Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll

(Opening… )   For the second week in a row, we had a miserable performance and it put us in a situation at the halfway point of the season being 4-4, we've seen the upside of our team and we've also seen the downside.  At this time, really, what I am seeing is a coaches challenge.  We have to figure out how to get ourselves back on track, we have to play a game of football that gives us a chance in so many different areas.  It's a very difficult spot to be in because we're not sure that we can get this thing cranking the way we want to, and how soon we can, until we go back to work, and start working at it, and that's what has to happen next week.  We have to go back, and find our ways, and put things back in order and continue to call on guys to step up in spots and play for us and play like the guys that were there before and keep our level of play where we have a chance.  We gave them the football a bunch of times today and we critical penalties in situations where we're off the field, and that gave them life and that was more than we could handle today.  So, it's still 4-4, halfway point, with everything out in front out of us, it depends on how we go.  The challenge issued in the locker room to the fellows is that we have to hang together, and we have to pull together and we have to get ourselves to the point where we can play good football and execute like we know we're capable of doing, so that we can have a chance to win the football game.  That's what it is, it's a coaches challenge to get this thing right, so I'm taking it head on and we'll go after it.   Charlie survived his first game, he made it through it, he was poised and handled it okay.   He was unable to make anything other than the one big play, throws-wise.  We turned it over twice in the red zone with a chance to be moving and going in the right direction.   I think that he has that start to put behind him now, so we'll see what happens and how he can grow from there.   He did some good things, but he didn't do enough things to make a difference.  It's a very, very difficult team he just played; in all phases, they are just as solid as a rock.  They did get a really great job on offense, the quarterback was almost flawless, and the running game was consistent and tough.  They were able to convert on third down.  On the other side, we couldn't run and we couldn't throw it.  The thing we did do today was protect the passer, we thought that might be the big issue.  We were able to do that and it was a nice job scheme-wise, and a nice job by the guys in front of them, but we didn't take advantage of it.   I was disappointed that we weren't able to create anything in the special teams area; the one return from Leon, but other than that they did a nice job of kicking away from us and kept us from making any big things happening there, save that one time.  This is a big time challenge for us, and for me, and for our coaching staff, and we have to find out ways to get our guys on track.  These guys are with us, they have a tremendous attitude about hanging, they want to get something done, and they're going to come from the heart to do that.   So now we have put ourselves in this situation, and we'll take ourselves to the next step, and that's really what it is right now.

(On whether the team has the horses on offense …)  We'll find out.  I've said this a number of times, but we will get better up front.  I think Russell has a chance to get back, we thought he'd make it this week; he didn't.  He was close, and that will make a difference in helping us.   Chester is playing out of the position we want him in; he'll have a chance to be our left guard when we get Russell back in there.   With that, we have to get our QB back and get Matt going again and put things back in order, if we can start to make some progress.  It's amazing how we've seen the whole spectrum in half a year and now we have to go and move ahead.

(On the defense…)  There are issues you deal with.  I have to look at the film to find out specifically.  I thought Junior did some good things today; I don't know about Kentwan in for Red, I don't know how he played.  He made some tackles, but we didn't feel like we were as forceful at the line of scrimmage as we wanted to be at all, so we'll have to wait and see.  It's what this is, it's a fight.  It's a long time race that you're running in, it's not a sprint, it's a marathon thing, and we have to survive it and stick together and hang with the guys and they have to answer and play like the guys that left. 

(On being 4-4…)  I don't know what happened today around the division, but we're 4-4, and so we're still sitting there with the ability to control what's going on in our division, which is what we set out to do from the start, but right now we have to respond, and we have to get it right.  Is there hope?  Of course there is, so we have a chance to do good things.  We're going to go to work, and it's a challenge we'll figure this out and see what we can do.

(On the loss today…)  Nothing feels right right now.  We are unable to keep the big plays from happening.  We can't withstand those when we are struggling on the other side of the ball, that just adds to the problems.  We have to get rid of the big play first, that's the first thing you have to do when you play defense; that's where it all starts.  It starts with the running game, and then you start building from there   We've lost any kind of momentum that we had up front.  We were playing good ball up front for a while, and we've lost that and we have to regain that with our scheme, with getting guys comfortable and help us with the pressure.

(On the ball bouncing off Mike Williams' hands for an interception …)  I didn't think he had trouble today.  I thought it was a very nice play Terrell Thomas down by the goal line; he wrapped himself all around him, maybe I didn't see it right, but he can make that play.  He's made those plays.  I thought it was a very good defensive play as well. 

(On the trick play on third and one…)  In these games, there are a number of plays like that.  The best play of the day was the challenge for us.  We challenged and we got the ball on the turnover, it was a huge play right there.  The two third down penalties where we stopped them and were off the field were just as impacting; they get the ball again and they wind up scoring out of that.  What happens if that doesn't happen.  Baker is wide open to make 20 or 30 yards right there, and we get a little charge out of that and we get moving and we're probably on the 35 or 40 yard line, or something like that.  It didn't happen.  It looked great in practice, and we just missed it in the game.  But, I think those plays do have that, that's what it is, it's one play that has a factor in what's going on , and we let too many get away from us.

(On two big losses in row, can the team come back…)   Heck, yeah.  The coach has to get it out of the guys, and that's what we have to figure out how to do.  However, I say that, because that's the natural thing to say.  I can look these guys in the eye and talk to them in the locker room, and these guys are going to hang; they're going to battle, they're going to stay with it.  That's what they know, these are the guys we've chosen to play with, and we have leadership in that room.  It breaks your heart, all of us, to have to look at that.  But these guys will respond.

QB  Charlie Whitehurst

(On what it was like today…) It was tough on us all day.  They're a good football team, and they showed us.  We have a little ways to go.  We're right in the middle of a season right now, we're 4 and 4, and we're still in a pretty good spot in the division, and we have to come together and improve and I think we will.

(On the failure to capitalize in the red zone…)   For sure, when you get down there close we turned it over both times, and it really made the day tough for us.  The first one, I think I could have got it to him maybe a little quicker and the corner wouldn't have gotten his hand in there and the second one was a poor throw, behind him.  I could have helped us those two plays and maybe we could have gotten some points there.

(On how it felt in his first start…)  After the first snap, it's just football, like you've been doing.  It's been a while since I made a start that means something, for sure, but I can say it was tough because we couldn't get anything going.  It was kind of business as usual, you go out there and you play quarterback, and it was a tough day for us.

(On some tough plays…)  I mentioned the two interceptions; I could have made a play on the third and short to Chris Baker, the throwback pass.  It was a bad throw, too.  There was some stuff out there, we just didn't get in the rhythm.  We ran 35 or 36 plays, and we just couldn't get anything going.

(On the pass protection…)  I thought they played well up front.  We didn't have much of a running game, but when we pass protected I thought that it was really good.  I had a lot of time, I don't think I was hit but one time.  We had time, we just weren't able to make the play.

(On the touchdown throw…)  It made it a little better, I guess, but it was a disappointing day for us.  I was disappointed in the way that I played, and I have to get better.

TE John Carlson

(On their overall performance and how they now go about preparing for next week) "Well, it's embarassing first and foremost. We put a lot of work into our craft and what we present on the football field on Sundays. To come out and play like that, that's embarassing. With that being said, tomorrow we have to evaluate this game, really look at it hard. We have to critique ourselves, really be hard on ourselves. Then we have to learn from it and move on because we play another game on Sunday – go down to Arizona. In football you have to take it one week at a time, whether it's good or it's bad."

(On the play of Charlie Whitehurst) "I don't think he was nervous. He was well prepared. Tempo and everything in the huddle, getting the plays, was kind of like a veteran, like he'd been around for awhile. There weren't any issues in that area of the game. We were just completely ineffective offensively."

(On if it felt like they couldn't gain any tempo or rhythm) "It did feel like that. That's the way it was. We couldn't sustain drives, we couldn't get first downs, we couldn't run the football. We left the defense out there way too much. We didn't score points. It's embarassing. It can't happen. We can't perform like that."

(On missed opportunities in the red zone) "You know, that was part of it. We did have a couple good shots there where we should have come away with points – at least a field goal, and we didn't. But there were other issues – three and outs, not being able to run the ball, not being able to sustain drives. Those two opportunities we had in the red zone were given to us by…I believe by the defense, or by special teams. We didn't really - other than the one scoring drive we had which was not really a drive, it was two or three plays - we didn't do anything offensively."

CB Roy Lewis

(On going into a game shorthanded due to injuries and if it really shows up after a loss) "Well, you would hope that it wouldn't. That's just one things you just never know how it's going to play out. You have those guys that are first time starters, you have guys that may not normally get the opportunity during the year – so those guys have to be willing and ready to step up and take on that challenge.None the less, it's the professional football league – guys are more than capable of stepping in. That's what they are there for. So you just have to capitalize when they go in."

(On if they were at full strength the last two weeks would the outcome of the games have been different) "I mean, you don't want to say that. It gets easy to toss that out, but once again you can't use injuries as an excuse in this league, period. The guys behind, the guys that are starting, they have to be ready to go. So like I said, I wish those guys a speedy recover because we definitely need those guys. And the guys that are stepping in – it's time to go, point blank."

RB Leon Washington

(On the offense) "We just got to execute better. It doesn't matter who we have in the game – we expect to go out there and play."

RB Marshawn Lynch

(On how he stays upbeat after two losses the last two weeks) "The way I see it, I go out every week and I give everything I got – no matter a win or a loss. The way I can tell that is that my body feels the same after a win or a loss. That's how I know I gave everything that I got. Just for me, just the type of person of that I am…I've seen bad days – just right now the ball isn't bouncing in our court. There's no reason to go in the tank about it. If I go in the tank I don't expect to come out of it. I just got that, 'There's always another day ahead' type of attitude."

(On his approach to running the football today with five to eight guys on him at times) "Well, everybody wants to know what 'Beast Mode' is – that is. Everything isn't going to be sweet, you know. When things just happen like that you just got to get on the grind, put your head down, and try and get some extra yards. That's pretty much what that was."

(On his assessment of Charlie Whitehurst's performance) "Well, coming into the week, they were like, 'We're going with Charlie.' And I like Charlie, he did some good things out there – checked out of bad looks, tried to put us in a better situation for that play. Just overall, just his composure and the way he attacked the game was something special. I think with more repitition and probably some more game experience he'll be pretty good."

Safety Lawyer Milloy

(On their performance) "The last two weeks haven't been the way we would draw it up, but that's the league. As bad as it is we're still 4-4."

(On how much he can use the injuries as a reason for what has gone bad) "Ever since I can remember people around here have been talking about the injuries and all that. It happens, it's the league – everybody gets hurt. It's about the guys that have the opportunity to come in and do their part and for the guys that are still healthy to do their job. That hasn't happened the last two weeks. So we definitely need all hands on deck, anybody that's hurt. We need to fight, try to come back. I can't say that makes it easier having some of our players hurt, but that's the hand were dealt."

(On if the team competed as well as they could have today) "When the score is like that, you know…I don't think we ever gave up. I think that's what he's (Coach Carroll) is talking about. It's still a loss in our stadium and we got to get it corrected."

(On fighting back from 21-0 early in the game) "That's football, man. You just try to regroup and collect things on the fly."

CB Kelly Jennings

(On Eli Manning) "He's a great quarterback and he made some great plays, he did some great things. He made plays and we didn't."

(On two disappointing games back to back and if it is a critical point in the season) "We're at the mid-point in the season, I would say it's a critical point, I guess you can call it that. We know that this is not our vision, not where we want to be, but it's where we're at. So we have to embrace it, go, get the film and see what we did wrong and see what we can get fixed. We as a team, as coaches and players, just have to make sure we do what we have to do and go out next week and win a football game."

WR Ben Obomanu

(On his touchdown reception) "It was one of those things where they press-bailed a lot and they were jumping some of my inside routes. I think we had thrown a little skinny post to Mike Williams early in the red zone and the ball got intercepted. Deon Butler ran the same route and it got jumped inside. So we had already game-planned a little bit and said, 'OK, they're going to jump that route, we're going to double-move.' I just happened to be in the game, my one play of the game too on offense, and they threw me the ball. Charlie just made a good play. It wasn't that hard, it was just one of those things where they were so aggressive because they were up in the scoreboard they were going to jump routes and try to get picks and interceptions. It was just a double-move to the back corner of the end zone."