Pete Carroll: "The Pass Rush Has Really Been A Factor"

Pete Carroll (0:02)

Sorry, okay, what's up, go ahead.

SPEAKER_2 (0:06)

Pete, out of all of the defensive numbers and things that your defense has done, what's the one that you look at for giving your team the most success?

Pete Carroll (0:15)

Well, it really starts with the running game for us, and that's kind of an old hat for you to hear that, but that's where we began this season, going after trying to show that we could play the running game.

And that takes the most discipline, it takes the most commitment and focus. We thought it was a great place, and Clint thought it was a great place to start, to build from. And so way back, we've been on that for some time now, and it's given us a baseline, really.

This isn't always gonna be great, but it is where we start from. And then I think what the commitment that we've had to the scheme and how it was designed to fit the players, we're starting to see some benefits from them. And we're seeing guys feel comfortable with what we're asking them to do, and they're playing quick and fast and confident. And so the overall play is really picked up from that.

SPEAKER_3 (1:10)

Passing numbers are way down in recent games for your opponents. How much of that is just getting some guys back healthy versus the scheme coming together?

Pete Carroll (1:17)

There's a lot of stuff. There's a lot of stuff. Pass versus has really been a factor.

It was like game three or something like that.

We had a bunch of numbers, 27 or something, effects on the quarterback, whatever it was. That was when it started. And we just, the pass was starting to come together, and you can't play great coverage without the rush. The quarterbacks are too good. So I think that's where it started.

SPEAKER_4 (1:42)

Bobby was talking yesterday about the emphasis on the third down defense. The last two games, you guys allowed 33% of the conversions.

How are you seeing that manifesting? You mentioned the pass rush, but being able to have the flexibility now with Jamal Adams and Devin Witherspoon and Julie Levin, all those guys playing back.

Pete Carroll (1:59)

All of those names are all the reasons.

SPEAKER_4 (2:02)

Moving them all over the place, though, the flexibility.

Pete Carroll (2:04)

How much do you see that? Yeah, that's the familiarity and staying together and communications. And it just took us some time to get there, you know? And we're asking these guys to be really, really disciplined about what they're doing. And it takes time to develop that discipline.

And also, then it's the connection of the communication. So everybody works together well, and that's what we're working on.

We're a long ways to go yet, but we're a lot better off than we were.

SPEAKER_5 (2:29)

Any update on Uchenna?

Pete Carroll (2:32)

Yeah, he's got a pec injury that's gonna probably require surgery. Yeah, that's what we're hearing right now.

SPEAKER_5 (2:41)

So that long-term thing then?

But how do you kind of replace him then? Or what do you gotta do?

Pete Carroll (2:51)

Well, we gotta count on the rotation. We've had a rotation go on the whole time and we'll just continue that. It challenges it though. Uchenna is a fantastic football player and a great team member. He's such a tough guy and such a heavy player and so consistent.

He's always really physical, so he always sends the right message and all that, but really we'll miss him. Is that likely? Is he a tender?

Yeah, I don't have all of the information on it, but it sounds like it's heading towards surgery. So if that happens, yes.

SPEAKER_6 (3:24)

Pete, what have you thought of Jamal's first two full games back?

Pete Carroll (3:28)

Well, this one, he played a lot in this game and he was very comfortable, was really consistent. I played solidly in the spot. He has a lot. He brings a lot of fire, a lot of juice, and the toughness, and it's great to have him out there with the fellas.

I think he's ready to go. We gotta make sure that, like last week, we needed to kind of monitor what we were doing coming off his first time out. We gotta check and see where it is this week, and we gotta keep track of it.

We did that with Jordyn for about a month, you know, and so whatever, however long it takes, but he felt good throughout the game.

SPEAKER_3 (4:07)

Speaking of Jordyn, what are your thoughts on the way he's playing in yesterday's game?

Pete Carroll (4:12)