Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has remained adamant that a strong running game is a key to the team’s success, even in today’s NFL when passing the ball is more prevalent than ever.
Carroll recently sat down for an interview with Q13’s Aaron Levine during the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine and said he believes his offensive philosophy of establishing the running game does not interfere with quarterback Russell Wilson’s greatness, but rather complements it, despite occasional hints to the contrary.
“I don’t think it puts any limits on the way (Wilson) likes to play,” Carroll said. “We just got to do it at the right time. We’d like to run the ball in the fourth quarter when we’re killing people. We weren’t able to do that as much as we’d like to because the games were so close this year.”
Carroll emphasized that wearing the opposition down with bruising runs sets up big plays from Wilson, and praised Wilson’s propensity for such plays.
“The whole idea is to put it together to give him the best opportunities to strike you dead in the passing game,” Carroll said. “There’s nobody over the last handful of years better throwing the ball down the field than Russell and more effective than Russell. We just want to find more ways for him to take advantage of that.”
Carroll and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer have occasionally received criticism for taking the ball out of Wilson’s hands to “establish the run” and make their identity known, particularly in the Seahawks’ most recent postseason losses. However, Carroll’s philosophy is strong to a degree, as he has helped Seattle to 10+ wins in seven of the past eight seasons.
Carroll and the team must find an effective balance between the run and pass to make another run at the Super Bowl next season.
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