Pete Carroll scratching his head about Seahawks’ big fall from win over Eagles to loss to Rams
Dec 18, 2017, 1:22 PM | Updated: 1:25 pm
Pete Carroll wondered if the Seahawks suffered from a lack of focus against the Rams. (AP)
(AP)
It wasn’t long ago that the Seahawks stood up to a challenge from the hot new thing in the NFL, handily defeating the league-leading Philadelphia Eagles 24-10 at CenturyLink Field on Dec. 3.
That’s one reason why Sunday’s 42-7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams was so frustrating for Seattle coach Pete Carroll.
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“I got a problem with this,” he said Monday morning during The Pete Carroll Show on 710 ESPN Seattle’s Brock and Salk. “The problem I got is where we were two weeks ago. … Two weeks ago we played a great football team, hot as can be, and we played great ball – and we’re just two weeks removed from that. That’s what I’m concerned about – how did we go so far, so fast, to play one of the worst games we’ve played in a long time, maybe ever?”
It’s a question Carroll and the Seahawks hope to answer throughout the next week of practice as they prepare for a game in Dallas against the Cowboys that is about as must-win as it gets if Seattle is going to make the playoffs for the sixth straight season.
Carroll wondered if his team suffered from a lack of focus against the Rams.
“There’s a lot of questions about how we go from two weeks ago (against) Philadelphia to this and look like that, but we were just off,” Carroll said. “We were off in our tackling and we were off in our kick covering, which are kinda big areas, and they do tell you – I think it’s a distraction thing. Get distracted by some of the things going on and didn’t play well.”
It didn’t help that the injury-ravaged Seahawks had a hard time keeping up with Los Angeles’ players, too.
“It seemed like they were faster than us, and that’s what we like to pride ourselves on, that we play faster than the teams that we play. … It just played to their advantage throughout.”
Wagner plays through injury
Carroll addressed the play of All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner, who has been dealing with a hamstring injury for about a month and played Sunday despite being noticeably impacted by that issue.
“Some players can do it, they can play when they’re hindered a little bit and still play football,” Carroll said. “He really felt confident that he could play.”
Though Wagner didn’t have his best game, Carroll said he still was Seattle’s best option at his position.
“He didn’t play poorly. He didn’t at all. He missed a couple fits on things that maybe happens when you miss a week, but other than that he (played) good, solid football. Not at his top, but his leadership, his ability to command what’s going on, make the adjustments and all of that, he’s so far ahead of anybody else that could play.”
Wagner’s performance prompted teammate Earl Thomas to share his opinion after the game that Wagner shouldn’t have tried to play through his injury.
