Pete Carroll: Golden Tate fine justified

Pete Carroll says the NFL fine against Golden Tate was justified given the new league rules. (AP)

By Josh Kerns

Despite a $21,000 fine against Seahawks receiver Golden Tate for his highly publicized block during the Dallas game, head coach Pete Carroll says the league got it right.

“He got clipped by the rules,” Carroll told “Seattle’s Morning News” on Friday. “I’m sure it was the right call by the way they look at it. It was a heck of a block and we just have to try and do it just an inch better and we’d be fine.”

Carroll said the new rules make clear it’s illegal to hit any part of an opposing player’s facemask with your helmet, which Tate did.

“I think there was contact on the guy’s chin. That’s wrong. So we’re trying to figure it out and trying to play. It’s a new day in the game and it hasn’t always been this way, and our players are working really hard because they don’t want to get fined,” Carroll said. “But more than that they don’t want to hurt your football team. So it’s just the way and we just have to adapt and not like it, but go with it.”

Carroll said there’s plenty of excitement building for Monday night’s matchup against the Green Bay Packers at CenturyLink Field.

“I can only imagine people are so fired up for it and the whole area is jacked, the 12th Man that shows up at game time, they’re going to be, well, let’s say, they’re going to be well prepared,” Carroll said. “I would imagine this is as good as we can get it.”

Carroll said the biggest challenge will be slowing Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rogers, considered among the game’s best.

“He is well equipped in that he can make things happen. He does some things that are really subtle. If you look carefully during the game and the replays and things you’ll see him look defenders off better than anybody else is doing in the game,” Carroll said.

“You add all of the ability he has to move and find guys either by running to find space or to run to make yards with his legs alone. He’s really, really good at it.”

Carroll said one of the keys to the game will be Seattle’s ability to control the ball for large chunks of time like it did last weekend against Dallas.

“Last week, we had those two huge drives that took up almost 7 minutes apiece and that’s just so frustrating for an offense because they can’t get out there,” he said. “So if we’re able to do that and mix the stuff it takes to make first downs, it can really give us the best chance to win the football game.”

Catch all the coverage of “Monday Night Football” starting with the pregame show at 2:30 p.m. on 97.3 KIRO FM and 710 ESPN Seattle.