Seahawks: Russell Wilson criticizes team’s offensive approach to end season

Russell Wilson wanted to cook in the second half of the 2020 NFL season, but a change in offensive philosophy for the Seattle Seahawks brought a swift end to that.

By going conservative offensively in the second half of the 2020 NFL season, it hindered the Seattle Seahawks‘ upward trajectory, and quarterback Russell Wilson is well aware of that.

Wilson was playing at an MVP level through the first half of the season. There were times when many people thought the Seahawks could win their second Super Bowl of the Pete Carroll era. However, this offensive-led team was essentially muted by Carroll and his staff in the second half. The defense was not as good as it had been in recent years and the Seahawks paid for it dearly.

“I think the thing for us, we had such an electric, amazing start at the beginning of the year,” said Wilson on The Herd with Colin Cowherd. “We were able to do everything. We went for it every game, every play, every possession.

“We hit some bumps in the road. I could have played better. I should have played better. I can do my part, too, obviously, as well. I think what happened was that we had several guys go down up front, we didn’t have our starters, necessarily, and everything else.

“But also as our defense kept continuing to play better, that’s the time for us to really take off and keep going and keep preparing at the highest level. That’s something we really wanted to be able to do throughout the rest of the season.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t go for it as much, I don’t think. I think we got a little bit passive. And we got to make sure that never happens again. We got to make sure we do everything we can to be playing this Sunday. That’s what it takes. We got great players, we got our best players, we got to let it go, go for it and everything else.

“I think on offense, we didn’t adjust great throughout those tough [games]. We had a couple games we could have adjusted better. That was last year, and I think that ultimately this offseason is really about ‘How can I be the best version of myself?’ And across the board.

“Ultimately, like I said, my mindset is we should be playing today – or I should say this weekend – so I think that’s really what matters most to me. When I wake up every day, every morning, you have that itch.”

Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll clearly have different offensive philosophies

As much fun as the “Let Russ Cook” narrative was in Seattle, it was just not meant to be. Carroll is a defensive-minded coach who prefers to play ball control with a strong ground game. Despite having an offensive coordinator who would absolutely lean into that, Brian Schottenheimer was fired after his third and best season with the Seahawks. Shane Waldron is replacing him in 2021.

“I want to see if we can run the ball more effectively to focus the play of the opponents and see if we can force them to do things like we’d like them to do more, like we have been able to do that in the past,” Carroll told Curtis Crabtree of Sports Radio KJR.

“That doesn’t mean we’re going to run the ball 50 times a game. It means we need to run the ball with direction and focus and style that allows us to dictate the game.

“I mean I just, frankly, I’d like to not play against two-deep looks all season long next year. And so we have to be able to get that done. It’s not just the running game. It is the style of passes that will help us some, but we have to get after it a little bit differently. As it unfolded in the end of the season, it became really obvious. In the last four or five games, it became really obvious.”

As much as Carroll would love to win with defense, he has to accept Wilson is his best player. While safety Jamal Adams and linebacker Bobby Wagner are tremendous defensive players, only Wilson is going to get the Seahawks back to the Super Bowl any time soon. The head coach and quarterback need to get on the same page, fast. There is a ton of pressure on Waldron, too.

We have to wonder who will win out in this philosophical power struggle: Carroll or Wilson?