Cardinals vs. Seahawks | Week 10 Highlights | NFL
Here are highlights of what Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll had to say to the media during his regular weekly Monday press conference as he talked about the loss to Arizona, the play of Russell Wilson, what happened on some of the key plays of the game, and more:
(Open) I think it really makes sense for me to convey to you that were really frustrated by that game yesterday. It just didnt happen the way we had planned at all. We didnt find the opportunity to even get in the game plan. We never really did, particularly offensively. I dont ever remember a game when you have your first four drives youre first and twenty. I cant ever remember that ever happening. So when that happens, we wound up in third and whatever. Third and ten, third and twelve, third and fifteen, something like that. Those kind of situations that we couldnt convert on. So we never really ever found it. The Cardinals did a nice job of taking advantage of our play. They got up, and then the game changed. We got back to making sense and how we want to play. Because we were behind, we were in up-tempo mode right before the half and we scored. And in the drives where we didnt have penalties, we scored. When we had major penalties we didnt overcome it. And thats by our own doing. So thats what frustrating about it, because we havent been playing like that, and it just jumped up. It really changed the game and the opportunity of it. Having said all that, we turned the thing back around, get ahead and have a chance to take the game home, and in really excellent fashion. Guys were focused. They stayed with it. Halftime adjustments were made. All the stuff we needed to do put us in position, with some great play by the defense, to take a great matchup here at home and win a fantastic football game. And then they put together a drive, and that drive happened again. Carson [Palmer] converted four of four on the drive that puts them ahead, and we couldnt get off the field there and thats what we had to do. So its real frustrating because we know we can play and were just not there the way we need to be yet. So the battle of this season is to find it. We have plenty of good play in us, and we have to find the consistency that allows us to get the game done. When we have, weve gotten nice wins, and when we dont we have to suffer like that. So thats whats happening. I dont see all the mystery to it, its just were not quite right. So were going to keep working really hard to keep focusing on all the stuff that we can improve, and make the adjustments that we need to make, and move on. This season is this week. Its this week. And were good at doing that and were going to do that really well. Were going to get back in and get to work and crank up a weeks preparation that gets us a win and get this thing moving again and see if we can make some noise here a couple months from now.
(On what the challenges are with having to come back with a team that is used to winning) I just think this is a little bit different. Three years ago we were 6-5 and a couple years ago we were 4-3 or something like that. Now were 4-5. I think its just a little bit different, and the difference is we dont have full control of everything at this point. Well see if we can work our way back in that. That would be great. Its a long ways from that at this point. So all of that still brings us back to right now, and this focus of turning it around this week. I know thats kind of dulling to you, but it is what it is.
(On how the players are embracing the message right now) I think really well. I thought we had a really good meeting today. The truth of it was really clear. Frustration, yeah. The execution, we could see theres so many clear areas of things we can do better. Things that we normally do real well. Giving guys deep b***s is not what we do. Thats not how we play. We know how to do that. We have great emphasis, and we let a couple get away. That was the difference in the game. One difference, there was a lot of stuff. But they get it. These guys are smart. They understand. Theyre relating well with the coaches and I think making sense of it.
(On if he agrees with Earl Thomas that miscommunication and being undisciplined have been a downfall for the defense) Not really. No I dont. I think there was a time way back when in the season when we were struggling a little bit. But we can always be better though, and I appreciate that hes [Earl Thomas] pushing us to be better there.
(On how he assesses Russell Wilsons play in the game and in the season) I think hes playing like he plays. Hes making his plays with his feet. Hes made some great throws. Hes been a consistent battler, hes been battling the whole time. Hes worked with the rush as hes had to. I think that in this game, we talk about the ones that got away, the throws that got away from us, and the opportunities that got away, there was plenty of them in there. Hes just working at being really consistent with his reads, and his footwork, so that he can make the plays that are there when theyre available. And hes going to make a lot of stuff happen otherwise. So its always to try to make sure were maximizing every play that we get. And we have to look at every one of them individually and see what happened. Was there a breakdown, was there a guy that came loose, Im only talking about the passing game. Could the throw have been this or that, and the reads and all that stuff. Hes just trying to get better, like all of us are. But he made some marvelous plays to give us a chance, and we missed a few opportunities that we needed to make a difference too.
(On the second two point conversion play) He [Russell Wilson] reads the whole thing. Its like a triple-option play for him. And Jimmy [Graham] got knocked down over there. I think the ball was a little high and away, but the last choice is he can either run it or throw it to Jimmy. Thats a pretty good choice, we like that. But just as the ball was coming, Jimmy fell down. The guy kind of played through him, whatever happened, I dont know. But he didnt stay on his feet, and I think the ball might have been a little high anyway. But we like that choice. We think in that situation for a couple yards thats a good choice. He can run it in or he can throw it in, and Marshawn [Lynch] has an option there too.
(On Russell Wilsons interception throw) He really had Doug [Baldwin]. He had Doug and Tyler [Lockett] were open. The throw went outside and away. He missed the throw on that one. But the read took him to the deep ball and he had one of two choices, he saw the first one and went for it. Doug had run a great route. He was inside [Tyrann] Mathieu and he [Wilson] had a chance to hit him.
(On Doug Baldwins game yesterday overall) He had a great game. Yeah, he did a great job. Did a good job of the basic stuff. Did a really good job creating when we were moving too. Hes our best guy at getting open on scrambles and always is the one thats most available. Thats a huge game.
(On if the design of that play was to throw the ball to the inside) Yeah, it should have taken him inside. Yeah, hes [Baldwin] running the post route, post angle. It just went over and away.
(On how the defense played overall yesterday)I thought they did a terrific job, in a bunch of areas. To turn the ball over like that, it might have been four or five, maybe six chances to get turnovers in that game. The ball was on the ground, all of that. It wasnt perfect because the third down thing didnt work out right. I think, Im not sure if this is right, but I think the numbers were like four for thirteen going into the last drive. And they go four for four. Four for thirteens right at our average. Were playing it pretty good. Got to give something to those guys. Carsons [Palmer] a fantastic football player. Thats a great offense they have going. They couldnt run the ball. They ran the ball for two-something until we let that run get away from us. So theres a lot of really good things. The pressure was on. The two areas, the third downs fell apart numbers-wise on that drive, and then the penalties got in the way. We got in our own way. I think they had five first downs by penalty in the game, and thats too many. Weve recognized that when we have major penalties on drives were a lot easier to score on. Its been a good factor for us all year. This is the first time its really jumped up like this unfortunately. We played really hard. We were aggressive. We attacked the line of scrimmage. The run-game plan was right on it. We missed some opportunities on the deep b***s to separate the game, really otherwise it would have been fine.
(On how much the penalties played into Marshawn Lynch getting eight carries) It totally does. And they kept getting the ball at midfield too. The penalties really dictated what was going on the way they got their first 19 points. Of course they executed to get their points, but we made it really easy on them. To play defense on first and twenty, and second and sixteen, and then third and twelve and fifteen, thats what you hope for. Its not hard there. Thats the best you get on defense. So we really made it easy for them and they took advantage of it and held us, and got the field position and got their points. So it played into a great opportunity for them really.
(On what the reasons were for the penalties on the offensive line) I dont even know how to answer that question right now, honestly. I dont even know how to talk about penalties at this point. I really dont. So what I would say is that weve got to keep our hands in. Those are all up to interpretation, those guys are calling them the best they can. There was a variety of things that happened. They called one on Garry Gilliam, and it wasnt on him, it was on Luke [Willson]. So thats about as much as I can say.
(On if they talk about officiating during the week) Absolutely. We have a full game plan. We do. We have a full day on Friday that we dedicate to the crew thats coming in, the tendencies of their calls. We show film of calls that theyve made to make them aware, we go into great depth in that way because the crews have their own way, somewhat. We take a lot of care there. We think its such a big factor in the game that we want to know what were dealing with, so we do that.
(On what he thought of Cary Williams coverage on Michael Floyds second touchdown) It was a fantastic throw and catch. He knew the deep ball was coming and just was on it and he just was inches from making his play on the ball. I thought that was a fantastic throw. Michael Floyds playing great ball. Hes really coming through for them and he made a big play out of that. Cary was right there, but he was inches short from being able to affect the finish of the catch. I thought he played a pretty good football game. They put him in a lot of run support situations in the game, which he was prepared for, and we knew that could likely happen. I thought he came through for the most part, there were a couple plays where he could get a little tighter but he did a pretty good job on that. Tackled very well.
(On how Patrick Lewis played) He did fine. We were happy with the way he played.
(On if the Cardinals blitzed less than they anticipated) Yeah. They did. They still came after us, they did their stuff. The down and distance situations were such in their favor for such a big part of that game that they didnt have to. They just kind of were playing defense. As we started to move it, things started to happen, they changed up more.
(On whats been working so well with the no huddle offense) Its always been a good part for us and Russells been really functioning well in that, and weve practiced the dog out of that. We were really good right before the half, thats a great drive and when we needed in the second half, we came through again. I dont know if you noticed, we did up-tempo and some of the modified tempo that we were pushing. I dont know exactly why, but we executed pretty well. If it was like that throughout, we would do it all the time, but it really isnt. Youve got to do it in spurts.
(On how the rest of the offensive line played) Everybody held up okay. We had some runners that got through us on pass pro, but in general the protection was pretty solid. Russell [Wilson] took off a few times when he had to, and a couple times when he could have waited, so they did better. We averaged well in the running game. We never got to our run game. We never got to it, and we were down 19-0 before we knew it. I think the fifth drive was the 2 minute drive. We just never really got to where we wanted to, and its really a shame because we had a really good plan. I really liked it.
(On Andre Ellingtons draw play) We had a blitz on him that should have hit him in the backfield. We should have hit him in the backfield. Their left guard reached us and the ball popped where its not supposed to go, then everybodys blitzing and were chasing guys on the other side of the field and had a screen going on the other side, so theres very few guys left. Kam [Chancellor] had the first chance to make the play and didnt get to it, and then we got blocked outside. It was a beautiful job of executing the draw play against us, but we really counted on hitting that in the backfield. We had both linebackers running through. It was a good choice to try it and maybe they recognized that we were coming pressure, and the guard did a nice job on his block. It really came out on one guy blocking and popped the thing and then a great run by [Andre] Ellington.
(On if Kam Chancellor was supposed to carry the touchdown to the tight end to the end zone) It really comes to both safeties. Its thrown over him, and Earl [Thomas] has a chance to get there too, they both have a chance to affect that.
(On the breakdown on the first touchdown to Michael Floyd) Sherm [Richard Sherman] saw that the big corner route thats coming underneath him, and Im sure its when Carson [Palmer] goes to throw the football, he thought he was going there because he was deep at the time, so he just hung and he just misread the throw and where it was going to. Sherms really active in zone and he sees all that stuff and every once in a while it gets him, and it got him. It was a great read by Carson to realize that he had a shot because Sherm was back there. He knows to stay away from Sherm for the most part, but it was a great read and a great finish to the catch.
(On if he thought about going for the PAT instead of for two after 4th quarter touchdowns) We were into the fourth quarter, and I just liked the thought of going for it at the time. 4th quarter kind of gets you in the mode where you can go for it. I was talking about it if we scored before that even. I was in the mentality, lets go for it, lets see if we can do it. That was it.
Source: http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seahawks/seattle-seahawks-coach-pete-carroll-this-season-is-this-week/
