pete and Russ both stay, but with a new GM that comes in above Pete to reduce his power base (as I can’t see how you just keep John as well, but tell everyone he’s in control now and people believe it).
Do you think Russ would buy into it? Or do you think he’d ask it to go further and only if Pete agrees to move more to a Nick Saban role as you’ve mentioned yourself in the past, get a new Defensive coordinator, get Russ’s thoughts on whether Waldron gets another year without any restrictions.
At the moment it looks like Pete has no intention to simply walk away, he wants to win, and thinks he’s close, but he needs Russ. He doesn’t want to be starting a big rebuild, and the chance of convincing Aaron Rodgers to replace Wilson seems fanciful so he might be willing to concede more ground on how things work.
Russ wants to win, ideally in Seattle, but doesn’t have a belief the current structure can do that. Small change last season (Waldron) didn’t do it, so he needs to see more widespread change he thinks will have a difference, but I don’t get the impression he has an issue with Pete personally.
New GM New roster building strategy More input for Russ New Def Co-Ord.
might be enough.
Rob, if Jody speaks to everyone, understands where everyone stands, do you think there is a scenario where Pete and Russ both stay, but with a new GM that comes in above Pete to reduce his power base (as I can’t see how you just keep John as well, but tell everyone he’s in control now and people believe it).
I don’t see any situation where Carroll cedes power and stays.
That’s the situation that would save face and improve the team at the same time:
1. Carroll stays, but he cedes roster control to Schneider (of course he has input, just not the final word). 2. A new DC comes, Fangio or Flores are the best names, but I am pretty sure the latter will receive a HC offer from somwehere. Anyone but a Pete yes-man. 3. They hire an in-game manager, just like KK has in Arizona, to make game time decisions such as timeouts and challenges 4. Carroll keeps doing what he does best: teaching and inspiring. Players love him, even Russ; it’s just that Russ loves winning more than he loves Carroll.
It’s the Saban approach.
If Carroll would go for that, no complaints from me.
How many 1 possession games were we in? We finish those games like we have every season and we are signing a different tune. That is what he is saying. Is he saying we don’t need to improve and get back to work? When has he ever said that?
He very clearly said that. For example, insisting they have done a good job in the draft.
Yeah we win those 1 score games instead of lose and then we get blown out first round of the playoffs.
I agree that’s what Pete is saying – that if the Seahawks won the games they have been winning every season and Russ wasn’t injured, they would be in the playoffs again.
TEN: Don’t blow the 24-9 halftime & 30-16 3rd quarter lead. PIT/CHI/NO/WAS: Win 3 or 4 games with a healthy Russ against mediocre teams. All the other injuries & losses stay the same.
11-6 or 12-5 playing either the Rams, Cowboys, or Tampa. I think the Seahawks season would end next week with a similar result to last year’s Rams playoff loss. A better coached team with more talent would thump the Seahawks.
I think Pete/John would then rinse & repeat the last few off-seasons with spending cap space & draft picks on depth. The ceiling would be a Wild Card loss, maybe a Division Round loss if they were lucky.
That’s not good enough for a QB that stated a couple weeks ago that he wants to win 3 more Super Bowls.
Spot on. That’s the point exactly.
At least we are spared another post-game press conference where Pete Carroll stands up there and say ‘cannot process losing in the first round.’
Not only is it not good enough to win in the playoffs, it is not good enough for your goal to be better in close one score games. Winning a close one score game should be a last resort, not your plan. You should want to crush your opponents and get your guys some rest at the end of a few games, give some young guys more opportunity to play/develop.
I know Russ and co were great for years at pulling these things out, and the D for years held up at the last second, sometimes on the one inch line. But that is not sustainable. You’re putting yourself in position to let luck, officiating, and the bounce of a ball to be the deciding factor. Look at kicking, they made EVERY FG last year, that is not sustainable. The year before the won a Rams game because the kicker missed at the end. All this means your team is basically a coin flip in terms of win/loss. That is not going to win you a championship, its not even getting you to the championship game.
That’s my belief also. Our desire to go out there and just win by scoring points and setting yourself up for success has vanished. It’s an insane way to play in my opinion.
Solid post, agreed.
This is a very good comment. Yes, I agree with Petes notion that its very/extremely arguanle that Hawks woupd have made playoffs this year. Alot of BS ref calls too. Remember that taunting call on DJ reed??
But with that said- would the Hawks have made it far in the olayoffs? The answer is likely no. Maybe we would win one game but we do not have the seeds in place to go deep. I love Pete but man- I am not sure if he’s the guy. But then again- these guys we keep talking about are extremely hard to find. S. Payton has a very similar record to Pete btw. And look at all of the HC firings this week. Harbaugh in Baltimore is also a great coach- but look they were unable to made playoffs. Pete would be hired in a day if he was cut. NY/Min/Den all are teams that have experienced less success than PC.
Whatever happens I hope we sign a stud at center. Guards and RT are showing potential, resign Duane for next year. Hopefully we can get Penny for like 5 million or less. If not, our 2nd round pick should potentially be a RB. Keep/placate Russ. As much as I love Bobby, he needs to take a paycut or be cut/traded. Brooks has stepped up. And Jamal Adams benefits from when we are able to rush LBs like crazy and/or be able to cover more to allow Jamal too. I dont think Bobby & Jamal are best scheme fits. And as messed up as this sounds- the Quandre injury could be good for the Hawks. Maybe security of a multi-year deal and lower cap hit is something he would be more interested in now. Im still undecided on PC bc I do not see a coach candidate who would be a clear upgrade over him at the moment.
Sounds like Pete changed his motto from “always compete,” to “if its and buts were candy and nuts….we’d be right in there at the end.”
The one-score excuse is complete nonsense. There was a post I saw recently that showed each team’s record if the result of one-score games was reversed (https://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/comments/rxfecz/bryan_knowles_twitter_nfl_standings_if_every_one/). Once you factor in the Arizona game, the Seahawks finish 9-8 and most likely still miss the playoffs. The reality is that performance in one score games largely evens out over multiple seasons, and there is no conscious strategy that can be undertaken to win those games.
It’s so frustrating that he hasn’t taken a step back and adopted the Nick Saban model. Play to your strengths Pete! Let the scouts scout, the GM draft and the Co-ordinators co-ordinate.
If they move on from Russ then just light it all on fire, I’m not staying up to watch some Teddy Bridgwater / Mitch Trubisky omnishambles.
The only way that Pete is gone is if Russ decides to take the gloves off and play the bad guy. He has to come out and say “ok Jody, you only get to keep one of us. Choose.”
I agree that the only things that matter at this point are what Wilson and Allen think, and Carroll is saying the only stuff he can plausibly could say (and is likely what he believes anyhow).
I think one of the biggest unknowns in here is the extent to which the organization (Allen and others) might view a few more seasons of playoff contention as better than the unknown of jettisoning Carroll and Schneider. I think this kind of mindset is more pervasive among owners than we’d think, because it ensures ticket sales and revenue streams even if it doesn’t maximize chances at a Super Bowl win. I look at the Steelers the last few years as an example of a team that has rejected the notion of a reset because they didn’t want to bottom out even if their Super Bowl chances have been miniscule each of the last few years. Obviously Roethlisberger wasn’t agitating for major changes or to get out of Pittsburgh so it’s not a one-for-one comparison, but it still I think is instructive.
I do think that while there are reasons to doubt just how close this team is to truly winning the Super Bowl (or even contending for it), it IS fair to say that they currently have the most important piece, which is a great QB, so I can understand the fundamental urge to just run it back again, but as you’ve said many times Rob, Russ doesn’t seem on board with that plan, and I don’t blame him at all.
What else can Wilson do through the media? He spent all last offseason, part of this season operating through them, but when asked about it, he plays dumb "you guys must know something I don’t" at some point, if he wants something, seems he’ll have to say I’m holding out until the HC is changed, and then what? The owner concedes to the player? And the player essentially picks the next HC, or GM? How does that work? I’m honestly trying to understand where he can push with this, because it seems doesn’t seems like he’s done what he can with his feeding the media with talking points. What can we look for him to do In a media onslaught you mentioned?
Well, more of the same can still be a media onslaught.
But I would suggest he needs to cut to the chase and speak to ownership, lay his cards on the table. That would be my preference.
We see differently on Wilson over this season.
However I do not want any florio, et al, pieces by way of mark Rodgers via Wilson pieces. Not one. If Wilson wants a change here or of a change of teams then I want him to do it.
It’s helpful, when speculating about decision-making dynamics between the principals here, to understand the difference between an owner (Paul Allen) and a trustee (Jody Allen). Owners can and do have a variety of goals for the organizations (teams) they own, and they have their own personal management styles. Trusts are not privately owned entities, and therefore have a different structure that focuses on professional management of institutional assets and long-term strategies to protect and develop those assets. Trusts have fiduciary responsibility – which means legal accountability for the results that appear on the P&L and Balance Sheet. Trustee "best practice" leaves day-to-day decisions entirely in the hands of top organizational leaders. Trustees hire, fire, establish performance goals, and conduct performance reviews solely for the top leader(s) of the organization. One other way to describe this might be to say a trusteeship has a highly corporate culture, whereas many NFL teams seem very entrepreneurial and heavily influenced by their owner’s personality.
What does this look like in practice? Here’s one hypothetical to demonstrate a fiduciary point of view: a board of trustees considering a hire might view a history of NFL suspension for deliberate/systemic injury of opposing players as disqualifying for future employment, because even the smallest potential for legal liability and litigation if such an incident were to occur again would expose the trust assets to foreseeable and catastrophic risk. The trustees would be accountable if this were to happen, because it is their responsibility to anticipate risk.
The trust determined that long-term continuity with PC/JS was an asset worth protecting and they locked in what are reported to be top-of-the-market contracts to protect those assets last year. This is conventional wisdom in corporations when the track record of asset management is solid and internal performance metrics are met. It’s absolutely what most trusts would do if selling the team is a short- or mid- term consideration.
How does the trust evaluate asset management? The market value of the team. That’s the criteria.
Russ should be a little more like ARod and be willing to lose his good guy image in Seattle. Thing is Russ does seem like an actual good guy so it may be tough for him to be blunt and state its either him or Pete (if Russ does in fact feel this way)
Hope Wilson calls the bluff and demand a trade right away. There is no future for this team with Pete. He aint gonna change at 71.
That stuff about the top-10 picks is just enragingly false on its face. But it’s about more than just “being able to get elite players” and their enunciating it in those terms is so damning.
When Pete and John are gone, whenever that might be — yes, they’ll deserve all the accolades for SB48. But there is a terrible failure lurking there also. Why was there only one? And I don’t mean just THAT PLAY.
When they were ousted from the playoffs by Atlanta in January 2012 they had such a gigantic resource advantage on the league in premium young players (a resource advantage built with late-round picks!) that they were in pole position to be a proper dynasty, to be the team of the 2010s.
They turned that incredible war chest into one (1) Super Bowl. Now as a Seattleite I’ve seen an awful lot of contenders earn zero (0) championships, the gap from 0 to 1 is enormous and I’m grateful too have seen at least one team finally manage to cross it.
But it’s precisely their failure to make disciplined and intelligent use of draft capital to put quality rookie-contract players into the pipeline that truncated their championship window. Wild, aye hormonal, trades squandering their late firsts to get “top 10 pick quality players” that came loaded with budget-squeezing veteran contracts really accelerated the roster-thinning, and I would speculate created pressure to cling to their remaining aging stars rather than making the difficult but necessary decisions to move on a year too soon rather than a year too late, the sorts of decisions you need to make to keep a team in contention for a long period of time. (The franchise that actually ended up being the team of the 2010s is famously great at this ruthless spreadsheetery.)
Adams was the farce to Harvin’s tragic failure of resource stewardship. But it’s infuriating to hear the regime that authored both of those debacles stand up and promise to continue learning nothing.
This is exactly the case. The team was utterly unable to replenish the ranks of low-cost players (basically guys on rookie deals) after 2012 because they either wasted draft picks to acquire expensive vets or flat-out took the wrong guys. It can not be said often enough just how incredible an advantage the Seahawks had going into the off-season after the 2012 season: nine franchise cornerstones or otherwise key players (Russ, Bobby, Sherm, Earl, Kam, KJ, Okung, Doug, Golden) on rookie deals plus a bunch of other useful players in the same spot.
Obviously they were not going to be able to keep all those guys, nor were they going to replicate their success in the draft from 2010-2012, but only winning one Super Bowl is absolutely a disappointment, even if they certainly could have won zero.
It genuinely astonishes me that neither Pete nor John seem to understand what it is that fueled their incredible success in the first half of the 2010s, but then again success tends to convince people that they can do no wrong.
Briliant and spot-on post. Far too few fans are willing to acknowledge precisely this. It’s possible to be grateful for the Super Bowl win and still critical of the gross roster mismanagement that derailed what might have bin. Very well said and well-written.
I really do not understand why these times are so hard for media and Binary Options fans to grasp.
Not to bang on your analog to Green Bay. But aaron rodgers played fairly well in Mccarthy’s final season yrt they had a losing record. The team looked at the second winningest coach and one of four coaches ever to go eight straight playoffs and said enough is enough.
As a fan full disclosure I haven’t watched a full game in forever. Lots of second halves. Very, very few defensive stands. As unless Wilson is going to drop 3 td’s it feels for about three years this team has almost no other way to win.
Just a few pieces? Everything is fine? If only we could close out those one possession games? It’s not just that the LOB was an all time great unit the offense used to go for the jugular.
KNJ recently talked about “not being able to celebrate the defense success’ (sic)”….really? Bottom. Third in the league in turnovers, sacks, bottom five in yards, last in time of possession (i’ll hang this on both sides.)
Playing next years schedule with this team could get super ugly really quick.
At least Pete didn’t say “It feels like 2012”.
The fact that both JS & Pete are lock step in their narratives re: binary options the draft… basically parroting the same talking points… is telling.
They clearly have gotten together and set out a plan to squelch certain “negative” narratives. Does this mean that JS is still in Pete’s pocket, philosphically speaking? If so… I want him gone as well.
The idea that the guys who have drafted HOF talent in the later rounds, could (with a straight face) look us in the face and say that not having top 10 picks has been our downfall, is ludicrous.
Obviously they know that isn’t true, so they are blatantly lying to us. Yes, insulting our intelligence.
Once again, Pete & John are the “smartest guys in the room”, it seems. Just ask them.
“The rather meaningless win against a well below-par Arizona” …… didn’t the Cards just beat Dallas on the road and were playing for the NFC West Title, or am I thinking about some other team?
Can you explain what any of those things have to do with the Cardinals being below-par on Sunday?
Do you think they played to their best?
Also, not that it matters to my point that was specifically about Arizona’s performance on Sunday, the Cardinals are 1-4 in their last five games, including a 30-12 loss to Detroit. I covered the Cowboys/Cardinals game for National radio in the UK. The Cowboys laid an egg, big time.
I’ll add this to the piece. Thanks for reminding me…
Any given Sunday. But anyone with a pulse paying attention knows the Cards are frauds.
Alot of answers can be solved depending on how playoffs go. Imagine if cards and 49ers get knocked out very early… KK or KS on the hot seat? Would be very similar result to PC team.
John Clayton opined today on 710 AM that Pete wouldn’t have a problem ceding personnel acquisition to JS: "He (Pete) has an ego, but it’s not a big ego." Really, John?
If I’m Russ… that wouldn’t appease me at all. what’s the expression… “shifting deck chairs on the Titanic”?
the cardinals are the first team in NFL history to start 7-0 and go on to lose 6 games. Granted, one extra game to do so, but they certainly haven’t been playing their best ball as of late.
PFF Offense vs Arizona.
PFF Defense vs Arizona.
This should be the last act for Benson Mayowa.
Kerry Hyder quietly cashing game checks for being about as useful as suiting up Luke Wilson in 2020.
6 snaps in coverage.
Yeah but think of the roster spot we saved by not having a SAM!!
Cody Barton was a disaster in coverage. …love how the announcers talked up his tackles. The PFF doesn’t lie.
I was in the stands for the Pittsburgh game. When Najee Harris split out and they put Benson Mayowa on him, I let out an involuntary audible “Oh no!” before the snap. My Steeler fans looked at me and said “what?” I said “just watch”.
and take Hyder with him . . .
sparkling grades for the CB’s….doesn’t hurt that Hopkins was out, but still. I actually think both Reed/Jones are adequate guys to move forward with in ’22 – we’ve got bigger holes elsewhere.
Agreed. I’m 100% behind that pair starting next year.
Not perfect but they’ve shown they can hold the fort and it’s hard to see an obvious upgrade.
Tre Brown will be back as well.
A great example of the lack of impact players on our roster. We need to prioritize keeping “adequate guys” because we’ve got so many other holes to fill.
I agree that our CBs have been one of the brighter spots on the team. I’d love to get a true impact player at that position, but that seems so far down the list of needs as to be pointless to hope for.
Improve the pass rush and adequate guys can often start getting turnovers. I’m pretty glad they may have found CB’s for going forward.
They are great examples of being smart and being opportunistic when the opportunity presents itself. You need to identify players that fit your style and were undervalued. Both Jones and Reed came to us with little fanfare and with little cost attached to them. This is a great pairing of guys that are young and can play. Jones on the left side and Reed on the right side. I believe Reed finished in the top 10 for CBs for the season.
When we chased the waterfalls, things have not turned out well for us. They seemed to have a solid duo of CBS. Bummer about Diggs but they need to find a FS that can replace him. Ditto about Adams. What do you do with him? Put him at safety? Move him to LB with lame shoulders?
I’ve had enough of LJ Collier too.
You mean the former first round DL who has the same number of solo tackles this year as our kicker? That LJ Collier?
Maybe have Adrian Peterson coach Collier?
Hello Josh Jones.
Actually thought that during the game but it’s reassuring to see the PFF grade matches my eye test.
It’s beyond insulting at this point- the fact the media buys it too gives me such little hope of any change. Any dissenters would be vilified- even Russ. If he calls them out this week, I have no doubt he’ll become the villain.
None of the arguments hold any water of course. Where’s the Rams’ war chest of top 10 picks? Give me a break.
I wont like it, but I can accept another year of this nonsense if they can actually reel in big name FA improvements like a Chandler Jones. They haven’t done that before.
Certain claims, such as them drafting well and being close, really do insult the intelligence of anyone willing to view this team objectively.
It feels like the “Reset, not rebuild” that was to occur from 2017 onward was wasted, and just now do I think we have some young foundational pieces to complete a proper reset.
Every position group on this team minus 4-5 guys in both trenches and MLB is young and good enough (do not read solid or great) to win now. If the trenches could be solidified and sprinkled with a few game changing talents, this team could compete for championships.
Once trenches have been addressed (I make it sound easy), then finding upgrades over current “good enough” players in other position groups (see CB, Nickel, SS, TE, RB starter or compliment depending on Penny) could truly vault this team to another championship window. Time is ticking though.
To me, it’s reasonable to expect Russ to continue or be cap ale of elite play up to year 38. Anything after that would be a bonus. So, 4 year window for Super Bowls. And obviously, if Russ wants out because of inaction from the top, then all projections change… For the worse.
*capable (not cap ale)
On the GM Shuffle podcast Michael Lombardi mentioned that the Seahawks organization had hired a search firm recently, though he wasn’t able to speak to what the firm was tasked to do.
Interesting for sure, but unless they have already spoken to people off the record, they are already burning daylight here wasting time. Some teams fired coaches weeks ago, and others (Chicago) knew they were. Cant wait around. Saw someone got permission to speak with the #2 guy for the Colts today.
True… but if they’ve got their eye on a specific candidate, they have a bit of time here.
For example, let’s say it’s Dan Quinn. He can’t be employed anyway until Dallas are out of the playoffs. So there’s no rush.
yeah that’s valid.
It could be JS on his way out rather than Pete and JS. Having read some of the sound bites from scouting dept yesterday placing blame on Pete for draft miscues and absolving JS is probably the clue..
I could definitely see that. Holmgren lost his GM powers and then the team went to the Super Bowl shortly after when he only had to worry about coaching.
I can see Schneider being eliminated. Pete gets to keep coaching but doesn’t have full roster authority anymore. He’ll get challenged. Russ wins because his agent and JS don’t care for each other (strange considering it was JS who went to bat for RW originally) and Russ wants Carroll to be accountable to others.
Schneider probably gets screwed over because I don’t see him ever having wanted to do the Jamal Adams trade. But change needs to happen. Changing GM is the easiest way to change the power structure without tearing everything down. Coach gets challenged now, QB stays, and hopefully winning results.
Searching for a potential owner.
Thank god for some encouraging news … a ray of sunshine and hope. But then I wonder … is Tater talking retirement?
I am still confounded by the people wanting to move on from Wilson and rely on Pete.
In what is considered by some his worst year in Seattle, Wilson still managed a passer rating of 103.1.
That is astounding.
So poking around the internet I found this site:
This puts them slightly above average in their drafting in the last 4 or 5 years and that takes into account McDowell (who is now starting for the Cleveland Browns.) and Penny (Now blowing the doors off of the NFL) Even though those picks are considered busts it seems as if the process was solid. Those players have the talent to have been drafted in their spots and injuries have sidelined them. Collier has been a bust yes. Brooks will be our starting MLB next year and we will be glad not to have to pay Bobby 20 million. I’m of course no expert and come onto this site to be illuminated about the draft and players but does this data based football outsiders article sway anyone in terms of their drafting prowess? PFF is often cited here when evaluating players.
Not for me. It’s an incomplete review because it doesn’t account for decision making (such as how they decided to pick Penny over Chubb, or draft a linebacker in 2020 with their top pick, or passing on Watt etc).
Neither does it highlight how they haven’t built the team to fit what they clearly want to do, which is win the trenches and run effectively.
So no, not convincing at all for me.
Is the LB pick all that disastrous considering Bobby Wagner has declined? I see people whose opinions I respect excited about Brooks. IDK anything, but it seems like good planning, they knew Wagner was near the end, and they already have his replacement. Penny over Chubb looked like a disaster, but there is a tiny shard of potential there now, and you can at least see what they saw on field.
They didn’t need to take a LB in round one, regardless of Wagner’s future.
And let’s be right here —- Carroll’s talking about keeping BW!
It takes some of the emotion out of judging their drafts. Overall the data says they’ve been slightly better than average. (According to this article).
And I feel like Brooks has been a good pick and that linebacker truly was a need at the time. Our linebackers were old and we were getting gashed in the run game. Did you see his PFF score against the run against AZ? 90.3. That’s the big positive I see in the defense this year. They managed to make teams one dimensional and I think that’s why they led the league this year in scoring D. They’ve made their share of mistakes but I feel like lumping Brooks into that category is unjustified.
It’s not "emotion" to analyse picks based on positional need and the players they could’ve had instead.
Sounds like the O-line is wonderful as well. How anyone can swallow this is truly mind blowing.
Penny: 1572 yards. 11 tds.
Chubb: 4800 plus yards. 36 tds.
Do not care if Penny looks sharp at the end of the season.
22 runningbacks and two qb’s have more yards this year. 16 runningbacks have more tds.
Not a good pick.
You’re ignoring a SMALL, but real bit evidence because you have prior ideas. I’m not saying it’s a good pick, and RB’s have looked amazing only to fall off a cliff before, and we don’t need anything other example for that but Thomas Rawls, but you can any least see what his abilities are, and the potential. Marshawn Lynch was a third string back when we traded for him, and he ascended to what he became. It’s not impossible for what Penny has shown to be replicated for an entire season. That said, you can’t count on it either…
I think it’s a bit disingenuous to call Marshawn a third stringer.
He was a high first round pick who unsurprisingly fell out with the coaches.
They couldn’t manage him.
They dealt him to get him out. It wasn’t that he was a ‘third stringer’ who nobody knew could be good. He had a +1000 yard season. He set the league alight as a rookie.
Of course, that was my intended point. Like Penny, he was a first rounder that wasn’t reaching his potential, or for him, had lost it. Wasn’t trying imply otherwise, my bad. He wasn’t a sure thing we he came to us, and he certainly had doubters because his success wasn’t immediate. Penny could be for real.
You’re reference of Rawls is an indication of Penny falling off a cliff. I’m not ignoring anything.
Penny was very exciting. But I would take 4800 yards and 36 tds with a mostly healthy Chubb oveer waiting on Penny to finally flash curious in time for a new contract.
Matt Flynn threw like a man possesed, got paid by Seattle and was mostly never heard from again.
Marshawn had 25 tds in his first 4 years. Rushed for 1100 and 1000 in his first two seasons. And in a down year befire getting traded put up Penny’s yards.
It’s not that he didn’t flash. I said it was exciting. But sports is filled with guys who go off for a short while. I’m looking at consistency so Seattle doesn’t run the rock with Homer while waiting for some guy to get going.
I thought Rawls was near great until that first serious injury … injuries have derailed so many promising careers, the saddest part of being a fan, I think.
Agree with every word you’ve written here. I have to say that many of us saw this coming and suggested a few weeks ago that losing out would be the best way to ensure that the needed changes happen, and expressed concern that two meaningless wins might reinforce the status quo. I think you felt at the time that even two convincing wins couldn’t prevent ownership from making the changes you’ve long been calling for but now it seems increasingly likely that they bring back the band for another go. 2022 could be even uglier than we feared.
Prediction for next years end of season press conference is Pete stays in charge:
Seahawks draft a DT at #41 overall. Even if said DT shows potential, he won’t play as much as some bum DT they already have. But at the end of the season press conference, Pete will say “we probably should have played him more.”
If ownership buys Carroll’s spiel and allows things to carry on as normal, I fear we’ll be right back here in 12 months having the same conversation.
I won’t be. If Allen turns a blind eye to the team’s glaring problems that are staring at her, then I’m walking away.
I will always love the Seahawks, will always hope for their success. But I won’t spend another hour of my Sundays watching “reruns” anymore. And let’s be clear, the last 4-5 seasons are essentially reruns.
I won’t be buying any Seahawks swag. I won’t be going to any Seahawks games. Are you listening Jody Allen?
One thing I simply will not tolerate is gaslighting. And if Pete Carroll continues to gaslight me, as well as the entirety of Seahawks nation, and even himself, I will come to hate the man. It wouldn’t matter if he’d won a Super Bowl in every season as the Seahawks HC. Gaslight me and you’re dead to me.
Are you listening Jody Allen?
Should add, I’ll still visit SDB because I love the Seahawks and we don’t gaslight around here. That’s not Rob’s way. Thank the gods.
That’s a great term to the crap Pete is spewing (gaslighting). This is a team that hasn’t seriously challenged anyone in the playoffs in over a half decade. I hardly call Matthew Stafford on the Lions a celebratory victory. All the playoff appearances were the same – get ass kicked, losing big, Russ leads a comeback so some of the scores doin’t look so bad on paper and then reflect and talk about what a great year you had.
The positives are the regular season records for a long time. That’s great, but the predictability of seriously challenging in the playoffs really sucks.
Schneider has done some good things. Jake Curhan is my man moving forward. Getting Reed from the 49ers was a steal. The midseason trades for Dunlap and Diggs. No way he could have wanted Adams. But I’d be fine with a shakeup involving Pete ceding some control.
I’m all for resigning some of our free agents, but by God go and get someone good in FA. I don’t need Mayowa Everett, Finney, Hyder, Olsen, Hollister, Sowell, or whoever. Sure, do some bargain shopping but at least get me 1 legitimately good somewhat splash – even if it’s a position like Center.
I hate how often the term ‘gaslighting’ is used these days. But in fairness, it fits perfectly for this press conference.
… and Stafford was playing with a significant injury to his throwing hand, which clearly hampered him. A healthy Stafford might have turned the game in the Lions favor, IMO.
Narrator: Jody Allen was not listening.
My goodness there were some tantalizing prospects on the field last night for the CFP National Championship.
Is there any way to draft both Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt? I want them both.
Will Anderson…my goodness. And Dallas Turner! Does Saban have a factory that turns out prototypical DEs?
No frickin clue said above on this thread:
“”The only way that Pete is gone is if Russ decides to take the gloves off and play the bad guy. He has to come out and say "ok Jody, you only get to keep one of us. Choose."
I agree with this. I don’t think Jody does anything without being pushed to it. Want to be wrong of course. If we aren’t wrong I’ll ask this: So Russ, do you have the stomach for it? Your career is at least half over with no championships in sight. Are you going to pussy out or grow a pair? Balls in your court (pun not untended).
This was meant as a stand alone post.
Fire up a dolorean to 88 miles an hour and don’t trade for adams.
“Pete’s back. John’s back. Russ’ back.
Jody Allen is betting the house on the #Seahawks Big 3 figuring out this "retool." Again. These next few months will determine whether she made the right call.”
We don’t know they’re all back though.
I am still befuddled on the drafting/lack of use of Tre Brown despite a gaping need at CB. If he wasn’t up to it, why’d they draft him? If they drafted him, why not put him out there? Even at Nickel?
This is going to sound chauvinistic, seriously, does Jody Allen even follow football/Seahawks? I’d ask that of any trailing sibling who had a team dropped into their lap. My guess is she wants to maintain the portfolio, not think aggressively. That tells me that Pete has her ear and Pete knows it…which explains his press conference. I’m afraid of recency bias and fear of the unknown. My fear is she’ll just maintain the rah rah cheerleader who brags about a Super Bowl win in the past. My goodness I hope I’m wrong.
Well, Brown was hurt at the beginning of the season. Once he was healthy, they started playing him and even started him. He played pretty well until he got hurt again.
*IF* the Seahawks have hired a search firm, it’s sure as hell not to find someone for the accounting department. I’m almost certain that if I have gotten wind of this information, then Pete likely found out weeks ago. I think the October meeting between Jody and PC/JS was not "normal…totally normal," as Pete spun it at the time. There was almost certainly more to it. Pete’s current tap dance and "I wouldn’t want to play us right now" statement are designed to pull anyone currently on the fence over to his side. It worked. Every writer and broadcaster in town seems to have his back.
Wilson ain’t playing that game. Pete cannot speak for his qb, as he has tried to do for the past 36 hours. RW may be the villain in this going forward, but how can he possibly agree to running it back for one more go? What’s going to change that propels this team to the Super Bowl? Shane Waldron’s brilliance? KNJr’s tactical mastery? Pete’s incredible ability to attract and sign top tier talent? JS actually not deferring to Pete at every turn? Yeah, none of those are happening and RW knows it.
The hiring of a search firm changes everything. I wish there were a way to confirm it. If it’s true, Pete & Co are likely already gone.
How can he agree? He sees the shambles potential teams are in that he’s open to be traded to. I can’t really think going to the Giants leave him closer to winning a SB, does he? I’m not saying he doesn’t want out from under Pete, but he also isn’t going to waste his talent somewhere else. He has 2 more years, if he thinks his best shot is here next year, he stays. There’s too many factors, and moving parts to be certain on anything.
You may be right, but I think Russ’ list of teams can change – certainly the Saints, Broncos, and Eagles would be more than happy to have him and at least a couple of those are in a better position both talent and coaching-wise than the Seahawks right now. I think he and the Saints would be formidable.
Good points you made Toast! Although they could have hired the search firm with an eye on replacing only Schneider! If Pete’s job is truly as safe as he thinks/says, then they aren’t searching for a new coach!
If any substantive change is going to happen, it’s no secret Russ has to lobby for it. No more Mr nice guy, he needs to demand a trade if xyz doesn’t happen. And then be willing to follow through if Pete calls his bluff!
I can’t differentiate JS from PC. It’s a me and my shadow thing – they’re here together until they’re gone. Pete’s blowing smoke and Russ has pissed away several years of his career to Peteball. I don’t think he’ll give another.
Was the news specific about the role searching for? Could just as well be a director level within scouting, personnel, operations, etc.
There were no specifics.
Not sure why you’d emoloy a search firm for a scouting job though. Schneider could lead that.
And Chuck Arnold isn’t going anywhere.
To me it seems, if nothing else, they assessed their options and had all of the information needed to make changes.
Search firms typically seek candidates for head coaching positions, general managers, athletic directors and the like.
But do they search for Defensive Coordinators? _
"Every writer and broadcaster in town seems to have his back." Case in point:
"BY JOHN CLAYTON.
After underachieving all season long, the Seahawks played like a playoff team in Week 18 against the Arizona Cardinals."
"After underachieving all season long" receives no further mention. It’s all sunshine, lollipops and unicorns.
Pete’s attitude in the press conferences for both Arizona games are an amazing stark contrast.
Week 11 “I don’t have a lot to tell ya. Ask you questions. Go.” Then storming out in visible frustration.
Week 18 (a 4 minute rant about how awesome everything is)
While yes you expect a better mood after a win than a loss, as everyone is saying, people are forgetting how truly awful the team was this season because of the two wins at the end.
Recall that first game they trotted Seahawk-killer Colt McCoy out in place of Murray and, for the second consecutive season, KNJr (Pete) had no answers. Pete was likely a bit cranky from that.
Had the Arizona games been reversed, this feels like it would’ve been an easier decision for the local media to accept, but since the Seahawks "played like a playoff team in Week 18," Pete has earned another shot.
It’s odd that the national press senses the end for this regime being close at hand much more so than the locals. They aren’t as persuaded by a win over a terrible Lions team or a collapsing Kliff Kingsbury squad.
Apparently the Bears are requesting interviews with both Ed Dodds and Brian Flores.
Dolphins just submitted their request to interview Bills OC Brian Daboll for their HC job, per source. Daboll now has requests from the Bears and Dolphins.— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 11, 2022.
Keep the sighs coming.
Feels very “seahawky,” to possibly make a decision when all that’s left is scraps from the dust bin.
I think it’s relevant that the only two guys left from the coaching hires in 2018 ago are Vrabel and Reich, both of who were hired at the end of the cycle. They were not the first choices, but they’ve become the best coaches of the lot.
This is more likely the case coupled with possible options still coaching in the playoffs.
Excellent point. This idea of fire PC… okay lets say we do it. Who is going to replace him? S. Payton has a very similar winning record to Pete with the seahawks… is S. Payton the guy to take it all the way to the SB? Or is this just to placate Russ? If Arizona loses in playoffs. Should KK be fired? If 49ers lose should