As the Seattle Seahawks prepare to host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in a must-win game for both teams, head coach Pete Carroll talked to the media on Wednesday. He was asked about a number of players and coaches on the Steelers team in a video of the conference posted on the Seahawks’ YouTube page. Here is what he had to say about some of the key players in the matchup.
MASON RUDOLPH
QB Mason Rudolph started his first game since 2021 last Saturday and sparked the Steelers’ offense to a 34-11 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. He was able to stretch the field with some deep passes to WR George Pickens, and it led to the highest point total of the season for the Steelers’ offense. Carroll was asked what he knows about Rudolph and his style of play.
“He’s been around for a few years,” Carroll said. “He’s started a number of games. We got all kinds of film on him so we can see him. He’s a big, strong arm, good looking kid. Looked great the other night, dropped some dimes on ’em, and made some huge plays, and gave ’em a real spark where they jumped to 21-zip right off the bat. It’s obvious that he lifted them.”
It remains to be seen if Rudolph will get his second-straight start on Sunday, but Tomlin told the media on Tuesday afternoon that they are operating under the same assumption as last week while waiting to see how QB Kenny Pickett responds to practice with his ankle injury. Both Rudolph and Pickett spoke to the media on Wednesday after practice. It sure seems like Pickett is ready to play, but he kept deferring to the training staff. Regardless of his health, Tomlin may opt to use it as an excuse to save Pickett some face while riding with the hot hand in Rudolph.
MIKE TOMLIN
Pete Carroll and Mike Tomlin are two of the longest-tenured head coaches in the NFL. They have been with their respective teams for a long time. Tomlin is in his 17th season with the Steelers, while Carroll is in his 14th season with the Seahawks. Both coaches have won a Super Bowl, and they are among the winningest coaches in league history. Tomlin has 171 career wins and a .630 winning percentage, while Carroll has 169 career wins and a .587 winning percentage.
Carroll was asked about Tomlin and what has led to his longevity as a coach.
“His consistency is what’s most noticeable to me and something I really appreciate. But he’s also been a really standup, upfront dude,” Carroll said. “He’s a really, really good man. And they’ve had the fortune of having him for years, I think 16 years, and never had a losing season. That’s a pretty good marker. That’s hard to get that done, and [I have] ultimate respect for him.”
T.J. WATT
OLB T.J. Watt is in the midst of another great season, currently leading the NFL with 17.0 sacks. If he maintains that lead he will be the first player to lead the league in the statistic in three separate seasons since 1982. He is doing all that while flying relatively under the radar. He currently has the third-best odds of winning Defensive Player of the Year, but he is leading the other two candidates in most categories. With two games left, he has a shot at hitting the 20-plus sack mark for the second time in his career. Carroll was asked how to slow a guy like Watt down.
“Guys that are that impacting, you have to do a little bit of everything. There’s no way to stop him,” Carroll said. “He’s such a volatile football player, and it’s just really a challenge…Everybody knows he’s there, and he ain’t hiding, so we gotta do a nice job and keep him guessing a little bit as best we can and try to keep him from being a big part of the game.”
The Seahawks are allowing 2.5 sacks per game, while the Steelers are getting 2.8 per game. RT Abraham Lucas has only played in five games this season due to a knee injury suffered in Week One. In those five games, he has allowed 2 sacks, and Pro Football Focus has credited him for 13 pressures allowed. All of those sacks and pressures have come in the four games since he returned from the knee injury.
PATRICK PETERSON
CB Patrick Peterson has enjoyed a long, Hall of Fame-worthy career at the cornerback position. Due to recent attrition at the safety position for the Steelers, he started the Week 16 game at safety. He played well and had his second interception of the season. Tomlin has spoken about his versatility several times throughout the year, and the team has been able to use him as a chess piece in the defense as a result. It was one of the big reasons Tomlin said they brought him in this past offseason. Carroll discussed how Peterson has been able to make a quick transition to safety on the fly.
“When Patrick came to our camp at SC, I had made the comment that he was the best player at his position we’d ever seen in all those years we were there. I mean, he was so perfectly gifted,” Carroll said. “It’s all the sense and awareness. He’s using all of that to make this quick transition, and he looks smooth back there, and he’s comfortable doing it.”
With Minkah Fitzpatrick unable to practice on Tuesday, it is looking possible that Peterson will once again start at safety. Trenton Thompson practiced, so Peterson might move around a bit more rather than playing full-time as a center fielder. S Eric Rowe, who just played in his first game of the season off the Steelers’ practice squad, should also get another start after a solid performance in Week 16, including a key interception in the first half.
