Seahawks Pete Carroll On Facing 49ers, “ They are a Championship Team.”

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll met with the media Wednesday for his weekly session. Here is what the Hawks head coach had to say about a resilient San Francisco 49ers team, this year’s rookie class, and the emergence of D.J. Reed.

FINISHING THE SEASON LIKE PROFESSIONALS

Despite a 6-9 record Carroll is expecting a championship effort from a 49ers team that has persevered despite adversity. The defending NFC Champs have suffered more injuries than any other team in the league and have  relocated their home games to Glendale due to Covid-19 restrictions in Santa Clara County.

The 49ers surprised everyone but themselves last week when they upset the Arizona Cardinals 20-12 to stop the Cardinals from clinching a playoff spot.

D.J. REED WAS A GREAT FIND BY GM JOHN SCHNEIDER

According to Carroll, it was General Manager John Schneiders idea to grab cornerback D.J. Reed off the waiver wire after the 49ers had released him due to pectoral muscle injury.

“John knew,” Carroll said John had it. “John and his guys that do the evaluations, they knew he was a good enough football player to play nickel, safety, or corner. That’s what came right in from the first day we were talking about him. I think the quickness of his transition is what we’re really surprised by, how easy it was for him to learn and to jump in, but our guys thought he was going to be a big factor for us.” 

Once eligible to play Reed participated in the last nine games, starting in seven of the nine games and four of the last for the injured Tre Flowers. Reed’s play has been so exceptional it would be no surprise if he remained the starter for the rest of the season.

D.J. has a chance to be an excellent football player over the long haul because he has that special element and it makes up for so many other things. One of the things I have to do well is being able to adapt to the different makeups of the players and what they bring us and not be short-sighted and closed-minded. Guys can only come in one size and shape and all that. So, this is a good opportunity and an illustration of that. Way back in the day when I was at the Jets, we drafted Aaron Glenn as a first-round corner, and he was about the same size as D.J. is, but there again, the special qualities outweighed any of the kind of categories you like to put a guy in. 

The other part of the question — let’s not talk about corners. I think for the other positions — the safeties, the linebackers — the game being more opened up and the field being more available to the quarterbacks and all, the quickness does make a difference, and you’re seeing smaller linebackers play, and the safeties and linebackers, they cross over at times. That’s to get the athleticism and the quickness on the field because of the space that we’re playing in.

In the old days, there’s a lot of tight formations and everybody jumping over the pile and three yards and a cloud of dust. You needed to be big and strong and stout and all that. That’s not the game we’re playing anymore, and you’re right in observing that.

STELLAR ROOKIE CLASS

Carroll was asked what he thought of the team’s rookie draft class and he wasted no time on heaping praise on the rookies and veteran acquisitions. The Seahawks drafted linebacker Jordyn Brooks, RB Dee Jay Dallas, WR Freddie Swain, T Damien Lewis, TE Colby Parkinson, RB Patrick Carr, and Darrell Taylor. Taylor was placed on the non-football injury reserve list in September due to a foot injury.

“Yeah, we have got really good results from these guys. These guys have all factored in and done something to help us win. Other than the fact we haven’t been able to get Darrell out, all the rest of the guys have really fit in. It hasn’t been too big for any of them. They’ve been able to handle it. They’ve responded well. They’ve played well early. They’re growing now. Guys are experienced players for us and contributing.”

“So I think there’s nothing to change us, I think, moving forward from that. The care that we took in the individual guys and who they were in their makeup. It was really important for us. I don’t know why we would change. We really like this class. If we could do it again, we’d be thrilled. “