PETE CARROLL: Hey, okay, here we go. Getting ready, getting back on track is a big deal for us. We got to get ourselves ready to start this fourth quarter, getting off on the right foot. It's a really important week for us to do that. It takes all of the focus and all of the consideration that you would normally think for a championship matchup and that's what we're doing, that's how we're going to go about it.
Q. What kind of challenges come when you're facing a team that lost the way that they did in the final seconds plus the added emotion of just getting that first win on the board, can you guys prepare for that and if so how?
PETE CARROLL: Yeah, we do have a way that we talk about it that kind of is encompassed by the way that we talk about all the matchups. That this is the next game and all of the story lines that you could pick out of it doesn't have anything to do with how we want to prepare and how we want to focus.
So there's a real discipline that it takes week-in and week-out, in conference, out of conference, in division and all that stuff that happens, records and all of that. So this is a good illustration for us as it is every week to come right back to focus and do things in the routines that we need to do to play good football.
Q. Monday you talked about the Jamal trade and being ecstatic with getting him here. Obviously you guys do your homework when you add a player you see the film and everything, but you don't really know the guy necessarily until he gets in. Just how has he been compared to maybe what you were expecting just as an overall person, leader, player, everything?
PETE CARROLL: Well, first off, any time we talk about these trades like in particularly this is such a sweet one for us that John, this is John Schneider's vision to see that. Think about it, he has to have an inkling about that there's a possibility, then he's got to go through all the process to nurture the opportunity, which he did.
We did our homework, did our studies, and all of that and we were so excited about the chance to get a player of this magnitude. And we had done our homework about Jamal just trying to learn who he was as best we can. As you said, you don't know him until you get the guy here really, but after all of that being said, that he's been just a great team guy and he's worked so hard, he cares so much about our team and about his relationships and the players that he plays with that he's been perfect in all ways.
So there's nothing I don't like about guys that have a high energy and high intensity and are jacked up, take great pride in their work, and he does all that. So he's been a great addition for us.
Q. Another traded player question that you picked up. Quandre Diggs, what have you seen and what has he meant to the back line communication-wise and just define that?
PETE CARROLL: I think the first thing now that I know him and have watched him relate with everybody is his leadership is what I would talk about. He's such an all-in player the way he works, the way he practices, the way he studies, the standards that he upholds and really, because he does it, it really demands that other guys do it as well. He's been such a valuable part of our team and came in the middle of last year and all that, but really -- and I can see why he was the captain in their program and he's been very meaningful to us and I love his toughness.
Q. Seemed like in that Arizona game in week 11 you guys beat them you only had two explosives in the passing game, but things felt on time, on schedule in the short to mid-range games and it's been more laborious over the recent stretch here. Is that a fair evaluation and maybe what has been the disconnect between the Arizona game and maybe what's happened recently?
PETE CARROLL: It's different teams, different games, different situations, all of that. I'm not sure where you're going with that but we're playing better now than we played all year long and in the passing game as well. I'm not certain if you're saying we have done well or we have done poorly, but I'm seeing that we have really improved a lot and we're counting on the consistency that we're starting to find here and it has to do with the rush, it has to do with the familiarity of the guys working together in coverage and just the connection that it takes to play at a high level, we have stepped up and I'm counting on us doing it again and really we need to continue to get better as we finish this season but we have turned things in a good, positive direction.
Q. You mentioned that things are improving but on Sunday you had 24 drop backs --
PETE CARROLL: We can't hear.
Q. You mentioned the offense improving, but on Sunday 24 drop backs that Russell had to at least three seconds with a clean pocket back there, on film and he only had a little under six yards per attempt on those plays, was sacked twice. What was your overall impression of the way the line pass protected and are you concerned about the fact there were a lot of plays that Russ had time in the pocket and you still weren't able to get those down field plays going in the passing game?
PETE CARROLL: Yeah, I thought, I feel the same way, I came out of the game feeling like the guys protected well and we needed to get more production out of our opportunities, we really had chances. We were trying to get the ball down the field more than allowed and we were looking for opportunities and we just need to adjust and take advantage of what was available to us. But the protection was solid, I thought that was a good job even providing that we had a couple guys in there that haven't been playing a lot.
Q. This version of this secondary is probably the best one you've had since the Legion of Boom days. Like did you have a vision for how you guys would have to transition from that era with Kam, Earl and Sherm and how much of what you guys have been able to do now looks like that vision?
PETE CARROLL: You know, I can't tell you that I had a vision for it because I wasn't sure who the players were going to be and as we were transitioning. And it kind of happened, it didn't seem like it happened all at once although it almost did now when you look back, but I've always felt like our secondary should be notable. We should play with, in noteworthy fashion. That's just kind of, that's the way I've expected it over the years.
So it was just a matter of who the new guys were going to be and then we would have to figure out who would ever have known that Kam would be like that or Earl would have been the style that they would have been and so you have to wait and figure it out somewhat. You have hopes, so hopefully that instead of maybe that not vision was that we would find the right combination of guys and we would turn it around and we would get back on track again. But you got to know that to have a collection of those guys of that caliber, that play making style, is rare and we don't talk about Brandon Browner very much, but he was a big factor in those days as he played with those guys too and was part of getting that thing rolling.
So, but I would say this, now in camp with when we started working together in camp and got to see our guys, I mean my expectations went really high in thinking that the things that we could do and had a lot to do with Marquise who really was an extraordinary young factor in what we were doing and all that. We just, I just feel like we're just kind of getting back together again, it's taken awhile to get the band back out there, so hopefully we can finish with a real strong showing to wrap up this season.
Q. In terms of like building for the future how different is it when like you drafted all Earl, Kam and you got BB for pretty cheap, but you had to expand draft picks on guys like Quinton and Jamal and Diggs, just how different is that from a team building perspective?
PETE CARROLL: Well, not very many people would have figured that fourth and fifth rounders and free agents out of Canada would make some group come together that they would get a nickname and all that. Sherm might have thought that, he might have had that in his vision, but it was hard to picture that in the day.
But, so I'm not sure what you asked, but you got to hit it right sometimes and it all has got to work together and we're moving in the right direction with these guys and that was a rare bunch of guys. We have -- I know you said about how we had to acquire some guys -- yeah, well we're trying to get it back to where we need it and not very patient about it.
Q. Couple of personal things, looks like Josh Gordon's made it through COVID and can be in team meetings with you guys?
PETE CARROLL: Yes.
Q. Is there a chance Greg Olsen -- sounded like he said over the weekend that maybe he's got a chance to get back more quickly than you guys might have thought?
PETE CARROLL: He's surprising us the way he looks already, Greg in particular. Josh is in the building today for the first time and it will take awhile before he can get active in the practice and all that kind of stuff but we're going through the process. Greg's making a big turn around, so who is to say how long it will take, we're not going to set any limits on him, he's doing some good stuff.
Q. Is Quinton Dunbar going to be able to practice today?
PETE CARROLL: He's practicing today.
Q. You guys signed Alex McGough to the practice squad, was that a priority to get another quarterback in there just kind of based on what happened with Denver or whatever?
PETE CARROLL: Yes. Yes.
Q. How would you describe your experience coaching the jets in '94 and then also what did you learn from that first NFL head coaching experience that you've taken with you to Seattle?
PETE CARROLL: Well, I've learned a lot and I'm a lot different than I was then because of what I've learned. It was kind of a surprise experience, got put in position to take that thing over and then just didn't get much time to work and to really put it into shape.
But I did learn a lot. I learned a lot about dealing with the people that are in ownership and people that run the clubs and opinions and stuff like that -- sorry about the noise out here -- that you got to work with your people.
I was kind of a little bit of a maverick at the time I think in the way I went about it. I really wasn't worried about making friends and with the owners and stuff like that, I just was coaching and I needed to work at it more, be a little bit more politically correct I was kind of politically not correct at the time. And so it was fun, it was a nice try. It ended too fast.
Q. Did you -- I know the NFL doesn't tell you much about suspension, but is there a reason why there's a 10-day gap here or 12-day gap between Gordon being in the building and allowed to practice? What did they say?
PETE CARROLL: Greg, I don't know the reason for that. I don't know what that is. But I know it's a climatization type of approach, that's one of the ideas and I think that's at the heart of it is to give the guy time who hasn't been part of a program time to get where he can protect himself and all that. So that's the biggest part of it.
I don't understand these first couple days why we can't be with us totally, but whatever, that's the rules and we're going with it.
Q. So he can't get on the field until the 21st, is that correct?
PETE CARROLL: Yeah. Yeah. So we'll be working him with our trainers and he'll be getting in shape and all that, what I've talked to Josh about is it's really important that he really bust it right now so that when he does get out there's not a lag time of him adapting, he's got to get it done now, so that -- there's just not much time left.
So he's going to work really hard with our guys to make sure he's running full speed, top speed, as long as he can before he ever gets on the field with us so that he can maintain it once we get going because we expect to give him a chance to help us what he's available.
Q. Maybe it's an unfair question because you didn't have him a ton last year, but can you see any growth change or anything different now him joining you now today this week than last fall?
PETE CARROLL: Well, I think on both sides of it, from our side of it and from Josh's side, we're much more familiar now. We have spent much more time with him and knowing him and we understand his physical abilities much more so, how he learns and all of that. But we understand the kid too and how much he wants to be a part of this thing. And just all of those things that go into building relationships. So we start way faster than we did last time around and we're way ahead, which we talked about that this morning, that we're way ahead of where we started last time.
So I know he's very sincere about this, he's worked really hard to get here and we respect the heck out of that and we're going to help him in every way to make sure that he can get what he wants out of this deal.
Q. You've been incredibly happy with the performance of your special teams this year. To be able to do it having to change to Larry Izzo early in the season when Brian not being around and to be able to maintain that level of play and is there any update on Brian too, now that I bring it up as well?
PETE CARROLL: First off, Larry has done a marvelous job. Just a first class job and jumped right at it. He had been a teams coach before in Houston and all that, it wasn't brand new to him, but still there was a transition there. Shoot, man, he's done a fantastic job.
Brian's back with us now and he's working with Izz and he's helping him along the way, which has been really beneficial and we're glad to have him back, but I can't say enough about what Larry has done to maintain a level of play and then even go beyond it and give us this kind of week-to-week consistency that's really separated our guys.
Q. How long has Brian been able to be back with you at this point?
PETE CARROLL: Probably a month now he's been on the field with us the last couple weeks.
Q. Couple injury updates. Do you have any update on Jamarco Jones, Ryan Neal, how they came out of the game plan and then what's the plan this week with Brandon Shell and the possibility of him playing on Sunday?
PETE CARROLL: Brandon's going to work today at practice so that's a good sign. We'll ease him back in. He's real anxious to get pack and seems like he's ready to go.
It's going to take all the way to the end of the week on Ryan. And the other guy was?
Q. Jamarco?
PETE CARROLL: Jamarco, it's going to take us all week to know on him also. Neither one of those guys are out right now but we got to make sure that we get enough time to check them out and I can't tell you yet.
Q. Then with Quinton, do you anticipate him being able to get enough work this week where he could play?
PETE CARROLL: One day at a time. One day at a time. I'm really thrilled that he's back, he's worked really hard to get back out here, but we got to see him practice and see him work and see where he is. DJ did a really nice job for us again last week and we feel very comfortable there, so we don't have to rush Quinton back out and so we're going to hopefully bring him back in the right pace so he can really be strong and ready to finish the season with us.
Q. You told us last week that you're kind of keeping Danny Etling separate from your other quarterbacks, what's the plan there with Alex? How are you going to do that with Alex?
PETE CARROLL: Alex needs to work with us for awhile here to get caught up where we're going and then we'll make a determination on how to go from there. I could see in the future that Alex gets back with us for a few weeks, gets comfortable and then we may separate him too. He needs to learn a lot more before he can help us, so we're going to try to bring him along and hope for the best and keep Danny clear and then in time that we may make that decision we'll wait and see what we do with that. We're considering that.
Q. You said Brian is helping Larry, is Larry still coordinating the special teams?
PETE CARROLL: Yes. He's in full command of it, yeah.
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