If it were baseball, the Seahawks’ win over Dallas Sunday would have been described as a complete game.
Carroll agreed that it was his most satisfying game as Seahawks coach because it put into practice what he so long preached.
Yeah, particularly that weve been able to put the look and feel out there on the field across the board,” he said Monday. “Weve had some really fun wins and great games, but because weve been so specific (about the kind of team sought), we laid it out there, we told you what we were shooting for and how we wanted to go, we bring it to preseason, and now we get to see it come to light the first time.
“That is satisfying because we know what we are working toward, and what we want to achieve with our effort and style of play. No turnovers are great. We got the ball a
couple times, and we couldve had it four. We scored in other ways than just on offense. We ran the football for (182 yards). The quarterback played really smart and
didnt give up the ball. All of those things are emblematic of what were shooting for.
The 27-7 win received big contributions from all parts of the team, and in a physical style that goes against the NFL trend of spread offenses, passing and speed.
“I understand whats going on in all levels, from kids leagues to all the way up,” he said. “Theyre more into the throwing game, and thats fine. (Our way) has been a really good game for a lot of years, playing defense and running the ball and taking care of the ball.
“That was a pretty high-flying offense that we faced, and fortunately, we could find a way. This is the best way for us to play, and this is the way the guys on the team want to play.”
Carroll said he did not anticipate a fine on wide receiver Golden Tate, who in the fourth quarter delivered a block that knocked linebacker Sean Lee from the game. Cowboys coach Jason Garrett thought the hit violated the league’s defenseless-player rule, but drew no flag from the replacement referees.
I dont think he could have done it any cleaner,” Carroll said. “It was very physical, but
he didnt hit the guy in the head and he didnt hit him with his helmet, and he tried to not. The guy jumped up and he was OK. (Tate) turned, saw the guy and banged him. It was more (Lee) getting caught off guard than anything.
After the Cowboys returned to Dallas, Lee said he was OK physically and moving on from one of the more celebrated hits in the NFL’s early season.
Its one of those deals. Its part of the game, Lee told the Dallas Morning News. Its part of football. The NFL will judge whether thats legal or not. Whatever it is, Ill deal with it. Im on to the next game. Im not worried about it. Im more worried about how we can be better on defense, how we can improve from the mistakes we made.
Carroll cited the play of backup Frank Omiyale, who replaced injured Russell Okung at left tackle and managed to stay in the way all afternoon of Cowboys all-pro pass rusher DeMarcus Ware.
“It was a statement,” he said. “I couldnt wait to get at in the locker room (to talk him up), because its going to happen at other positions throughout the year. You expect guys to jump in there and obviously do their best. We need them to hold up the same level of play however they can to the first rate kind of stuff were counting on. Frank did that.
“He got knocked around a couple of times. He was playing against a great player, but he held his own and had a good, credible game.”
Carroll said with the extra day before hosting the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football, Okung could be ready to go. He also said guard James Carpenter, out since mid-November after surgery to repair an anterior cruciate ligament torn in practice, will get his first full week of work since the injury.
The right guard spot, which has seen rookie J.R. Sweezy start the opener and veteran John Moffitt start against Dallas, is in open competition. The players split time against the Cowboys.
