Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has a lot on his mind after the team’s loss to the Chicago Bears, with many wondering if he’ll be fired. The NFL and its fans have been waiting for Seattle’s super-sized offensive game plan that led to waves of points since they drafted quarterback Russell Wilson in 2012.
But this week was different: it looked like Sunday would continue the streak of six straight games where Seattle scored at least 40 points but something didn’t go right downfield as planned leading up to an overtime loss.
Pete Carroll, the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, tries to make sense of a “disappointing” late loss to the Chicago Bears.
11:56 p.m. Eastern
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Brady Henderson is a professional football player. ESPN
SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks’ first losing season since 2011 reached a new low point Sunday when they fell 25-24 to the Chicago Bears at Lumen Field, a four-win club with veteran Nick Foles as their third quarterback option.
Coach Pete Carroll was irritated not by who the Seahawks lost against, but by how they lost after leading by 10 points at halftime and by the same margin in the fourth quarter.
Carroll stated after the game, “That was about as frustrating a defeat as we’ve had.” “We were in control in so many ways in that game to go win it and put it away, but we never did, and they found a way to make their plays. We had to do some stuff to give them that opportunity, and they took advantage of it, and give them credit; they’ve been struggling all year, and it’s a big win for those guys.”
“I feel compelled to do more. In a moment like this, I feel compelled to discover new methods to assist our men so that we don’t find ourselves in a position where we have to offer them a chance.”
With the Seahawks having their worst season since he took over as head coach in 2010, Carroll’s future has been a cause of debate, despite de facto club owner Jody Allen recently offered him an extension in the autumn of 2020 that extends through the 2025 season.
The Seahawks were formally removed from postseason contention with their defeat on Sunday, a result that has been expected for a long time. They’ve lost double digits for the first time since Jim Mora led them to a 5-11 record in 2009. For the first time since 1996, when they were in the AFC West, they are also certain to finish bottom in their division. That was the NFL’s second-longest current stretch without a last-place finish, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Russell Wilson, Seattle’s quarterback, said he was “very astonished” by the team’s performance this season.
While bemoaning all of the old and new faults that plagued the Seahawks on Sunday, Carroll placed the blame squarely on his shoulders.
When asked whether he’s shocked his teammates haven’t reacted, he said, “I’m taking it the other way.” “I’m seeing it as a sign that I need to improve. I’m not chastising the players for failing to answer. I need to improve my response time. I need to do more for them and assist them in more ways. Maybe it’s the coach’s ego or something. But I’m not opposed to being held accountable in this way. All I have to do now is figure out a method. I fully anticipate our other coaches and players to follow suit. Everyone gives it their all to offer us the best chance at becoming the best we can be. And it all begins with me.”
One of the Seahawks’ several errors on Sunday was a missed field goal attempt halfway through the fourth quarter that would have extended their advantage to at least 10 points. On third down, Wilson was sacked for a 13-yard loss, forcing Jason Myers to try a 39-yard field goal, which he missed wide left.
Foles then guided an 80-yard touchdown drive, which he completed with a touchdown pass to Jimmy Graham, a former Seahawks tight end. Instead of kicking the game-tying PAT, Bears coach Matt Nagy went for two and nailed it, with Foles connecting with Damiere Byrd in the end zone.
Wilson explained his choice to attempt to scramble away from pressure on third down as a risk-reward play that might have – and often does – resulted in a score to Tyler Lockett. He reasoned that even if they had been sacked, they would still have been in field-goal range.
“It’s something we’ve done several times. I’ve got Tyler and a few other players, and we weren’t able to make that play. Then, obviously, something happens and we don’t make it, but I was just trying to play ball like I know how to and always have, moving about and seeing if we could find a touchdown anywhere.”
The field-goal attempt should have been attempted from 13 yards closer, according to Carroll, but Myers should have made it nonetheless.
“We’ve got to get rid of the football in that circumstance — third down, field-goal range, to go up by ten,” he remarked. “We won’t be able to bring a bag there. We’ll have to revisit what occurred on that play, but that’s what I’m referring to: I need to get it done. I need to persuade him to do it that way. I’ve got to persuade Russ to do it. I need to talk to the coaches about making sure we’ve reminded him enough so that this doesn’t happen again. You’re going to kick the field goal right there, right out of the end zone.”
Myers has gone 13 of 19 on field-goal tries this season after going 24 of 24 last year. He missed two field goals in a three-point loss to New Orleans, as well as a PAT in overtime against Tennessee.
The Seahawks are now 2-5 in games decided by eight points or less, having failed to recover the closing touch that helped them win so many close games over the prior nine seasons. According to ESPN Stats & Information, they were 47-36-1 in one-score games from Wilson’s rookie season in 2012 through 2020. That gave the NFL’s sixth-best winning percentage in these types of games.
They fell at home for the second time this season despite leading by at least 10 points in the fourth quarter. The other being the Tennessee game in Week 2. Only one other club has lost a game in such a manner at home this season, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
“I believe that’s the most important and difficult element of this season,” Wilson added. “… On offense, we need to be able to finish better, in my view. We can improve our execution. We can improve on little details…”
Wilson’s future is also in doubt after he expressed his dissatisfaction with the Bears following the season, sparking trade speculations. Wilson maintained his focus on the here and now when asked what happens now that his declared ambition to win another championship is no longer in play this season.
“We wake up tomorrow morning and give it our all, then go back to work and watch the movie,” he remarked. “I’m going to watch it tonight and see where we can improve, as well as where I can improve and learn as much as possible. In that way, nothing ever changes.”
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