Here’s some of the things Seahawks coach Pete Carroll talked about the morning after Seattle’s 26-0 victory over Chicago:
– Carroll was asked the biggest tangible difference in having strong safety Kam Chancellor back on the field. His answer: “It’s confidence. It’s the confidence he brings and others feel because he’s out there.” Carroll went on to say there’s no animosity lingering from the holdout on either side, and that he thought Chancellor played well, even though he didn’t light up the box score (just one assisted tackle).
– Carroll downplayed the idea that the team made any extra effort to get tight end Jimmy Graham involved in the offense, but he’s excited about Graham’s contributions (seven catches for 83 yards and a TD on Sunday).
– While Seattle’s offense was ineffective for most of the first half, Carroll said it wasn’t as bad as it looked, and that the only issue was being unable to convert on third down.
– On Tyler Lockett’s 105-yard kick return, Carroll talked about how Lockett’s start was the key. He went on to praise Lockett’s ability to catch the ball while moving forward, thus giving him speed right from the start of his returns — he said that for each step backward a returner takes in catching the ball it allows the coverage team to advance another six yards. Carroll said Lockett has the green light to bring the ball out, no matter how deep in the end zone.
– Carroll said he finally saw the Thomas Rawls he saw from college, when the rookie running back was “nailing dudes” and “gored them like a bull.” Rawls gained 104 yards in Marshawn Lynch’s absence, and Carroll was clearly tickled about that performance.
– Carroll thought this was the first time this season the offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage in the running game. He also said that although the Seahawks gave up four more sacks, he thought the pass protection wasn’t as bad as it looked.
– On the trick play that resulted in Richard Sherman’s 64-yard punt return: “I really wanted that play to happen. It’s a really sick thought, but I really wanted it to happen.”
– Carroll provided no new information on the injuries to Lynch (hamstring) or defensive tackle Brandon Mebane (groin).
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