Is this the new Pete Carroll?

[TraderGary]

To my surprise, I haven't really seen anyone talking about this in the forum so I think it deserves its own thread.

It's only game one, but I see a major difference in philosophy compared with years past. Yes Pete has come out with guns blazing in the past, but I saw things in this game that I don't recall ever seeing since PC has been in Seattle which leads me to believe this is the new and improved Pete Carroll.

Not just talking about winging the ball all over the field which he has done on rare occasions in the past, but things like running up-tempo, no-huddle, etc. I could be mistaken, but other than at end of half 2-minute drills or in the 4th quarter of games when attempting to come from behind, I don't recall Pete ever doing that. It has always been about running the play clock down and shortening the game as much as possible and winning it in the 4th quarter. Today we came out and took the game to the Falcons from the start and it was so damn refreshing to see! I was almost giddy.

I wasn't sure it was possible for PC to change after all these years, but I think we may be witnessing that change before our very eyes, and I applaud him for it. I can't believe I'm going to say this about a Pete Carroll coached team, but I was actually thinking on at least a couple occasions that they should probably run the ball a bit more and mix it up a little. How often have we said that in the past since Pete has been here?

I think PC deserves a lot of credit for showing a willingness to listen to others including his QB. I have been ready to move on from Pete for a while because I strongly disagreed with his philosophies, but if he shows a willingness to adapt to today's NFL and maximize his strongest weapons, I would be perfectly content having him here for as long as he chooses, and retiring a Seahawk.

It's just one game so let's see if this continues. But from what I saw today, I think it's a very good sign going forward and I'm excited at the possibilities. What say you?

 

[RolandDeschain]

I don't dare hope that we will consistently play to our strengths regularly on offense just yet. If we do, however....and keep going for the throat for a full four quarters every game.....then we are playing in the Super Bowl this year.

 

[Mick063]

He is unleashing Russ.

Barring injury, I predict that this season will be the statistical pinnacle of his career. Enjoy it, because it he may not be able to replicate it. Russ is truly at his peak right now.

 

[chris98251]

Part of it is the way this season has started, you don't know what you may have as a team next week. You can't do a slow burn build up, you need to make sure your out of the gate in a hurry as in wins and losses.

I think him rotating players and keeping them fresh while building up endurance and keeping their legs fresh is important as well.

 

[blazen2392]

We started a hashtag and cyberbullied Pete with the "let Russ cook" campaign.

 

[bigskydoc]

Let's not forget this was also a complete rethinking of his defensive approach of the last couple of years too. A return to the early days, IMHO.

A dominant secondary as the foundation. The nebulous, shifting LEO bringing pressure from anywhere, leaving the offense calling "who's the LEO?" instead of "who's the Mike?"

Clowney/ Griffen would have been icing on the cake, but they don't really fit what Pete is doing this year, and they would not have been happy with their roles here. For whatever reason, Pete has chosen to devalue the trenches on both sides. With the exception of Brown, we really don't have any big stars in the trenches.

I love the experiment on both sides of the ball. It is the most Bellichick like move I've seen from Pete. It makes me excited that he has evolved, and we are going to be a real force for the first time in a long time.

We just have to figure out the Cards. They are going to be tough this year, and it's a two horse race for the NFCW.

 

[Erebus]

I can't believe I'm going to say this about a Pete Carrol coached team, but I was actually thinking on at least a couple occasions that they should probably run the ball a bit more and mix it up a little. How often have we said that in the past since Pete has been here?

Just once.

 

[Seahawks Guy]

I can't believe I'm going to say this about a Pete Carrol coached team, but I was actually thinking on at least a couple occasions that they should probably run the ball a bit more and mix it up a little. How often have we said that in the past since Pete has been here?

Just once.

Lol

Post of the week.

 

[therealjohncarlson]

We just have to figure out the Cards. They are going to be tough this year, and it's a two horse race for the NFCW.

I would pump the brakes on that.. niners and rams are still more of a threat

 

[Mad Dog]

We just have to figure out the Cards. They are going to be tough this year, and it's a two horse race for the NFCW.

Whoa, clearly making too big an inference from week 1. Week 1 is always the atypical week where teams destined for the playoffs can look bad and teams destined for a high draft pick can look great. Only consistency is that the Browns will lose.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

We just have to figure out the Cards. They are going to be tough this year, and it's a two horse race for the NFCW.

I would pump the brakes on that.. niners and rams are still more of a threat

Unfortunately all three teams are a threat, as we saw last year, and the Cards look stronger (at least from what I saw yesterday).

Sucks that we keep having to play in the hardest division in football year after year, but here we are.

 

[DomeHawk]

We haven't named a thread after it but it seems everyone has been talking about it in one form or another.

 

[kf3339]

I don't dare hope that we will consistently play to our strengths regularly on offense just yet. If we do, however....and keep going for the throat for a full four quarters every game.....then we are playing in the Super Bowl this year.

That's my hope as well, but PC is a hard man to read. I think there is still plenty of the old PC lurking around to question a complete change in strategy.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

I don't dare hope that we will consistently play to our strengths regularly on offense just yet. If we do, however....and keep going for the throat for a full four quarters every game.....then we are playing in the Super Bowl this year.

That's my hope as well, but PC is a hard man to read. I think there is still plenty of the old PC lurking around to question a complete change in strategy.

Pete hasn't changed, other than giving Russell FAR more control...............at the line, schematically and in game.

The 4th and 5 at the Falcon's 38 was a perfect example. Old Pete would have punted that relying on his defense, new Pete allowed Russell to talk him into quickly going for it because Russell saw that the Falcon's D was celebrating the 3rd down stop thinking the same thing as us, that Pete would punt.

So new Pete? Probably not, other than giving Russell more decision making power.

 

[hawkfan68]

The Falcons stifled the running game so he went with let’s beat them through the air. Having more quality players as receiving threats helps. At least he didn’t stick with what not was working as he had in the past. That’s a great change.

 

[AgentDib]

We've gone for it on 4th down a number of times over the years in similar situations. One of the biggest fourth down conversions in franchise history happened from the SF 35 yard line, and they have always thought in that 34-40 range that going for it makes more sense than a short punt or a very long field goal.

Our offense was much better than people think last season - up until all of the RBs, TEs, and interior OL went down. Everybody's healthy now with a couple of off-season additions, and the offense looks very good once more. Hopefully the heavy rotations help to minimize injury risk going forwards, but that's still a huge factor and we're always a couple of injuries away from everybody complaining again.

 

[keasley45]

Great topic. I also can't help but think that some of the difference in what we saw yesterday on both sides of the ball and will continue to see in the future is also a result of two factors.
1. Pete being won over by Russ's hall of fame ability and his now complete command of his skill and his team. Russell, for as magic as he was through two superbowls and perennial play off success hadn't really solidified himself entirely as the undisputed leader of the franchise. Part of that ibthink was just Russ's quirkiness and seeming willingness to play the consumate company guy. Say the right thing, do the right thing, tow the company line. Efficiency, efficiency efficiency. He played the role flawlessly and in the process also turned the NFL record books upside down. Carrol trusts him now. He has helped make him. But I think Pete also realizes now that he is a result of russ's brilliance as much as russ was a result of Carroll's guidance through the LOB years. Its a transition. Pete can back off because his philosophy is ingrained in Russ's DNA. He can sling it... but when he does he still does it with discipline and control.

2. It is literally the beginning of the transition to the next regime. Pete clearly sees his time coming to an end and I think he knows his legacy will live on in russ but that russ will be slinging the ball in seattle long after Pete hangs it up and gets invited back to raise the 12's flag. Its a passing ofnthe torch to Russ and schotty who i wager will be our next HC. Pete has laid the groundwork and hard nosed mentality for the offense. Now russ and schottenheimer will evolve it into the next era of hawks ball.

I just wish there was a better aire on the defensive side of the ball. Seems we are assembling the pieces and the aggressiveness on D Was nice to see yesterday, but i just dont see norton being adept enough to take advantage of the tools he has beyond the occassional Blitz / freelance package featuring j adams.

 

[TwistedHusky]

Nothing about yesterday looked like the Seahawk football we are used to.

We scored TDs in the first half.

We passed often, and sometimes early.

We threw quickly.

We blitzed our safeties.

We barely even ran the ball.



It might be that Carroll saw that without the preseason and with some of the practice time impacted, the defenses were going to be behind. It looked like every team threw more yesterday from the kickoff.

My hope is that Carroll sticks with it. The Patriots will be a huge test for us though.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

I just wish there was a better aire on the defensive side of the ball. Seems we are assembling the pieces and the aggressiveness on D Was nice to see yesterday, but i just dont see norton being adept enough to take advantage of the tools he has beyond the occassional Blitz / freelance package featuring j adams.

Be patient with the defense, there's a lot of new pieces in the defensive backfield and D-line..............going to take time to clean up some of the sloppy gap and scheme issues we saw yesterday.

Especially with Adams giving as much free reign as he's apparently being given, and Dunbar being thrown into CB without hardly any camp reps, that creates communication issues that like I said, need time to be ironed out.

The good news is we haven't seen that much hitting and aggression out of the defense in what, four years? I betcha there were more big hits by the defense yesterday than the entire year last season.

 

[ZagHawk]

we will know the game or two RW is shut down and the run game is effective, does he just go back to what he knows.