“Tre Brown To Get More Playing “, And Other Takes From Pete Carroll Monday Press Conference

A day after looking at the tape of his team’s 23-20 overtime loss to the Pittsburg Steelers Seahawks head coach Peter Carroll was full of conviction, belief, and respect for how his team never gave up. That being said  Carroll was aware that his team must continue to improve to snap the squad’s two-game losing streak. Here are quotes from Carroll’s Monday press conference.

CHALLENGE OF BEING 2-4

“It is a challenge for all of us in that if this didn’t start the way that we planned. What’s going to happen now, I think a year ago we were 5-0 or something like that and you’re flying and going and feeling all of the positives about it. This is a different challenge for us, and we will not be able to call this the story of the season for another couple of months. It’s going to take eight to ten games before we know what’s going on. It’s going to be a long way down the schedule, there are a lot of things that will happen around the league, and we have to take care of our business.

As it is always the case, postponing judgement is a powerful tool if you have it and that’s what we have to do. We have to take it one game at a time just like we know how to do, but we have to stay really focused and postpone what the story is going to be. We know that is the truth but it’s hard to do, so that’s what we are going to go about doing. It’s a challenge, I have to lead the charge, and I’m going to kick ass on that.”

(On if the players feel any urgency this week as opposed to other weeks given the situation the team is in)

“It’s just natural that you do. You can say that you wash out all of the elements, but it’s just natural that you do. I think it’s really important that we don’t let that disrupt the way we prepare and operate because it can turn the way you respond and react in a direction that can work against you. When you over try, you’re not acting like you’re capable of acting. You’re acting like something else. You can’t predict the outcome when that happens.

It’s a major point for us to stay within ourselves and do what we’re capable of doing. Now, with (Russell Wilson) coming back whenever, really working with Geno (Smith) and making sure we support him properly and give him all the tools he needs. That means the defense has got to play well and the kicking game and everybody.

That’s how it is. Let me take a little sidebar here for you. I think one of the things that made sense to me a while ago was what Coach (Bill) Walsh had done with west coast offense, which is a long-forgotten approach to football. He realized a long time ago that the game is really, really hard for the quarterback. He did everything he could, in every way that he could possibly do it, to make it easier for the quarterback to function at a high level.

That’s where all of the principles came from. It’s just as true today as it ever is. You’ve got to make the game, so the quarterback can function at a really high level. We did in the second half, we did that. In the first half, we didn’t. That’s just a reminder and an illustration of how true it is. The position is so difficult to play and function at. We take it for granted as we get used to seeing all the guys and all these plays. It’s so hard, particularly when you’re starting up to get going again. Geno’s kick-starting his career with this opportunity. We’ve got to give him every chance to be at his best, and that’s not different than the coach did years and years ago.

 Everybody’s always taking off on that, but I think you forgot how important, how significant that is to this game of football. That means the quarterback’s got to be the point guard. He’s got to move the ball around and give guys the chance to do their stuff and stay out of harm’s way. The harm is everywhere when you’re a QB, it’s everywhere. You’ve got to be really efficient and really function at a high level. We have to make this game that way for Geno as he makes his return.”

ROOKIE CORNERBACK TRE BROWN TO GET MORE PLAYING TIME

A day after being placed main roster rookie  Tre Brown made a lasting impact. The plan was for Brown to get some reps early in the game which he did in the first quarter. Brown replaced Sidney Jones for a series and held up his end of the bargain.  After making two textbook tackles Brown completed his early shift with perfect pass defensive coverage on Diontae Johnson on third down to end a Steelers drive. A chest injury to Jones opened the door for Brown who stepped in and ended up playing 40 of the team’s 75 defensive snaps.

(On Tre Brown)

“He did really well. He played really well made a couple of big hits, covered well when he had his chances. He was right where he was supposed to be. I’ve said this a lot to you guys, it’s a lot to ask of a young guy, but he gives you the sense that he really has a terrific feel for playing the position. He helped himself. He’s going to play more.”

(On how important it is to have patience when a guy like Tre Brown comes in)

“Some guys more than others. It depends on the individual. Tre’s been- it just hasn’t been hard for him. It’s been very comfortable for him to adjust to what we’re talking about. He played on the line of scrimmage a great deal in college. He knows how to do that and mix his man-on-zone stuff. I’m hoping we can continue to develop him. He’s going to make plays. He’s going to make things happen out there just by doing the right thing. He’s a tough guy, so I like that.”

DARRELL TAYLOR UPDATE

Carroll‘s update on Darrell Taylor was a pleasant and unexpected surprise.

It was a really, really positive report. His MRI stuff was clear, his CAT scan stuff was clear, and he does not have a neck injury. He got jammed pretty good so we have to see what it’s like, but it may be more in his shoulder as we figure it out. He’s not out of the woods of playing this week so that’s a thrilling response to what it looked like and what everybody could have anticipated. We will see how it goes and he has to have a good week to do that.

I haven’t talked to Darrell since the MRI came back but I talked to him last night and he was very positive about it. We will see what happens, but it was a really good report. I know a lot of people were upset about that, for good reason, whenever they take a guy off like that, the threat is huge. Anyway, he came out great, so we will hope for the best and he may have a chance to go this week.”

RUNNING GAME UPDATES

The Seahawks started the second half with a stiffing run-oriented drive that gave life to the offense and the team as a whole. Carroll was asked if the team will lean towards the run game in the upcoming contests.

“We have to do that. That’s going to make the difference in this turn right here. It’s going to make a big difference in all phases. It affects everything about our game. This is nothing new. We’re not recreating the wheel here. We’ve been able to demonstrate how you play football in that style. It just hasn’t quite caught on yet. Last night was really obvious. It’s couldn’t have been more obvious how well our guys could come off the football up front, how efficient we could be, how many points you could score, and also how you can be explosive. They had two explosive plays, we had six or something like that. We did a lot of good things. It’s not three yards and a cloud of dust, everything else fits off of it.

The keepers, play actions, all of that. You saw the big play we hit to Gerald (Everett) it was a huge play in that game. Unfortunately, we were play passing on the last play when we got banged and lost the football. It’s just makes our style come to life. It felt awesome to see our guys play like that. We’re going to go for it. This is a really good time for us to focus. Geno (Smith) will benefit from that as well at the quarterback spot, like we’ve been saying. We love playing that way.”

On if Russell Wilson or Chris Carson could come back after the bye week)

 “I don’t know that because I’m not the medical side of this thing, but I know Russell. If it’s possible it’s going to happen. If it’s possible, it’ll happen. I don’t know if you guys saw him last night and the way he was preparing to go after it. He’s not going to miss a trick. I don’t put anything beyond his capabilities. He can do some special stuff. We’ll see what happens. You mentioned Chris, I don’t know that about Chris. Chris has got to make good progress where he feels really confident and all that. Chris practiced last week. He ran around and all. He can move and all that kind of stuff. It’s just whether the contact is going to set him back. We’ll take the full time that we have to do that. Just imagine if Chris and Alex (Collins) were out there going 1-2 last night. Just imagine how much fun that would’ve been to watch.”

(On Chris Carson’s neck injury)

“I don’t even know how to tell you, I don’t even know what to call it. It’s in his neck and he has a sensitive area that we are working through. It’s not an injury that occurred this camp or anything, it just acted up.”