Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll‘s Wednesday message was of encouragement and caution. The encouragement was based on the team two game-win streak. 20-17 wins required late-game heroics by the offense.
Fortunately, we’re back here this week, working at it from a really good perspective about finishing up this season in a right, “ said Carroll. “ It’s a championship matchup for us, and fortunately we’re in that situation to see if we can generate another good ballgame and keep this thing moving along.”
The cautionary part of Carroll’s message was making sure the players stay focused on Sunday’s game with the Pittsburgh Steeler’s a talented team that is coming off a big win and is chasing a postseason berth.
“We’re making some progress, we’re doing some things better, some things we continue to work on that we’ll try to get ironed out this week, “ said Carroll. “ Knowing that this club just came off a great victory over a division rival and played an amazing game, it’s going to be hard. That’s what we expect this time of year.”
INJURY BOOST
The defense received some good news with the return of Devon Witherspoon and Jamal Adams. Witherspoon suffered a hip injury in the first half of the San Francisco game and has been inactive the past two.
“He’s got a little spark to him today. A little spark. When he’s firing, you know it. He was bouncing around pretty good in the walkthrough; we’ll see what happens in practice today. This is the first time he’s been able to show a little bit of something getting back on the field, that he’s wanted to and tried to. It’s fun to watch to him out there.”
Adams returns to the practice field after missing the last three games due to an ongoing knee issue. It’s been a grind for Adams who continues to recover from the knee injury that saw him play just one game last year.
“He was at walkthrough also bouncing around, he’s going to practice today. It’s the first time in a while that we’ve got a chance to get him out. He’s had a good break, and we’ll see what that means. I can’t conclude anything about that, but I’m happy for him. I know he’s pumped up to be back out there, “said Carroll.
One player not practicing on Wednesday was linebacker Jordyn Brooks who suffered an ankle injury in the win over the Titans. “He’s pretty sore, said Carroll. “ We have to wait and see what happens.”
OTHER NOTABLE QUOTES FROM CARROLL’S PRESS CONFERENCE
On the defense cleaning up explosives
“It’s made a difference. We’ve slowed down the throwing game considerably, and the points are down in a range that you can live with and all of that. We’ve got a long way to go here to make this season really something, but we’ve turned a corner that really is significant. I can tell and we all know that and so we’re building on that, whatever that means.”
On the run defense the past few weeks
“We’ve been roping and doping the last couple of weeks. It’s not where we want it, and it’s not how we like it yet, it’s been an interesting balance because the passing game has really been quiet along with that, so it’s not what we want at all. The second half of the game last week, we gave up 49 yards rushing. That’s a terrific turnaround, because we got knocked around in the first half. Their quarterback had some big carries. To be able to adjust and fix and get a winning fix is what’s crucial and to keep the points down, whatever that combination is. If that’s the way it continues, that’s the way it continues. I don’t know. I’d rather have it be different. I’d rather get them under 100 yards rushing.”
On containing T.J. Watt
“You have to do a little bit of everything. There’s no one way to stop him. He’s such a volatile football player and it’s just really challenging. That’s why he’s got 17 sacks, and he’s doing it again. He’s having another great year. Everybody knows he’s there. He’s not hiding, so we have to do a nice job and keep him guessing a little bit the best we can and try to keep him from being a big part of this game.”
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