"Well, my opinion in the last few years has changed on what the quarterbacks can do coming out of college," "I would have told you, in years past as an NFL coach, that young guys can't do it, and there were only a couple that ever did, and that wasn't enough to make that an expectation that you could count on. But I think that's totally shifted.
"I don't think that's the case anymore. I've changed my attitude about it just based on the results of the guys. (Joe) Flacco and Matt Ryan came out, and those guys, both in the same year, played great winning football. And Mark Sanchez found his way to do it, and guys are doing it in Detroit (with third-year QB Matt Stafford) - Pete Carroll."
As I sit here drinking a Stella and eating a quesadilla while wondering if I should go for the Jack Daniels Honey to help me go to sleep (or should I even go to sleep at all?, I can't help but think back to this quote. It's one of the reasons I'm so excited and confident about later today (it's finally here!) and the future. It's a huge part of what makes me believe that Pete Carroll will have this team prepared for the task.
Pete Carroll is ever adapting. We can all sit back and attempt to pinpoint what could possibly done different with this team because we're actually a pretty knowledgable fanbase, but the only person with a say is Pete. He's honestly one of the few people in this world that I can say I trust more than myself. John Schneider and Paul Allen are the other ones.
This quote, from a year ago in the Pre-Wilson era (BR? Before Russell?) lets me know that Pete Carroll evolves with the game and will have an excellent gameplan drawn out for today. It helps me go to sleep, in theory, knowing that he's ahead of the game and knows what is truly needed for success. However, there won't be any sleep tonight.
I now know what Russell Wilson means when he says "no time to sleep." I can only imagine what he's thinking/feeling right now.
Go Hawks!