'Guys Deserve the Chance': Seahawks Renewed Competition Bringing Best Out of CB Group
RENTON, Wash. - Less than an hour before kickoff, in an unexpected turn of events that hadn't been teased by the team in the week leading up to Monday's prime time matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll quietly made a bold move in his secondary.
As Seattle transitioned into the team segment of warm ups, though he was active and announced as the starter, reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year finalist Riq Woolen wasn't in his typical spot at right cornerback with the first-team defense. Instead, after playing well in place of Tre Brown on the left side one week earlier in Santa Clara, veteran Mike Jackson stayed in the starting lineup, signaling Carroll had decided to bench the talented, yet still raw Woolen.
Rewarding his coach, Jackson seized the moment and then some, bringing much-needed physicality and toughness to the back of the Seahawks' defense against the defending NFC champions. Along with allowing just two receptions for six yards on six targets with tight, sticky coverage on star receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, he blew up a pair of screen plays, including bringing down tight end Dallas Goedert for a three-yard loss in a season-saving 20-17 victory at Lumen Field.
When asked about Jackson starting instead of Woolen following the game, Carroll indicated the decision to play the veteran boiled down simply to earning the opportunity on the practice field.
"Guys had a competition this week. That's how it came out," Carroll said. "They're all playing good football. So we just thought it was worthy of those guys having a chance to battle for it. That's just the way it came out for the week."
Coming off a fourth consecutive loss one week earlier, Carroll uncharacteristically aired grievances about individual Seahawks failing to execute against some of the 49ers favorite plays as they had been coached. Among those to receive rare public criticism from Carroll, safety Jamal Adams was called out for "bad ball" in Santa Clara after letting Deebo Samuel run past him in coverage for a 54-yard touchdown catch.
Based on such comments, with the team's playoff hopes dwindling amid the longest losing streak since 2009, maybe such personnel moves should have been expected. In fact, former Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright pleaded for his long-time coach to make such a splash on his weekly radio show on Seattle Sports 710.
"If these guys are not buying in, if your message is not getting through to them, you have to do something,” Wright said of Carroll. “You have to create some kind of shock in this building. ... He has to do something come Monday night.”
Displeased with the poor play from Seattle's defense after surrendering more than 500 yards of total offense and a bunch of explosive pass plays to San Francisco, Carroll hinted changes were coming and decided to turn back to his "always compete" philosophy seeking solutions. Rather than be complacent with the same starters on the field not being challenged for their jobs after a rough performance, he presented Jackson and Woolen with a chance to battle for snaps during practice.
Earning the starting nod over Riq Woolen, Mike Jackson broke up two passes and registered a tackle for loss as the Seahawks edged the Eagles 20-17 on Monday Night Football.
© Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Ultimately, after Jackson only allowed one catch in the loss to the 49ers, Carroll felt the ex-Miami standout turned in the better week and named him the starter behind the scenes. Offering few clues he was considering such a move in press conferences leading up to Monday, while complimenting the fifth-year corner's play one week earlier, he only kept the door open by saying the Seahawks would use him if needed and he would be ready to play.
Considering he started all 17 games across from Woolen last season, Jackson's readiness and success on the field shouldn't have been surprising. Quietly turning in a stellar season while the then-rookie drew all the headlines, he recorded 75 tackles, an interception, and 11 pass breakups, emerging as one of the franchise's most improved players on either side of the football.
Even after drafting Devon Witherspoon fifth overall, at the conclusion of Seattle's offseason program in July, Carroll told reporters Jackson had the "best camp of anybody," and his strong play continued into training camp with him winning several one-on-one battles in coverage against DK Metcalf on the practice field.
All summer long, Carroll effusively praised Jackson for his confidence, physicality, and football acumen, repeatedly expressing his confidence in the veteran to be able to step up and once again play at a high level when called upon. But even following another excellent outing on Monday night, the coach was non-committal on whether he or Woolen would start against the Titans in Week 16, implying a decision will be made in similar fashion to a week ago.
“We’ll see. I didn’t expand on that last week and I’m not going to now," Carroll said.
Such verbiage is quite a departure from what Carroll said of Woolen back in August after undergoing offseason knee surgery. At the time, with the young defender set to be activated from the PUP list, he declared him the starter at right cornerback and confirmed their wouldn't be a competition at the position, understandably saying he had earned the spot with a fantastic rookie season.
However, after leading the NFL in interceptions and receiving a Pro Bowl nod last season, Woolen has endured an up-and-down sophomore campaign. Though he has nearly equaled his pass breakups from last season, he has draw criticism from Carroll on multiple occasions for poor tackling and only picked off two passes thus far, failing to come close to replicating his play from a year ago.
Due to a shoulder issue, Carroll sat Woolen midway through a 31-13 loss to the 49ers on Thanksgiving night, turning to Jackson for most of the second half. He returned to the starting lineup the following week in Dallas, breaking up a trio of passes in a 41-35 loss to the Cowboys, only to be sent to the bench for Monday's pivotal matchup against the Eagles.
While Carroll hasn't said anything publicly to fuel such speculation, Woolen did botch several coverage assignments as a rookie and remains relatively new to his position after transitioning from receiver midway through his college career at UTSA. Given the team's frequent breakdowns in coverage one week earlier, it's worth wondering if the Seahawks decided to give Jackson a chance in his place in part due to his quality track record of executing coverage responsibilities.
Regardless of what all went into the decision to roll with Jackson instead of Woolen, Carroll seems to be content with the cornerback situation being a fluid one week to week for the rest of the season. Thanks to great talent and depth at the position, unlike previous years, he has no reservations about playing Jackson, Woolen, Brown, Witherspoon, Artie Burns, or Coby Bryant on game day.
Aiming to squeeze the best out of every player with Woolen and the rest of the group "battling" it out on the practice field, the competition is truly on in the Pacific Northwest, just how Carroll prefers it.
“Competition is a marvelous factor. Really, it’s because guys deserve the chance. Tre Brown has played well too. The guys have all played well. Without Devon, it’s just opened up an opportunity for guys, we just try to make the most of it. It doesn’t mean anything about going forward, there’s no statement we’re making about it for the future other than we’re always competing. We’re trying to figure out the best way to get our guys to the very best they can be.”
