After the Seahawks lost to the Bears to fall to 0-2 on the season, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said that he thought quarterback Russell Wilson was “over-trying” in an attempt to “make something happen instead of just getting rid of the football.”
Given that Wilson was under constant pressure without getting much help from the running game and playing without wideout Doug Baldwin, the comment generated a lot of responses wondering what other options the Seahawks had on offense other than letting Wilson try to make plays.
There’s no sign that Wilson’s turned down his effort level, but the results have certainly gotten better for the Seahawks since Carroll’s comment. They’ve gone 2-1, avoided turnovers and cut down on sacks while Wilson has turned in three straight efficient performances. That means Carroll had other things to discuss about the quarterback this week.
“That was really overplayed and it’s not a big deal at all,” Carroll said, via the Seattle Times. “He’s a great competitor. He always tries really hard, and it just kind of came out like it’s a big deal, and it wasn’t. He’s been playing great and really doing everything we want, complementing a running game that really is continually getting better and improving. Russ really takes advantage of that with play-action passes and the movement stuff we’ve been doing. He’s doing great.”
The Raiders defense has been easy for opponents to crack so far this season, so the upswing for Wilson and the Seahawks offense stands a good chance of continuing in London this weekend.