Seattle - 28, Arizona - 21
PETE CARROLL: Really fired up about this game tonight. Our guys really wanted to turn things and get back on track. And even with all of the situations with all the guys in and out and the lineup and all that, it just didn't matter tonight. The guys played really well across the board. Special teams were lights out for us, great efforts in coverage and the kicks and all that. The defense did a really nice job tonight. Gave up 50-something-yards rushing and kept them under wraps. Save the penalties, we really would have had a really big night tonight on defense.
Offense played really efficient. No turnovers, which was great. 160-something yards rushing. Russ was really efficient tonight and really sharp. Ran well when he had his chances. It was just a really good night of football. And it was great to see Carlos Dunlap finish it off on almost a walk-off sack, which was pretty cool and really fun. And great to see him continue to contribute and help us. We're, I know that you have been hearing me talk about it, but we're getting well here soon and we're going to get better and we're going to be stronger and we're going to be better for it. And we have a chance to really put together a good opportunity here for us of playing good ball week-in and week-out. So it's a big win, playing in the division, and to come out of it in first place, that's a good deal for us and we're fired up about it. Couple days off too. Guys are going to get three days off, so it's a mini-break for us and we'll take advantage of that. Really got to kick butt COVID-wise and then we'll come back and get going for the next week.
Q. You were talking all week about the need to get balance on offense, and it was clearly evident with Carlos Hyde out there. What a difference he made for the offense with his hard running, the juice he gave you guys. How much did you see that impact the game plan defensively for the Cardinals?
PETE CARROLL: It felt like the Seahawks. It felt like the Seahawks that we have all seen over the years. Carlos did a great job tonight. He did exactly what we needed. We needed him to run hard and run tough, knock people backwards, and make extra yards with his juice. And the guys up front responded with him. I don't know, we had 80 yards or something like that. That was a really good contribution to this effort tonight. And it balanced us out just like we talked about. Russ didn't have to throw for 400 yards to have a big night. He had a big night throwing for just under 200. And so yeah, Carlos had a great factor that he played tonight for us.
Q. What changed for the defense? And how important is the performance like that against a top offense?
PETE CARROLL: It's really important for us. We'll see. We got to keep coming back and keep going. We're just, really, it feels like we're just getting started. You got Jamal out there playing and you saw more of Jordan Brooks, who is a really good ball player in our base stuff. He played a lot. Carlos did a really nice job. I thought DJ did a really nice job at corner. I thought Tre played really well. So there's a lot of stuff that happened. LJ made a couple huge plays. He had a sack and he forces the safety down in the end zone. That's just a lot of good stuff. There's no reason that we can't come together and play really good football. There's no reason, and from this point forward. We just have to get comfortable with everybody that's out there. And Shaq will return to us when we come back. Some pretty good things are happening. So I'm really excited. It was a good night for us.
Q. Did you have an idea that explosive passing game might be hard to come by. It looked like Russ didn't really try to force much down field, lots of stuff schemed open off boots and play action.
PETE CARROLL: I thought it fit just right. I thought Russ did exactly what he said he was going to do. He came back and tried to play really good solid football and make sure that he made really good quick decisive decisions. Did it. His scrambles were really effective tonight. His movement was great. I thought all of his decision-making was excellent. He didn't force anything. He didn't put us in any kind of harm at all and had a great night of football.
Q. How much of that is on Brian Schottenheimer for getting him in good spots in kind of a bounce back game for him?
PETE CARROLL: Yeah, I think it was a good night for the whole crew. Brian, Austin, Davis, those guys working with Russ, Dave Canales, those guys. They're all teaming together to make sure that we're giving us the best chance to do things consistently well and we did it and so it was a nice night.
Q. What did you think of just Carlos's game tonight and the difference he's made in the, whatever it is, three games that he's been with you guys?
PETE CARROLL: Yeah, he's really, he's been a boost. We have had a lot of sacks in the last three or four weeks now and that's changing things. I don't know what we had tonight but it was enough to make a factor in the pass rush. He really helps us and we desperately needed him. The first week he barely knew what was going on. Week 2 he's getting it going and he really is comfortable now and fits right in, and it was really thrilling to see him come up with a game-winner like that.
Q. Do you have an update on Greg Olsen?
PETE CARROLL: Yeah. It's a little early but he has a fascia tear injury that he's had before in his other foot. He knows exactly what it is. And sometimes when it ruptures like it did, we think, it's the best thing for a quick recovery. So we'll see what happens and wish him the best and hopefully he can make it back. The fact that he's already had this before really helps him understand what's coming up.
Q. To clarify: When you say "make it back," are you talking about back next season or potentially later this season?
PETE CARROLL: I don't know that yet. There's been some marvelous returns for guys who do that, rupture their fascia, that would blow you away. Right now, he's in really a lot of discomfort and all that, but we'll see what happens. We'll -- I can't tell you anymore than that. It's pretty early to be talking about it, obviously.
Q. What led to the decision to go with Damian at center? And then along with that, do you have an update on Brandon Shell's injury?
PETE CARROLL: Well, that was our best choice. He's such a good athlete, and of course right off the bat he gets in trouble on the one play and had a couple penalties tonight. I mean, his head was full of all kind of thoughts. It was a marvelous job by him to pull that off. He started working it last week. He had been taking snaps during the early season and stuff, but he really, because of the injuries last week, he had to get ready to maybe to back up and so now he's forced into action and he pulled it off. So, and what an effort. He's a really, really good football player. He's really smart, and he's so poised, it just, he handled it really well and he'll only get better. So we'll, that just makes him that much more versatile.
Q. As you mentioned --
PETE CARROLL: Wait, hold on. You asked about Brandon Shell. He's got a sprained ankle. I don't know how bad it is. We don't know that. Sorry. Go ahead.
Q. You talked earlier about how Carlos Dunlap really didn't know what he was doing because he was new to the team. Now that he's been with the team for a few weeks, what kind of impact do you think that he could have on your season given his pedigree?
PETE CARROLL: First off, he did everything he could. He showed up on Wednesday so, the first week, and so it's pretty hard to really absorb all the stuff you have to absorb here. But anyway, he is going to be a big factor for us. He just is a really good football player. He's a monster of a guy out there. He knows the game. He can have adjust well. He's flexible and can do a lot of things for us. He's learned his stuff beautifully already and away we go. So I think it's a very positive affect on us at this point and it's going to be only better. We're a couple weeks away from seeing Taylor come back to us too. That might be a real good boost we can get, and it will be nice to see how it all fits together here. We got Benson back for the first time in a while. I don't know how much Benson played yet, but it was great to have him back out there too.
Q. You guys got three sacks and seven quarterback hits on Murray after getting zero first meeting. What was the biggest difference?
PETE CARROLL: I think Kenny was, went after him differently and adjusted stuff from the last time we played him. You don't, maybe you don't see it this way, but the last time we played them, until like three or four minutes left in the game, we had been in pretty good shape with these guys. We had done some really good things. And I went back and watched the film tonight before the game just to go ahead and see it one more time and we played like that throughout the whole game this time. So we were adjusted, we were ready, and we took advantage of Carlos being part of it, and some of the situations, we moved some guys around and it worked out really well.
Q. You touched on it earlier, but Arizona came into the game leading the league in rushing. How were you guys able to eliminate that from their attack?
PETE CARROLL: It was a really, really good job by the guys on the edge and Carlos was part of that. You also saw KJ as part of that. Alton Robinson came in and Benson. All those guys had to do their job to keep that running game from getting on the perimeter. You saw them get out a couple times, but really just play after play after play, the guys just kept executing really well and were disciplined about it. This guy poses so many problems. He's been a nightmare for defenses. And tonight we felt like we had a pretty good feel for what we needed to do and the at guys executed it beautifully.
Q. You mentioned the success of the running game tonight, and how big of a boost that was for you. Was it even more so maybe because you had Damian at center, Jamarco at right guard, and Cedric even at tackle later to keep them from teeing off on Russ?
PETE CARROLL: Exactly. We got guys jumping in to play for -- Damian's never played center, I don't know if he even played center when he was a young kid. Jamarco jumps in at guard. And those are major opportunities for us to be in trouble and our guys came through. It could have been a hard night against a good group and it wasn't, the guys came through beautifully, the coaching was organized just right to take advantage of it. And then you could see the feel that Carlos gives us, that's what we have been looking for. That's what we have been talking about, that's what Chris brings. And it's a different, we're a whole different team in style when those guys are pounding away at it. So Chris will play next week, unless he has a setback, he'll be ready to go. Rashaad Penny is only a couple weeks away from being back. So we're getting, we're getting stronger, if this works out right and we could be really healthy going down the stretch here. Is that the epitome of optimism? We're leading the league in injuries and I'm telling you how strong we're going to be down the stretch. But, I don't know, that's what it feels like.
Q. Going back to the defense, the discipline and execution, is that due to the, now the continuity that's building that you talked about that?
PETE CARROLL: Yes, yes.
Q. Is that what it looks like?
PETE CARROLL: It is. It's what we have been waiting to see. And you just have to keep the guys out there together so that they can communicate. There was so many situations in this game tonight when KJ to Jamal, Jamal to Bobby, and to Diggsy, talking about stuff that we had to fix and tweak as the game was going on and their ability to just handle that and make good choices and stuff, just kept us a step ahead the whole time. And that's what happens when you play together, that's what continuity looks like. And that's what -- you just have to be out there and you have to find the time -- we have not logged enough time together to max that out, but who cares, it's all, that's already gone, it's, what are we going to do about it, it's now that counts and see if we can put this thing together.
Q. DK Metcalf, obviously a lot has been made about him going up against tougher DB's, but he handled himself well tonight against Patrick Peterson and there was a brouhaha there in the middle. How did you see him perform tonight?
PETE CARROLL: I thought he played excellent football. We had a few more shots that we were trying to get and one thing led to another that we couldn't get the ball out to him rush-wise or something like that. And he was ready it really go tonight now. I thought he played a terrific game. He was tough as always. He got them riled up and we got a big penalty when we needed one.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports