Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll – Conference Call – December 13, 2016

Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll – Conference Call – December 13, 2016



(On if he has a comment on the report that the Rams were interested in him to fill their head coaching vacancy)

“No, I have no comment about that.”



(On if it is something he would want to rule out completely)

“Yes.”



(On how his preparation changes this week with the Rams coaching change)

“No, it makes no difference. There’s nothing we can do about that, we just have to go on what we can see and wait and see at game time and make adjustments accordingly, if we have to.”



(On the challenges of facing a team that is going through a transition three days before a game)

“It really has nothing to do with anything, nothing. There is not one percent of anything that we’re changing, it has nothing to do with it. We just have to go play football, we can only go on what we can see. That’s it.”



(On if he has any familiarity with Rams Interim Head Coach John Fassel)

“A little bit. I met him through – he worked with (Seahawks Special Teams Coordinator) Brian Schneider, who is on our staff and worked on ‘Kiff’s’ (former Carroll assistant coach Lane Kiffin) staff (with the Oakland Raiders in 2008).”



(On why the Rams have had success against the Seahawks recently)

“They played really good when we play. Their defense is really good, they’ve been able to make plays. They’ve done it different ways – they’ve had some good special teams days. They’ve just played really good against us and we haven’t played well enough to get the win.”



(On what the Rams do well from his standpoint)

“They’re a terrific defense. The front seven is really active. They cause you problems with their looks and their style of play. Offensively, they’re committed to the running game. That’s a really solid formula, a good defense, they run the football. They’ve always been really unique and special on special teams. That’s the formula that when we’ve played them, that’s what we’ve seen, and we regard that very highly.”



(On his thought of his team after the loss to Green Bay)

“That was terrible game for us, and one that was well outside of the lines of what we’ve been doing over a lot of years. So, just let it go, and move on, and get back to business. It was a great night for Green Bay. They were right on the right spots all of the time, and they played a great football game. The quarterback was excellent. We turned the ball over like crazy. We never do that.”



(On if QB Russell Wilson is the type of player that can put a bad performance behind him)

“Without question, yeah.”



(On the difference between his team now, as compared to Week 2 when they played the Rams)

“We are considerably different. Russell – that was week after he got his high-ankle sprain, so he was relegated to just in the pocket. That was probably the hardest week for him physically, until he hurt his knee a couple of weeks later. (R Thomas Rawls got hurt in that game, he broke his ankle in the game. So, we’ve missed both of those guys at their best. I’m hoping that we’re going to – at this turn in the schedule – Russell is in good shape, and Thomas is really rounding into good shape, and those are big factors for us offensively. I think that was the biggest difference than what we had been in the second half of the season.”



(On what he thinks about Florida Atlantic University hiring Lane Kiffin as their new head coach)

“It’s a great opportunity for him. He gets a chance to be a head coach again. He’s had an extraordinary experience at Alabama with (Alabama Head Coach) Nick Saban – the best there is. That had to be valuable to him. He’s been through a lot – he’s got a very, very unique experience, résumé, background and all of that. Hopefully it will really benefit him at Florida Atlantic.”



(On the state of the Seahawks running corps and what the relationship is like between Marshawn Lynch and the Seahawks organization right now)

“Our running corps, we’re featuring Thomas Rawls and Russell Wilson. That’s how we move the football in the running game – we have for years. It’s the running back and the quarterback and that stays the same.



Marshawn has been gone, he’s retired. He’s always going to be held in high-regard around here, for all of the great stuff that he was a part of and for all the fun he brought to the Seahawks, the fans and all of that.”





Seahawks QB Russell Wilson – Conference Call – December 13, 2016



(On the success they’ve had in being able to bounce back after tough losses)

“I think it’s always the same thing, whether you win or lose – it’s coming back to the process of preparation. And that’s where the separation is, the separation is in the preparation. I think just being able to continue to focus on having a great week of practice. We’ve been fortunate to, obviously, win a lot of football games in the past four or five years and I think that, even through the wins, you move onto the next opportunity, you don’t get too high and you don’t get too low. And then through some of the tough losses, it’s the same way, you stay even-keeled, you just continue to move on to the next opportunity. We’re all grateful, we’re players that love the game of football, we’re passionate about the game, we’re passionate about trying to prepare at the highest level and setting the standard very, very high.”



(On how he feels compared to how he was feeling the first game against the Rams in September)

“Obviously, I feel 100 times better now. It was the second game of the year, playing against the Rams – and a very, very good defense that we really, really respect what they can do, they have a bunch of star players that are unbelievable players. Unfortunately, that week, I had just suffered a pretty extreme ankle injury – a high-ankle sprain – and I couldn’t really move too much, I was kind of hobbling around out there. Obviously, it’s gotten better over those several weeks, just being able to move around and make certain plays and all that kind of stuff, it definitely helps.”



(On how long it took him to feel comfortable in the NFL in his first few years as a starting quarterback)

“I started, I don’t know how many games, I think some 50-plus games in college. I was able to go to N.C. State and play in the ACC in a tough conference and start since I was a freshman and then being able to transfer to Wisconsin. That gave me some confidence in itself and also playing professional baseball, too. Knowing how prepare and just continue to try to be a professional in every situation – so, I think that helped. I think (Rams Q Jared (Goff) is going to be a really, really good quarterback, too. It comes down to preparation, it comes down to continuing to build, it comes down to you have to be tough-minded, tough-willed. I think that’s a big part of it. I’m grateful that I’ve had the experience that I’ve had in terms of the hard work that it takes to get here. To get to where you want to get, you have to put the work in and that’s just the thought process that I’ve always had. And I think in terms of feeling comfortable, I’ve always felt comfortable, I’ve always trusted my game, I’ve always prepared at a high level. And I think that when you prepare, you’re never scared, I think that gives you a chance to play at a high level.”



(On his reaction to Pete Carroll being a likely candidate for the Rams’ head coaching job)

“Well, I think Coach Carroll – he’s, obviously, one of the all-time great coaches, in my opinion. I think he’s a Hall of Fame coach. I think that he’s a Hall of Fame coach in two as well. Obviously, Coach Carroll has got tons of ties to L.A., and his relationship there. Obviously, coaching at USC for such a long time, and winning so many championships. Of course they’re going to come after Coach Carroll, because he’s a great coach. Hopefully, he stays here. We obviously love him here. I don’t really know too much about it, honestly. It’s kind of really the first time I really heard about it. But, I think that, obviously, we love Coach Carroll here, and the things that he’s done for us, and winning a Super Bowl here. He’s pretty cool, and pretty special.”



(On the difference between playing on the road and playing at home)

“Anytime you play on the road, obviously, you’re going into a tough environment. We’ve had some tough, tough losses this year in tough situations. But, we’re always able to overcome situations. I think for us, to be able to stay as tough-minded as you can, and focus on our preparation. That’s really where our focus is.”



(On the greatest challenge of the turnaround from a Sunday Night Football game to a Thursday Night Football game)

“It’s always extremely tough, first of all, physically. The toll that you take in a game, that’s for every position really. Physically, you’ve been practicing all week, and then play a tough game, and then you have to get ready for the next week and play on Thursday. Those extra days from Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, that gives you a lot of extra time to get your body back to 100 percent, and all of that. I think we do a great job of knowing how to practice, knowing how to prepare, knowing how to get our bodies back to full strength and full speed. It takes a lot of early mornings and late nights, especially in short weeks like this. You just get ready to roll and do everything you can to try to find a way to win.”