Hasselbeck: What’s up with Russell Wilson, why Seahawks need to retain Pete Carroll

Each Wednesday during the NFL season, former Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck joins 710 ESPN Seattle’s Mike Salk for The Matt Hasselbeck Show to break down the Hawks and the world of football from 9-10 a.m.

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This week, the conversation focused a lot on current Seahawks QB Russell Wilson’s struggles and the status of head coach Pete Carroll as 5-10 Seattle wraps up its first losing season since 2011.

You can hear the full Matt Hasselbeck Show in the podcast at this link or in the player here. Below, let’s take a closer look at what he had to say about Wilson and Carroll.

“A quarterback in a funk”

In recent weeks, Salk has been asking every football expert and sports pundit he’s interviewed what’s going on with Russell Wilson. The seven-time Pro Bowler hasn’t played like himself this season, especially since his midseason finger injury, though his issues haven’t been limited to just since then.

Hasselbeck offered up his thoughts of what he’s seeing from Wilson when going back and watching Seahawks game film.

“I see a quarterback that is in a funk, in a rut, missing guys he would always hit. And I don’t know what the reason is for that, but that is what I see on film,” he said. “So somehow, some way there needs to be a solution to that problem.”

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Hasselbeck pointed to a throw from Sunday’s Seahawks loss to the Bears where Wilson missed over the head of DK Metcalf, who ran a simple, quick out route. Hasselbeck saw blame for both players, adding that Metcalf added “sugar” to his route, doing a possible extra shake that could have messed up Wilson’s timing on the throw. Ultimately, though, he just wants to see Wilson get back to making the kinds of completions people are used to seeing him make.

“To me, it’s like, hey, first play of the game, it’s a slant route. It’s open, outside leverage, hit the slant. You can do that. You’re totally talented enough to do that. Third-and-4, you got a quick out route, hit it. Hit it. You’re good enough.”

Seahawks need Pete Carroll

Salk had a straightforward question for Hasselbeck about Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, whose first year in Seattle was Hasselbeck’s last: Do you think the Seahawks can be successful with Pete Carroll moving forward?

The answer was also straightforward.

“They will not be successful if they get rid of him, in my opinion,” Hasselbeck responded.

Why is that?

“I just think Pete Carroll is a great coach. Like, I really do,” he said. “… I’ve said this many times, when Pete Carroll came in from USC and I was about to turn 35 years old, I did not want to like him as a head coach, but I absolutely loved playing for Pete. And I really feel like there’s something special about him as a head football coach that you’re not going to find (again easily)… I don’t think you’re going to find somebody who’s going to do a better job than him. I’m super biased, I’m sure, but I think he’s a really good football coach.”

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