Seahawks lose to Bengals: Pete Carroll, Russell Wilson press conference notes

The Seahawks lost to the Bengals in overtime Sunday afternoon, and Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson talked to reporters afterwords. Here are some notes on what was discussed. Originally published at Reddit.

Pete Carroll:

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• It was difficult to come out of this game having done so well. We played our best ball for the first 3 quarters. Really difficult to leave here not winning. I gotta look right at me, when you look across the board at not finishing on O, D, and ST. Gotta find a way to execute the way we need to to get off the field, to get first downs, etc. How we look at it is they needed one second to tie the game with the FG at the end of the 4th quarter.

• This will be really important film to watch, to see what changed between the first 3 quarters and the 4th.

• The run got stagnant, doesn't know why that would happen, we didn't change anything, we felt very good about the LOS today.

• Really tough loss for the team. We all share in it, there are too many different things across the board that it is spread throughout.

• Is baffled, we are clear about finishing and doing right longer. Shocked it's not happening with all these vets who have been raised in that culture.

• Changed it up to their hurry up to start OT, which is why Fred Jackson was in the game (not Rawls).

• Wagner had a strained peck, finished the game, was sore but finished the game.

• Jordan Hill quad strain.

• Putting Richard Sherman on AJ Green paid off. Cary bounced back later in the game.

• 3-3 last year, thinks we are closer than we were then. We know the O-line is improving, anxious to see what happened in the 4th quarter but O-line is important for us to make progress.

• Were not dead and gone, just gotta get things fixed up. The group is full of strong individuals that will work to get it together. The baffling part is how great we were in the first 3 quarters. This team was on fire, look at that first drive.

• Couple of things early that we missed on Defense in terms of coverage. We adjusted.

• The LOS was much better all day long. That is the effect you bank on in the 4th quarter. We needed one more first down, not enough time left.

• Didn't think fatigue was a problem in the 4th quarter but needs to check on that.

Russell Wilson:

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• We didn't execute in the 4th quarter especially, even in the 3rd quarter a bit. Starts with Russ and goes from there. Gotta finds way to covert, we put the defense back out there too much. We felt like we were electric today all the way up to the 4th quarter.

• Thinks he played pretty good, not good enough to win though. Gotta watch the film and study, that is for everyone, our mindset is win or loss how can we get better. Looking forward to getting back to work, studying the tape and playing again.

• The Bengals made a couple of plays when we tried to convert on 3rd and 4 and 3rd and 2 late in the game.

• Thought he had Tyler with the long ball. Got hit and thinks he needed to get more "umph" on it. Will next time.

• Good thing is we were third and short most of the third and fourth quarter, bad thing is we didn't convert them. In OT we were in longer third downs.

• The O-line did a great job, think some of those sacks were on me if anything. Were in tune. Have been taking criticism but wow those guys fight. Wouldn't want to play with anybody else upfront. They fight their tails off.

• There is a first for everything (losing due to a opponent comeback in OT). They finished better than we did. Feels like it is on all of us, we are disappointed. Looking forward to the challenge.

• Feels similar to 3-3 last year. Feels the team morale, the under dog mentality is still there. Need to go back to work, prepare better than anybody else and go back into a game and play. We played a great 3 quarters, need to play 4.

• Rawls was lights out. He played physical, ran the bell very well. The way he practices transfers over to the game. The O-line was phenomenal today. They did a tremendous job of blocking, run blocking and pass protection. Rawls got loose a few times there.

• "Pass the Peace, Go Hawks!"

My Thoughts:

• There was a lot I liked in this game up until the 4th quarter and OT. The O-line looked the best it has looked all season. I haven't re-watched the tape but Nowak's snaps looked clean, Russell had pockets with time to throw in, and the run blocking looked fantastic. Even if our O-line didn't get any better than what we saw today (so it stays this good/bad the rest of the season) I would feel okay. Our O-line today looked like the classic '13-'14 Hawks O-line, which is to say like 24th worst in the NFL not 32nd worst in the NFL. If the O-line can improve over this games performance and get even better, look out, Carroll and Cable might have actually been right that we just had to weather the storm (first handful of games) but that they would start to gel and improve and that their ceilings are higher than the guys we had in the past.

• Penalties and being weak against TE's, those murdered us. I was fine with the Seahawks losing this game going into it, I expected a loss, but seeing how we lost, us folding like that, giving up a 24-7 in the 4th quarter? Wow, worrisome. We don't have that killer "finishing" instinct anymore, not that it can't be found again. In the 4th quarter we lost on all fronts (O, D, ST)...that is depressing.

• Upside to this? Well the first 3 quarters looked great. Our D played great, got an INT, a forced fumble for 6, shut down the run big time and after some adjustments shut down AJ Green and the passing game. Our Offense came out and got first downs, and got a opening drive TD. We are throwing explosive passes multiple times a game while Russ stands in the pocket, sweet. All it really takes to win this game is for one third of the team to step up. The Defense could have stepped up, the Offense could have stepped up, and our ST could have stepped up. Why that is a good thing is going forward, what are the odds all three crap the bed again? All Pete needs to instill in this team (or the players find in themselves like last season after the Chiefs game) is the finishing mentality.

• More good news? Rawls looks to be legit. The Bears game wasn't a fluke. Yes he got good run blocking but he has great eyes, great moves, broke tackles, stayed on his feet and ran it into the end zone. "Thomas Rawls: 169 Rush yds, most by a Seahawk since Shaun Alexander in 2006. Marshawn Lynch's career high is 153 yards." So with our worst O-line the past few years, Rawls has a better career high than Lynch, and what...you don't think he is legit? You don't think he can be a RB1? You think he is "good for a UDFA"? :/ nah bruh, he good.

• The Jimmy Graham narrative is annoying but we had pockets today, we had time for routes to develop, where was he? When we need 5 yards for a first down where is the boot-leg pass play where he runs an out route on the first down line and gets thrown the ball? Where is he running seam routes? Don't tell me he was covered all game and couldn't have been used better, I just don't believe it. Upside is I saw him at least once make a good block on pass protection, and never saw him be a liability in blocking situations. We hear "we spread the ball around" and all that, but he really needs to be featured. He isn't just "another TE", he is an elite receiver, we need to put him in multiple situations throughout the game where he can make plays. (I'm not saying he shouldn't ever block by the way).

• Baldwin and Kearse are balling out with minimal (if any) drops of catchable passes. Kearse last I saw was on course to have a 900+ yard season and he's already tied last years TD total (1) in game 5 of the season. Pretty great. Tyler seems to be getting involved more into the deep passing game (not that we have time to pass) and in my opinion both deep balls to Lockett failed because of Russell. He didn't stand confident in the pocket and throw on time for the deep pass that Tyler got hit on, and the ball could have been placed better on the sideline rainbow ball that Tyler couldn't get two feet in-bounds on. Both Tyler could have made but Russ put him in a tough place both times as a rookie receiver.

• I don't have the stats but Sherman for the most part seem to shut down A.J. Green once he started following him. Yet again Sherman proving he is a shut down corner even when following.

• Next week it's the Panthers. We should have Beastmode back, it doesn't look like anyone got hurt in a way that will have them out for Sunday. We are at home against the Panthers. What I want to see? The O-line play as good as they did today or better and that overall "finishing" spirit show up in the 4th quarter on defense and offense.