Pete Carroll may be feeling his seat warm up a bit for the first time during his stint in Seattle. At least there’s more vocal opposition to his regime now than at any point in the last decade, during which time the Seahawks have been as successful as any team in the NFL, with only one notable exception.
Former Seattle wide receiver Golden Tate went on Twitter last night and defended what this team has done during the Carroll era – specifically making the playoffs nine out of the last 11 years. Tate seems to take issue with fans who are jumping ship now that the’ve lost five of their last six games.
Bro. Seahawks have gone to the playoffs the last 9 of 11 years…. Im so confused how you jump ship Bc they are struggling in the best division in football this year. Besides New England who else has been to the playoffs 9 of the last 11 years?
— Golden Tate (@ShowtimeTate) October 29, 2021
It’s a rare thing what Caroll’s Seahawks have done under him, to be sure. Tate deserves at least some credit for making them what they were at their best. That was a long time ago though and there’s context missing, here.
Since the 2015 season this team has been carried by the creative, tenacious brilliance of Russell Wilson more than anything else. What’s become clear over the last three weeks is now he’s leading a flawed roster and a coaching staff that’s become stuck in the past and is too slow to adjust to failures both on the field and the front office.
Since his arrival, competition has been the engine driving Carroll’s philosophy. Honest competition is why Russell Wilson beat out Matt Flynn for the QB1 job as a rookie. It was why undrafted free agents like Doug Baldwin and Michael Bennett became icons, whereas they may have washed out in any other organization, losing their roster spots to inferior players who got picked in the draft. That dedication to true competition (and Russell Wilson’s long ball) is ultimately what made this team great.
If the Seahawks stick to that principle then Carroll and his coordinators have to be subject to it, as well.
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