Who Mike Salk blames for Seahawks missing the playoffs: ‘Darrell Bevell is and has been a problem’

When asked about the Seahawks’ lackluster offensive showing in their 9-7 season, wide receiver Doug Baldwin said Monday that he places the blame on the players, not the coaching staff.

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“It’s not play calling. It’s not play calling. We go into a game knowing what the defense is going to give us, the situations that we’re going to be in. We don’t execute as a team,” Baldwin said. “And that’s on us as players. You guys can blame (offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell) all you want to, but the truth of the matter is, Bev’s not the problem.”

710 ESPN Seattle’s Mike Salk respectfully disagrees.

Salk responded to Baldwin’s comments on Tuesday’s airing of Brock and Salk, pointing his finger not just at Bevell but also offensive line coach Tom Cable.

“I’m going to continue to blame (Bevell). I’m going to continue to blame Tom Cable as well,” Salk said. “I generally don’t blame players for what happens. I either blame the coaches or I blame the general manager who picked those players and put them on the team that year. I know that players can’t think that way. I don’t have any problem with Doug Baldwin saying that. I totally understand where he’s coming from, and he should absolutely stand up as a leader amongst that team and say ‘We are responsible.’”

“I think that Darrell Bevell is and has been a problem for awhile,” Salk added.

The Seahawks missed the playoffs for the first time since 2011, when Bevell started as the team’s offensive coordinator.

Seattle ranked 15th in total yardage and 11th in points per game this season. Those numbers are especially discouraging when compared to the team’s 2015 offensive performance, when they finished fourth in both total yardage and points per game.

“I think at some point, while I’ve supported Tom Cable and what they’ve done, that the complete loss of their identity as a physical, run-first, balanced football team that dominates other teams and pushes them forward, has been erased with bad personnel decisions on the offensive line and bad coaching of those players once they get here to Seattle,” Salk said. “The schemes are messed up. The play-calling is messed up. Their offense, while it’s had success, when it does it looks to be just because Russell (Wilson) wills them out of trouble at times.”