Pete Carroll challenges Seahawks offensive coaches to ‘maximize our people’

RENTON, Wash. – Over their past four games, when not playing a team that recently fired its defensive coordinator, the Seahawks have scored one offensive touchdown.

The exception was the two they scored against Washington in a 29-26 win over a Commanders team that Friday jettisoned Jack Del Rio as its defensive coordinator after giving up 45 points against Dallas on Thursday.

Take that out, and in games against the Ravens, Rams and 49ers over the past four weeks, Seattle has one TD in 32 possessions – that coming on the opening drive against Los Angeles on Sunday.

Seattle’s only TD in Thursday’s 31-13 loss to the 49ers at Lumen Field that dropped the Seahawks to 6-5 and two games behind San Francisco in the NFC West came via the defense, a 12-yard Jordyn Brooks interception return. Three more points were set up via a 66-yard Dee Eskridge kickoff return.

Otherwise, the 49ers defense almost pitched a shutout, and the Seahawks offense has gone 20 consecutive possessions without a touchdown.

After the stunningly ineffectual performance against the 49ers, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll on Friday appeared to lay down a challenge to the coaching staff.

“We have to maximize our people and have to make sure that we’re putting them in the best positions for them to contribute,” Carroll said during his regular day-after-game news conference.

Asked to elaborate on what that means for the offense, Carroll said: “Making sure we’re choosing the best routes for the guys. We have unique talents, and we’ve got to make sure we’re maximizing that. I feel like we’re not. I feel like we’re not seeing stuff.

“You saw the playmaking of Jaxon (Smith-Njigba) again last night, and he continues to show stuff that separates him from others and we just need to give him more chances. We’ve got guys in different areas of our game that can do stuff, I think, better. Our tight ends can be used better than we’ve used them in the last couple weeks, so we need to get that going again. We just have to make them come to life.”

The defense hasn’t exactly bathed itself in glory lately, allowing an average of 27.75 points in those four games.

But the offense was expected to be the Seahawks’ strength after they re-signed quarterback Geno Smith to a three-year deal worth up to $105 million and spent a first-round draft pick on a receiver (Smith-Njigba, 20th overall) and a second-rounder on a running back (Zach Charbonnet, 52nd overall), adding to a tight-end corps that is the third-highest paid in the NFL and a receiving corps that is the ninth-highest paid.

Despite that investment, Seattle has seen nearly all of its offensive numbers drop in 2023.

To cite a few, the Seahawks are 19th in points per game at 20.8 compared with ninth a year ago (23.9) and 20th in yards per game at 317.1 compared with 13th a year ago at 350.4. They are averaging almost 25 yards less on the ground (95.8 compared with 119.2 a year ago). Smith has thrown just 12 touchdowns in 11 games compared with 30 last year in 17, with his TD percentage down to 3.3 from 5.2.

It’s an offense that also has seemed to lack an identity.

Carroll always cites the need for an effective running game, but the Seahawks are 29th in rushing attempts at 23.3 and are 26th in yards. They are on pace for their lowest rushing-yards-per-game average since Carroll’s first year in 2010, when they were 31st in the NFL at 89.3.

Running back Kenneth Walker III’s absence Thursday didn’t help, as Seattle gained just 88 yards on 21 carries and only 18 on five in the first half. But the drafting of Charbonnet was supposed to give Seattle depth in the event of injury.

Although the Seahawks rank better in yards per pass at 7.1 per attempt – tied for 11th – they have been held far below that total in their past three losses. That includes 4.0 Thursday, a number impacted greatly by six sacks for 48 yards lost, several when Smith was brought down before long-developing routes could come open.

That yards-per-pass number was a surprise to Carroll, who said the Seahawks thought they’d be able to hit some deep shots against a 49ers secondary he noted has had issues with penalties (the 49ers have been flagged for 115 pass-interference yards, ninth most).

But as Carroll noted ruefully on his radio show on Seattle Sports 710, “We didn’t get as much out of that as we thought.”

In fact, Seattle had only one pass to a receiver of longer than 14 yards – Smith-Njigba’s one-handed grab for a 34-yard gain on third-and-9 in the third quarter. That was the only third down Seattle converted in eight tries in the first three quarters until the final drive when the score was 31-13.

As Carroll noted, the Seahawks could make greater use of a tight-end corps that on paper was a team strength entering the season.

But one challenge is how to fit the players into major roles each game. Smith-Njigba, for instance, played 75% of snaps, his second most of the year, not far off the 95% of Tyler Lockett and 86% of DK Metcalf.

Using three receivers regularly means using the tight ends less often. One apparent domino effect of Smith-Njigba playing more was tight end Will Dissly playing just 27% of the snaps. That was his second lowest of the season and far below his 41% season average, and his 60% average of last season.

So, is all of this putting some heat on third-year offensive coordinator Shane Waldron?

Certainly, depending on how the rest of the season unfolds, Carroll will have to consider everything.

On Friday, when Carroll was asked if Waldron’s game plans have been maximizing the talents of the offensive players. Carroll gave a general answer.

“I just want to emphasize in that direction (maximizing player talents), because we’re fighting to get it right, and I want to emphasize the guys as much as we can, see if we can maximize the players even more so,” Carroll said.

What Carroll didn’t evade is that answers must be found quickly. Seattle plays four of its final six on the road, including the next two, at Dallas on Thursday and the rematch at the 49ers on Dec. 10.

“I think we’re a crucial point,” Carroll said. “Yeah, it’s crucial that we make sure we’re together. This is really challenging stretch coming. And they’re always hard. But we’ve got to get our minds right, make sure that we’re focusing on doing the right thing and executing. Playing ball really hard with great effort, intensity and all the kind of stuff that we’d like to build this team around.”