It’s all smiles right now for Pete Carroll. The Seahawks’ head coach got a vindicating victory in dominating fashion on Sunday as Seattle took down the New York Jets, 28-7. The Jets gave Carroll his first chance at an NFL coaching job in 1994, but he was fired after one season. Well, in 2012 Carroll has the Seahawks at 6-4 heading into the bye week and the job he’s done so far has turned many heads in the NFL.
As for his former college quarterback Mark Sanchez? Carroll isn’t a believer of this two-quarterback system with Tim Tebow and believes Sanchez is getting the raw end of the deal.
Pete Carroll joined 710 ESPN in Seattle with Brock and Salk to discuss the Seattle Seahawks sitting at 6-4 going into the bye week, Golden Tate coming alive in the Jets game, the improvements Tate has made since the start of the season, the identity of this Seahawks team with Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch and feeling empathy for Mark Sanchez.
You happy today after Sunday’s win over the Jets?:
“It’s a good day, a good day today. Yeah, really good. Making it to the bye and getting some real good chance to rest our guys and getting healthier when three or four guys come back at the end of the week, so yeah, ready to go.”
Golden Tate is coming alive though, huh?:
“Yeah, I think it’s obvious. He’s a heck of a football player. The play of the day for me with him was the third-down play. He’s got a chance to make a first down, but Zach Miller makes a nice block and gets him going. Then he bounces off a guy, spins around and makes something happen. He’s just really, really an exciting football player.”
Has Golden Tate turned the corner since the 49ers game?:
“I think he’s really responded. He really tuned in. He was kind of rocked and then everything was OK and then that game came up and we challenged him with it. We told him, ‘You are practicing for your playing time.’ He hasn’t been the same since then. He’s the same potential guy. He’s got it in him, man. Now that he’s on track I think we’ve got a real weapon in him, and he’s done it with his legs and he’s done it with his catches and now he’s doing it with that great arm he’s got.”
How does the identity of this team take shape with both Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch leading the group?:
“They get along great ’cause they’re great competitors. They find a way. I think there’s plenty of room. Our identity is about playing tough across the board, and the running game is what gives us Marshawn Lynch’s … style and the ‘Beast Mode’ level, or whatever you want to call, it is a big factor in all of this. All I want the quarterback to do is keep handing it off, dinking and dunking around, and making a few plays here and there, and let us keep handling it and taking care of the ball. And when we do that, we have a chance to win every game. I think there’s plenty of room. I think they fit great. I know Marshawn has a lot of respect for the quarterback. The quarterback really loves Marshawn, too, so maybe they’re not going to hang out together, but they sure get along on the football field.”
Any empathy for Mark Sanchez and the situation he is facing right now?:
“Yeah, I think he is in a very difficult situation and the whole emphasis of the two quarterbacks thing is really hard. You saw [Sunday] it didn’t get very much for them. It’s gotta be a little bit more disruptive, but I feel for him. I think Tim Tebow is an extraordinary defender and player and professional athlete, but this whole factor has been really hard on him. I’m sure it’s been really confusing to their fans and that park, at home, has to be really hard on him, too. I know I haven’t seen a game there, but I can tell what is happening. I think they are hard on him at the stadium, so that’s as hard as it’s going to get.”
Listen to Pete Carroll on ESPN 710 in Seattle [Interview begins at the 30:50 mark of the podcast]