We have come to another Seattle Seahawks offseason which means questions are swirling around the team’s offense as has been the case for several years. Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll’s explanations of the offensive regression this season do not seem to coincide. When asked about the reason for the team hitting a wall offensively, Wilson cited the lack of the use of tempo to help jump-start the unit, something he also mentioned during the last offseason.
“Well, I mean, I think that we started running it really well for a little bit there, and so I think that was part of it,” Wilson noted, per Seahawks.com. “And the games just — I think for us we were able to — early in the season we were able to get the deep shots and stuff like that early on. I think that as well as — I think our tempo, our pace and stuff, getting in and out and all that, we kind of lost that a little bit I think along the way a little bit. I think that’s something that we do really, really well, and so to keep that tempo and pace I think is something that’s — I’m going to really try to study a lot this off-season and see how do we continue to put our foot on the gas and everything else along the way.”
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Wilson on Seahawks’ Offense: ‘What [Opponents] Fear Is Our Pace’
During his post-game press conference, Wilson doubled down on this idea of using more tempo on offense. Wilson believes the Seahawks lost track of utilizing tempo noting “what they fear is our pace” referencing opposing defenses.
“I think that, yeah, I think that teams know that we throw it down the field well and stuff like that,” Wilson added. “Also too what they fear is our pace, the tempo, and all that. I think that I feel when the game is on the line, two minutes in the game or whatever, teams obviously fear that because of the feeling of me going and all that stuff. I think that is something I think along the way that kind of lose track of a little bit. I think we kind of lost track of that maybe along the way. I think that could have helped.”
Carroll on Seahawks’ Offense in 2021: ‘We Have to Run It More’
Carroll emphasized the need to run the ball more, something fans of the “Let Russ Cook” movement may not like to hear. The Seahawks coach once again discussed that the running game will be the focal point of the offseason, an interesting subplot with Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde both hitting free agency.
“We have to run the ball better, not even better, we have to run it more,” Carroll noted, via Seattle 950 KJR. “We have to dictate what’s going on with the people that we’re playing, and that’s one of the ways to do that.”
The Seahawks have to figure out a way to fully utilize one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, but Wilson also has to play better. Some of the blame deserves to be on the Seahawks’ offensive scheme but completing only 40 percent of his passes in a playoff game is not going to get Seattle back to the Super Bowl.
The solution is not as simple as letting Wilson throw the ball more, but it is also more complicated than simply fixing the rushing attack heading into next season. There is plenty of blame to go around for a 12-win team exiting the postseason in the first round, but an offensive scheme that better fits Wilson’s skill set should be the top priority.
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Russell Wilson Sends Strong Message on Changes to Seahawks’ Offense