The Seahawks improved their away record to 6-0 after an impressive effort by the defense. The Seahawks created five turnovers and forced quarterback Carson Wentz to play his worst game of the season.
Here is what the Seahawks had to say after their impressive win
HEAD COACH PETE CARROLL
PETE CARROLL: This was a terrific win for us. Go back on the road again and do it and played really good football across the board. I’m really fired up about that. And I’m so happy with the guys and the way we have approached these games mentally. And it’s the challenge of flying across the country and playing in the morning, we’re there. We understand how to do it and I’m really fired up about that. That’s such a good accomplishment and these guys know how to get it done.
So I like this team that we just played. They can do all kinds of stuff, they’re a well-balanced football team, and we held them down. I think it’s really worth noting how the defense played today. I thought they played great all day long. Obviously, we took the ball away from them a ton of times, five times I think today, we had four sacks. The pressure was there again like last week. We all wondered are we going to have pressure this week? And we didn’t have J.D. [Clowney] out there playing. Just thrilled for the guys up front that kept the heat coming and made it a hard day for their quarterback.
So the other side of it is on the offensive side. The fact that we ran for 175 today is a big deal to us. We run the football like that and make the big plays, but Rashaad Penny really had a big day today. It was great to see him come through and make some big plays and big runs and looked so darn fast on his touchdown run. It’s great for the big guys up front, too, to get that done.
But the thing I think that is really cool about this day is in the history, this is the way I understand it, in the history of the NFL, 100-year history, no starting quarterback or starting MIKE linebacker has ever had eight straight winning seasons. And why that’s something that’s so important to us to acknowledge is just that the marvelous consistency that Russell has brought us and, really, Bobby too. He’s been there the whole time, too. And it’s just incredibly special to be able to accomplish that.
I mean, it ain’t ever been done before. So thrilled about that and I’m thrilled for people to know the kind of player that Russ is in particular and the consistency and the class that he’s always brought to the organization. Bobby, as well. And we’re thrilled to be able to be part of that and thrilled to be able to have had a chance to coach through that too. So really it’s a really exciting in that regard. So I don’t know what it means in the big world of anything. We haven’t done nothing yet. We got a long ways to go. It’s a great stretch run coming up here, it’s all out there for us, we just got to keep going one day at a time and give ourselves a chance to play. We’re coming back on Monday night. That will be really fun to get revved up for that one and this trip was really worked out great. I’m really fired up about it.
Q. With each win you gain control of the playoff picture, is it about setting your own destiny now especially this late in the season?
PETE CARROLL: Yeah, that’s what everybody wants. It’s all you hope for is you’re in control of it. We’re in control of it. We can do whatever we want to do with this season. And the point is that you go right back to one day at a time. And if we can keep marching that way, these guys got the right mentality, they know how to get this done and so we have a chance to have a really good day on Monday when we get back. And then we’ll work our way to Monday night and have some fun with that opportunity too.
Q. How did Penny kind of handle the last few weeks of maybe not playing as much?
PETE CARROLL: Frustrated, but he has practiced marvelously. The last three weeks have been his best three weeks of practice. We really wanted him to play today and get him in there and see what would happen because he’s looked so good in practice. So I thought Chad Morton did a really nice job of rotating him and looking for his opportunity with the intent of getting a shot out there. He came through beautifully. It was really sweet game for him.
Q. Did you change your game plan at all with the weather starting off with the rain and such?
PETE CARROLL: No, but the wind was a factor. It was a factor on both sides for both teams, I thought. Particularly early on. The ball was getting blown around. And just playing catch, you can see and let me say this, too, I think that was a fantastic job by Mike Dickson today, to kick the ball like he did, put him inside the 20 five times, inside the 5, I don’t know, two or three times with just marvelous kicking. But it did affect that part of the game, too, and it was in our mind that because the 30, a kick from the 35-yard line be good enough in this kind of wind where you can count on it because it was swirling around.
Q. You guys have missed some opportunities too. It could have been a different game. Metcalf catches the deep ball —
PETE CARROLL: Yeah, we really did. We know that. Yeah, no, I’m not saying that you had to tell me. The point is that we know this could have been different. And with this kind of defensive performance, it could have been a really big day. But we felt probably a little bit, too, that not being able to get the ball thrown and caught like we liked. Russ missed one that a million times, again, he ain’t going to miss that ball in the corner. So we didn’t take advantage of all the opportunities, for sure.
6-0 on the road. What about this particular group of players allows that to happen?
PETE CARROLL: They have embraced the challenges of it. It’s, they welcome that we’re going to a hard place to play and it’s the circumstances and all that. They know our routine really well and they’re taking advantage of it so they’re very clear in what it takes.
I’m so fired up about Bobby and KJ and Russ and Duane Brown, the way they lead our guys to get prepared mentally so that we can play like we’re capable. Regardless of the situation, that’s an enormous strength of a team. If you can have that, we got to hold on to it. We ain’t done yet, got a lot of work to do.
Q. Akeem played a lot. It seems like he’s your nickel back maybe?
PETE CARROLL: He did play the nickel position today and we liked him for the matchups.
Q. Not just the pass rush, but the fact that it’s just the four getting home often, how much is that really keying your defense?
PETE CARROLL: It is. It’s such a big deal. It’s such a difference. And we just turned the corner the last two weeks. I couldn’t tell you that last week because it just happened once. But to come back and see our guys penetrate like that and really be scrapping, we were close a lot. And I think we had recorded nine hurries or something on the QB.
That’s a big day. That’s, I don’t know. I can’t tell you what turned the corner. I would have said J.D.’s contribution last week was really the trigger, but he’s sitting over here with me. And so the whole group has gotten better and we have improved and it’s a really, really exciting emergence that we need to hopefully capitalize on.
RUSSELL WILSON
On how the offense played:
“I thought we played a great game in the sense that we were able to move the ball extremely well against a really tough defense, one of the top defenses we’ve played this year. All the players, all their schemes and all the different things they do. The reality is that we really should have had 21 points in the first half. We felt like we missed a couple layups that we normally hit, but we aren’t stressed about that. We know that we can do those things. I think across the board, just to be able to stay within the game and stay focused in a tough environment, really tough environment. It was cold, it was windy, all those things, and to stay composed and to hit a big one in a clutch game, we don’t fear anything, don‘t fear any situations. That’s really where we are and who we are.”
On the throw to WR Malik Turner and if he had to adjust:
“Yeah, a little bit. So we tossed it and [RB] Chris [Carson] threw a great throw back, caught it there. Malik really did a great job because he’s really running to get an open route, really. He’s trying to get an open spot. He did a great job because all week we kind of crossed in the guy’s face. [Eagles S Rodney] McLeod did a great job staying outside of him and forcing him up the field. It was kind of those two defenders right there and I just tried to throw it through the wind on a line to him and he made a great catch in the back of the end zone. I mean it was just beautiful. Beautiful orchestration of what we wanted to do.”
RASHAAD PENNY
BOBBY WAGNER
On the team’s potential moving forward:
“I think we have a lot of potential. I think on the defensive side we’re starting to see what we’re capable of [and] the offensive side has been doing amazing all year. When all those things come together, I think we can really do some amazing things. We just keep getting better every week and that’s the goal. You want to be the team that’s hot at the right time when it matters.”
On the defense’s progression as a whole:
“Across the board, everyone is locking in on the little things. The little things are what’s helping us win these games – especially the game we had today – we were locking in on the little things and taking care of our job and really taking pride and making sure there would be no points on the board.”
On the defense’s performance despite DE Jadeveon Clowney being inactive:
“As soon as we found out [Clowney] wasn’t going to play, guys stepped up and were ready to make plays and that’s what they did. The pass rush was amazing, the back end was amazing. I felt like [Seahawks LBs] K.J. [Wright] and Mychal [Kendricks] were making tackles all day. It was fun.
GAME NOTES
With the win, Russell Wilson became the first quarterback in NFL history with a winning record in each of his first eight seasons.
With his start at Philadelphia, Wilson extended his franchise record to 123 consecutive starts, the second-longest active streak among QBs.
Moved ahead of Cam Newton into 6th place for most passing yards in a quarterback’s first eight seasons list with 28,670.
Since 2012, including playoffs, Seattle is 55-0 when leading by four or more points at halftime.
Since 2012, Seattle leads the NFL with 47 regular-season wins during the months of November – January.
With the win, the Seahawks have started the season 9-2 or better for the fourth time in franchise history (1984, 2005, 10-1 in 2013).
Seattle has improved on its best road start in franchise history to begin the season 6-0.
Since 2013, Seattle is 34-19-1 in its last 54 road games and 15-6 in its last 21 10 a.m. (PT) kickoff games and 4-0 this season.
Rashaad Penny led the team with a career high 129 yards on14 carries (9.2 avg.). His career-long 58-yard 4th-quarter TD run was the longest play from scrimmage for Seattle this season. The 100-yard effort was the second of his career to go along with a 108-yard game at the L.A Rams (11/11/18)
