Pete Carroll previews Seahawks’ Week 2 matchup with the Lions

Sep 16, 2023, 1:13 PM

Geno Smith of the Seattle Seahawks hugs Jared Goff of the Detroit Lions on Oct. 2, 2022. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

(Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Seattle Sports

The Seattle Seahawks enter their Week 2 matchup with the Detroit Lions with an 0-1 record after a very tough Week 1 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

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Despite holding the lead at halftime, the Seahawks wound up losing 30-13 to the Rams while doing next to nothing offensively in the second half and struggling to stop the pass on defense.

“They took it really hard, first off,” head coach Pete Carroll told Steve Raible during Friday’s Pete Carroll Preview on KIRO Newradio 97.3 FM. “Monday and Tuesday were huge for us in just getting through it and processing (the loss). And it took us all the way until we got on the practice field on Wednesday before we really clicked and got going, which is what Wednesday is all about … We’ve had a good strong week, and I’m happy that we were able to put it behind us. But it was a big, frustrating day for us, so we had to work hard to get it done to get out of it.”

Now, the Seahawks face a Lions team that’s riding high after going into Kansas City and knocking off the reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs last week. That game was the Thursday Night season opener, so the Lions had more days of rest than Seattle.

“We have a very tough matchup coming up in Detroit, but one that we really need. We need to go to a very difficult championship environment,” Carroll said. “They’re all fired up … They’re gonna make as big a time of it coming off the KC win as they can, and they deserve it. So it’s a great setting for us to go into. To survive it and then come out with a win would be really something special.”

When looking at the mathcup in Detroit, Carroll pointed to a number of standout players on the Lions’ offense.

“(Running back) David Montgomery is a tough guy. He’s going to give you everything he’s got every snap forever,” Carroll said.

Montgomery isn’t the only running back Carroll is keeping a close eye on. The Lions used the 12th overall pick on Alabama standout Jahmyr Gibbs, who averaged 6 yards a carry in his NFL debut last week.

“The new kid Jahmyr Gibbs is a fantastic talent, and they’re just starting to figure it out. They used him some last week, and we’re gonna see more of him, I’m sure,” Carroll said. “He’s a very explosive player, very talented. He’s tough as well as fast and quick and he gets the ball really nice too. They can do a ton of stuff with him, so we expect to see a lot of him. When he’s in the game, we gotta keep our eye on him.”

The Lions also have one of the NFL’s top receivers in Amon-Ra St. Brown, who had over 1,100 receiving yards last season.

“St. Brown is a fantastic football player for them, and they have a weapon in him wherever he goes,” Carroll said.

Leading the Lions offensive is quarterback Jared Goff, who Carroll and the Seahawks know very well from his time with the Rams. Goff has played very well for the Lions, and he enters this game having not thrown an interception over his last 359 passing attempts, the third-longest suchh streak in NFL history. The record is 402 by Aaron Rodgers.

“We’ve seen Jared Goff over the years, and we’re now seeing him at his very best,” Carroll said. “He’s on a great streak with the picks and all that kind of stuff that we’re gonna go out there and try to tap his shoulder a couple of times and see if we get that ball, but he’s at his best too. So it’s a good club, and they deserve to be where they are right now. We’ll see if we get after it.”

“It’ll be a great challenge for us,” Carroll later added. “A good NFC match down the road and all that kind of stuff. Seeing these guys now, you’d like to see them again later on during the season if you’re that fortunate. We’re going for it.”

Listen to this week’s Pete Carroll Preview at this link or in the player near the top of this story. The Pete Carroll Preview airs every Friday at 8:15 a.m. on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM.