PETE CARROLL PRESS CONFERENCE: COACH TALKS ABOUT SEAHAWKS STRUGGLES AS DEFENDING CHAMPS
Al Thompson
Seahawks Pete Carroll. His defending SB champions are 5-3.Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll
Conference Call — November 5, 2014
Q: Can you talk about the difference this year playing as the defending champions and how you guys have adjusted to it?
A: I will let you know a little later from now. We are still in the middle of everything. This has been a bit of a different start for us now that we have a few losses that we didn’t have last year, but the games have been tough as they were last year and they have been challenging and we have had to win them at the end. We have had a chance to win them at the end. That is very similar to last year at this point at about game nine or ten. Then we got going pretty good at the end. This has been another challenging year and we are trying to get it done and I don’t feel like I can compare it or make any kind of evaluation until look back after [the season] is over.
Q: Do you sense teams are bringing your best to you and that you have a little bit of a target on your back?
A: I think that is just natural. I think it is an opportunity for the other team and that is something you should expect. We were out in front of it last year so we felt it last year too in a sense. I am sure we are getting everybody’s best shot and we wouldn’t really expect it any other way.
Q: Last year you guys were able to control Eli [Manning] pretty well… What is the difference with him in the way he has played this year and the way he played last year?
A: I think he looks very similar. He is the same guy. He is healthy. He is firing the ball around. You can see that there are some tactical difference in the offense, but when it comes down to him putting his back foot on the ground throwing the football he is doing stuff just like he always has. I’m sure he misses [Victor] Cruz, but he has a bunch of guys around him that can make some things happen to. [Odell] Beckham is coming on and you can see that there is a lot of potential for them to be really on fire and we are ready for that.
Q: What have you thought of the play of Beckham?
A: I think he looks terrific. We had him really highly rated in the draft. [We] loved his overall football ability. He was a terrific returner. His great speed and also he has just great athleticism and he is great competitor and smart player. You put it all together. He is a tremendous prospect for them and he is really coming alive and you can see that he has great potential.
Q: How do you feel that your team has moved on offensively from the Percy Harvin trade?
A: We are well on our way now. I feel like we have done the things we needed to do with our guys to put them in good positions and where they can make their plays. We have played pretty good football the last couple of weeks. We have to get better and we are continuing to improve in a lot of areas. I don’t think it has anything to do with anyone who is not here. We are working hard at it and trying to get right.
Q: Do you expect to have [Kam] Chancellor and [Byron] Maxwell or both on Sunday?
A: Yeah we are really counting on those guys playing if they make it through the week. We will see. We will go day-to-day but it looks like they will play.
Q: What makes Colin Kaepernick different from other dual-threat quarterbacks?
A: He is an extraordinary athlete, he is big and strong, he’s got a great arm, but what separates him is he’s got tremendous speed when he takes off and runs. We’ve seen him for years show the ability to make big plays when he runs. Not just escape kind of movement, but when he takes off he really can strike you dead. I think that is what separates him from other athletes. He is really, really fast and it shows up when he takes off and runs with the football.
Q: You guys have five interceptions against Eli Manning last year. He hasn’t thrown as many this year. Do you see that as a change in him? Do you still feel like you can force him to make turnovers?
A: I think he is really doing a great job, and he is sticking to the principals of the offense. They are taking care of the football with him and I think that it is obvious that they improved there. I don’t remember what their numbers were last year overall, but we had a game against them. In his history, he has been a championship quarterback and he made great decisions in all of that, and it looks like he is there again able to do all of that. It looks like they placed good emphasis on it and he is making the right choices and taking care of the ball.
Q: Russell Wilson wasn’t overly happy with his performance last week. How much thought do you put in the fact that he didn’t have the protection that he normally would? He didn’t have all of the weapons that he normally would?
A: It is a factor that always gets forgotten when the games are looked at. Whether or not you have your key players after a while you just live with what the result was. In this case, like always, when you got new linemen in there it is harder, and the communication isn’t as good, and the execution is not as sharp, but you still have to play and get it done. That is what we did and that is what Russell Wilson did. He took care of the football all game along, and we ran it pretty well. He made the plays we had to make to get us a win. You are always going to get affected when you have that many changes in your offensive line, your starting center, tackle, and left guard all at one time are out of there. That is a challenge for any team. Nothing unique to us and you just have to overcome it. I think Russell Wilson did a nice job to do that. As far as the last month he has been playing good football and we all are trying to get better and he is no different than anyone else.
Q: How has Richard Sherman been playing for you guys? Are teams attacking him, or doing anything differently? He hasn’t had the same amount of interceptions this year.
A: The thing I would remark about Richard Sherman is coming off the last couple of years, and finally having a chance to get his new contract in all of that could have affected him in a number of ways. How he has responded is by having is best off season he has ever had, his most consistent play to date. He has just been on it, really, game to game to game. He has played great football, he had very few opportunities; teams have stayed away from him the most part. The last two weeks, a couple balls went his way two weeks again and again this week. He was all over it this week, got a pick, knocked the ball down. He has played really, really good play—good ball. It has been exciting to watch him even when you would think he might get frustrated. You can’t get the opportunity for interceptions or the big play; he has not changed his game. He has continued to play great technique and play hard. Finish plays and do everything exactly like a terrific player can. He played a great football game last week and I think that as a real testament to his commitment to the game and really to this program.
