Pete Carroll Show: Seahawks coach recaps 24-17 loss to Bears

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll joined Brock Huard and Mike Salk on 710 ESPN Seattle to recap Seattle’s Week 2 loss to the Chicago Bears.

3 Takeaways | ‘Painful’ loss | Recap

The story heading into the game was how the defense would perform short several injured starters. In the 24 hours following the game, though, questions surrounded offensive issues, from quarterback Russell Wilson, to play-calling from offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, to an inconsistent run game.

Brock and Salk asked Carroll about all of that, as well as what happened to running back Chris Carson (who was absent through most of the second half) and what went down during a sideline conversation between Wilson, Schottenheimer and Carroll in which a normally calm Wilson looked especially frustrated.

Here are a few quick notes:

What happened yesterday?: “We didn’t start well. Gosh we had so many problems up front in general. It wasn’t the up front part of it, but we weren’t able to control the pass rush, and we thought we would be able to do a better job of that. Really, I just ripped back through it a bit this morning… I’m finding Russ over-trying a little bit. He’s pressing in difficult situations to try to see if he can come up with a way to make something happen instead of just getting rid of the football… But in the long yardage situation… we need to get rid of the ball and just give up on the play because it’s not happening, and not take an additional pressure. So that just adds up to him and it’s hard, it makes it hard on him.

“We need to do better. And I need to do better. I make mistakes, you know. I misread a little bit of something happening. I was off on the thing I said about Chris (Carson) about (him being gassed from helping with special teams as well). He was on special teams a couple plays but I thought that’s what happened and I just misread him on the sidelines a little bit and didn’t clearly understand. And so I just wanted to give Rashaad (Penny) a chance to go play… and then Chris never really (got) back in the game, and it feels like ‘Well did you bench him or something?’ That didn’t happen. It just was the way things turned. And so I missed it a little bit.”

How do you navigate the line for Wilson? “In some of the situations, like when it’s 3rd and 14 or something like that, we don’t need to take another loss right there. Because it’s so hard to make that conversion anyway. We’d like to take a look if it’s there, boom take it, if not get rid of the ball and let’s go (punt) and not worry about that. We’re going to kick the ball well, we’re going to change field position all that kind of stuff… as opposed to, ‘Let me get one extra shot to try to make it.’ The momentum of the rush building on you is a factor and we’d like to eliminate that by not giving them the shots. And that does go right to Russ’ competitiveness. He’s a battler and he’s going to try to figure it out (in those third down situations) and he has so many times. But maybe not then, not now, not in these (situations)… The negative plays are really difficult, and it just kind of adds up on you.”

Is Wilson missing open receivers or are there issues with guys getting open? “There was a couple plays when we ran routes (and) we’re trying to get the ball well down the field and (Bears defenders) are sitting back waiting… and (receivers) get covered up. So then (Wilson) has to make the decision, ‘Do I give up on this play or not?’ And Russ is not one do that, that’s not in his nature. But we need to get better at that.”

How would you characterize the run game? “Wasn’t bad. Wasn’t bad. I thought we had real good shots. I thought Chris (Carson) ran really well early, and then Rashaad (Penny) got himself going a little bit too, which was good. Good to see both those guys. I know it’s a little bit frustrating to not see (consistency) all the way through, but I think we feel like we can continue to work at running the football.”

Can you elaborate on your ‘misreading’ of Carson? “I just looked at him on the sideline (and) he looked like he was kind of worn down a little bit. And I knew that he was a factor in special teams. (But) Brian had taken him off a couple things (on special teams) because he was running the ball well. I just missed it. And I thought that’s what happened when I looked at him. But it wasn’t to bench him; it wasn’t like I was disappointed with him. We still wanted to see the other guys too and mix them in and that’s just the way it went. I didn’t read it right. And when I commented about (Carson postgame), I wasn’t clear. I just misread the situation.”

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