Pete Carroll held a conference call with reporters on Wednesday, delving into the reasons why he made the decision to fire Jeremy Bates on Tuesday. From the call, it was clear the two never meshed, with Carroll pointing out a difference of opinion about what the offense should look like. Carroll noted the two had “philosophical issues” and “saw things differently” when explaining his reasoning to reporters.
What’s it mean? Simply put, Pete Carroll wants a balanced offense that can run the ball. With a rush offense that ranked near-dead-last, Bates wasn’t getting it done. Even given Marshawn Lynch, thought to be an immediate upgrade at the running back spot, Bates never “utilized the Beast” as Ben Hamilton said on Twitter.
Hamilton’s Twitter account was a treasure-trove of insight this morning. He added Bates offense is predicated on short throws, but that it helps when Brandon Marshall is catching them. It lends credence to the theory that the offense didn’t match the personnel. After Sunday’s loss to the Bears, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck noted the loss of tight ends John Carlson and Cameron Morrah limited the Seahawks playcalling options.
“We’ve got a big, giant (play) call sheet. Losing John Carlson took it down to a corner of that.” – Hasselbeck, on the impact of losing his starting tight end on the Seahawks’ fourth play of the game
Carroll now moves on, looking to find a philosophical match. First up, Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell. In his press conference, Carroll said the Seahawks would interview Bevell today, not just for the vacant quarterbacks coach position but also the offensive coordinator position. Bevell is the first candidate Carroll has acknowledged thus far.
For more on the Seahawks, check out our StoryStream on Bates’ firing and the search for a new offensive coordinator.