Let's say the Seahawks are actually really bad in 2018...

[Hasselbeck]

With some pundits already predicting the team to bottom out this year (A 4-12 prediction from some USA Today writer, 5-11 prediction from Prisco*, etc.) .. let's just say for S&Gigs that the year goes sideways at some point. Maybe Russ gets hurt, the offense never gets going, the young defense plays like a young defense, etc. and they do finish in a position that places them closer to the Top 5 of the draft than the playoffs.

What then?

Do you think Pete Carroll retires like Holmgren did after the wheels came off at the end? Does Pete get fired? Does Pete come back in 2019 and continues the second re-build?

It's easy to be overly myopic and think this team could surprise and win 9+ games and sneak into the playoffs.. but what if this all goes badly? What would you guess happens?

* - denotes Pete Prisco is a moron and should not be labeled a pundit

 

[Seymour]

I have a ton of respect for Prisco. His credentials are impressive. I especially love the older video of his playing days!! :2thumbs:

[youtube]SVnFwHpS_g4[/youtube]

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Crisco wanting the Hawks fail, gee, that never happens :2thumbs:

 

[sutz]

Back OT, I doubt Pete would quit after one bad year. He's on a prove it year, but I suspect he wants to prove the "experts" wrong again.

 

[chet380]

Unfortunately, my view is that the Hawks will fare badly with the NFC West , (1-5, Gulp! ) and in their road games and will end up below 8-8 ... the good side is that the team needs re-building and a high draft position is a great start.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Nope, 3-3 in the west. I honestly don't think Pete would just up and leave if they had a bad season, for their standards at least. He likes to rebuild things up. He did it at USC and did it here. He can again.

 

[iigakusei]

I think he still comes back for 2019. If 2019 doesnt go well he is probably gone.

 

[jammerhawk]

Once again I truly believe the Seahawks are being underestimated by the national media as it sells clicks to slag the team.

Prisco has never been a fan of the team and has continuously slagged them whenever he gets any opportunity. He usually always gets a hostile response from the fans but gets his clicks which is his sole goal He was a part of the national press group that confidently predicted the team had zero chance against Denver in XLVIII. We saw what happened there. Prisco just needs to be ignored.

Certainly it's possible the team will be awful this coming season but that would be the result of many of the young players stepping backwards in their development, or none of the offseason decisions, acquisitions, or re-signings working out at all. Somehow I believe the case for the team's likely suckage is greatly overstated and the media will pull back from it when the team plays adequately well too start the season.

 

[pittpnthrs]

I think he still comes back for 2019. If 2019 doesnt go well he is probably gone.

Same here. Drama will continue and I feel Pete will be wore out and leave after the 19' season.

 

[mistaowen]

I don't know what to expect out of the 2018 Seahawks and the moves PC/JS made feel like they're putting the team into good shape for 2019. Contracts they ate for 2018 help in the long run. Even with a down season because of whatever reasons, I don't think Pete is on the hot seat after the run he's had, especially with how truly average the team looked at times last year, they were a couple missed FG's from a WC spot. Feels more like a re-tooling than a rebuild. Tough to watch some of the fan favorites leave but it had to happen. He also looks more energized than he has in the past couple seasons so far, this influx of new hungry unpaid players is exactly what he needed.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

9-7 in 2018, 11-5 and playoffs in 2019. That's right where I am.
I hope everyone continues to assume they will be horrible. Please tell a Pete Carroll team what they CAN'T do.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

I think it has to be REALLY bad, like 4-12 or 3-13 bad and most/all of Pete and John's young players don't pan out like they were drafted to be part of the new wave of talent for Pete and John to leave.

Anything inbetween (7-9 to 10-6), and that's about the sweet spot for another contract for both to continue the re-build process because these records mean there's some promising young talent on the roster now and we just have to stay the course to get back to a perennial deep playoff team.

Bottom line, Paul Allen would be down with my scenario #2, but not my scenario #1.

 

[Bigpumpkin]

The feces, aka sh*t, will hit the fan here on .net. "The shy is falling" posts will abound.

 

[Jerhawk]

If Seattle finishes 6-10 or worse, Carroll will not return

 

[AROS]

Put me down in the camp that suggests it would be back-to-back seasons for Pete to quit or be fired after the 2019 season.

6-10 or worse for each season (2018, 2019).

 

[Mad Dog]

Even with the crappy rosters of 2009 and 2010, we got to 7-9. Can't see a team with Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner falling below 8-8 on a Carroll coached team. He's still an excellent motivator, understands football and has two great leaders on offense and defense.

But if Wilson gets injured, the defense falls apart, and we go 5-11, I can see some further changes nearer the top (Schneider maybe). Probably Pete is still safe.

 

[gowazzu02]

I don't know man, we were a legitimate kicker away last year from 2 more wins and the playoffs.....

We didn't have Sherm, Kam, Avril for most of the entire year. We didn't have Carson or Penny, Sure we lost Graham, but he was a one trick pony catching td's.

Bennett wasn't nearly what he used to be.

Now i'm not seeing a super bowl. But like GB or NE or Pitt over the years, when you have a top 5 qb in the game you will have a good year, a few bounces here or there can make it great.


PS: first post in a looooonggg time, you guys miss me?

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Good point. Walsh cost them 2 games, maybe 3. That's 11-5 right there. With a horrific O Line and absolutely no running game. Along w/a ton of injuries. And, even WHEN we still had a lot of those guys playing, they did have some serious yardage and points put up on them in more than a couple games. I love what the D did over the years, it mean it was next level. But they were not exactly dominant last season WITH Sherm/Avril/Sherm on the field.
Should be a very interesting season to say the least. So much change, and that's not always a bad thing. Cautiously optimistic for sure.

 

[gowazzu02]

Good point. Walsh cost them 2 games, maybe 3. That's 11-5 right there. With a horrific O Line and absolutely no running game. Along w/a ton of injuries. And, even WHEN we still had a lot of those guys playing, they did have some serious yardage and points put up on them in more than a couple games. I love what the D did over the years, it mean it was next level. But they were not exactly dominant last season WITH Sherm/Avril/Sherm on the field.
Should be a very interesting season to say the least. So much change, and that's not always a bad thing. Cautiously optimistic for sure.

Great point,,, the Houston game comes to mind. That was early and we were healthy-ish and they put a boat load of points up on our D.

In the end of the day, we know that RW can put his superman cape on. So give him league average Oline play. give him a league average running game, and I think we'll be fine.

 

[KiwiHawk]

Good point. Walsh cost them 2 games, maybe 3. That's 11-5 right there. With a horrific O Line and absolutely no running game. Along w/a ton of injuries. And, even WHEN we still had a lot of those guys playing, they did have some serious yardage and points put up on them in more than a couple games. I love what the D did over the years, it mean it was next level. But they were not exactly dominant last season WITH Sherm/Avril/Sherm on the field.
Should be a very interesting season to say the least. So much change, and that's not always a bad thing. Cautiously optimistic for sure.

The D wasn't dominant, but it was good enough to help us beat Philadelphia without many of the starters, and at the time Philly was the #1 offense in the league.

The defense should be at a minimum "good enough" and has potential to have a few young guys shine and become even better.

The offense is the big question mark, and that is going to come down to the running game. Given that we have changed from inept TE-blocking to NFL-leading TE blocking, and have added a fullback, the running game will improve even if the OL doesn't.

The running game slows down the pass rush which will make Wilson shine. It also negates the Rams' potent pass rushers and keep the Rams' potent offense off the field, and using time so there are fewer possessions and therefore fewer scoring opportunities for the opposition.

This is where toxic plays come in. We're designed not to give up toxic plays on defense, and on offense we're designed to take advantage of toxic opportunities - this is why when Wilson scrambles he's looking for the home run ball instead of the dump-off. Chaos presents opportunity.

A few toxic plays in our favour makes the difference in a close game. If we keep it close by keeping the scoring down, and take advantage of the opportunities we create, we can win games against seemingly superior opponents.