Entering a postseason that will not feature the Seattle Seahawks will leave the organization with more questions than answers as they head into the offseason.
The rollercoaster ride that has been the 2021 regular season has highlighted the flaws of this Seattle team that have been covered up for the last couple of years. As in years past, the blame cannot be solely put on Pete Carroll as this Seahawks defense is top 10 in major statistical categories in the second half of the season. The problems have actually fallen on the offensive side of the ball.
Last year when rumors surrounding a Russell Wilson trade sparked, Seattle immediately shut them down. Primarily because Pete Carroll is 70 years old and does not want to enter a rebuild. He knows his best chances of winning are with his Super Bowl-winning quarterback. As they currently sit at 5-9 with pretty much no playoff hope and their first losing season in 9 years, it appears that change is imminent.
While many believe Pete Carroll has done enough to earn his right to remain in Seattle and fix the problems, more likely than not, he would be on his way out as it is the head coach who ends up being the scapegoat when things go wrong.
5 offensive-minded coaches who could replace Pete Carroll for the Seattle Seahawks
Regardless of which side you stand on – in terms of who to place the blame on – I think we can all agree that the NFL has become an offensive-centric league. The rule changes over the last couple of years have heavily favored the quarterback and most of the recent hires will back up that claim.
Just look at the NFC West for example. The 49ers are coached by Kyle Shanahan (42 years old), Cardinals by Killf Kingsbury (42 years old), and Rams by Sean McVay (35 years old). Outside of their relatively young age, what do these three coaches have in common? Offensive minds.
If Pete Carroll were to retire — as I don’t think he will be fired — my guess is Seattle jumps on the trend of hiring an offensive-minded coach. After all, it would only make sense with a quarterback like Russell Wilson who still has many good years ahead.
After discussing 5 defensive-minded coaches who could replace Pete Carroll, here are 5 offensive-minded coaches who can find themselves leading Seattle in the near future.
Doug Pederson
Last offseason when the Seattle Seahawks were in search for a new offensive coordinator, Doug Pederson was one of the names that floated around. It is believed that Russell Wilson was heavily involved in the search and sat in on interviews of potential offensive coordinators.
Throughout Doug Pederson’s tenure in Philadelphia, the biggest takeaway was his ability to get the most out of his players. Something that we have seen Pete Carroll do in Seattle. While his energy will never be matched, a coach like Pederson may be able to come in and do what the great coaches do — put your players in a position that will maximize their success.
If you look at 2017-2018 season for the Philadelphia Eagles, Pederson’s coaching was a crucial factor in their Super Bowl victory over the Patriots. Not only did he have Wentz on par to win the MVP if he didn’t suffer that torn ACL late in the season. But, he was able to win three playoff games with backup quarterback Nick Foles. Most impressively, he did it in such a way that didn’t feature a heavily conservative game plan. He coached with no fear and put Foles in his best position to succeed.
There is no doubt that the Seattle Seahawks have offensive talent. Outside of some work that is needed on the offensive line, Chris Carson, Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf is one hell of a core and an appealing one at that for any offensive coach that is trying to be poached to Seattle. After being fired by Philadelphia in 2020, Pederson took the year off from coaching and is now feeling rejuvenated towards a potential NFL return.
Kellen Moore, Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator
At only 33 years old, I believe Kellen Moore is going to be a hot commodity in the coaching market come this offseason. He epitomizes what organizations are and have been looking for when determining the future of their franchise: young & upcoming offensive minds.
Ever since taking over in 2019 as the Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator, his offense has put up numbers. In 2019, the Dallas Cowboys had the top 1 offense in terms of yards per game and a top 6 scoring offense. In 2020, those numbers dropped but that was in large part due to the injury sustained by quarterback Dak Prescott. Now, in 2021 Moore once again has this offense first in total yards per game and second in scoring offense.
What surprised me the most about Moore was that he was retained when Dallas hired Mike McCarthy in 2020. Typically, when a new coach comes in, they clean house and bring in their own coordinators with them. But, the rapport Moore had with this Dallas offense was obvious. Now, one can certainly make an argument that he inherited a top offensive line, coupled with Zeke, Amari Cooper and then eventually, CeeDee Lamb. Quite frankly, he would be doing the same in Seattle, minus the offensive line, and he has shown what he is capable of doing.
Unlike Russell Wilson, many already believe that Dak Prescott has reached his potential and thus, holds back this Dallas offense in a sense. With someone as accurate as Wilson, who knows what else is in pandora’s box for Moore if he were to take over the Seattle Seahawks. He would certainly be able to dive deeper into his creative mind as Wilson is dynamic enough to use both his arm and legs. I think it would be really exciting to see Seattle hire a progressive young and upcoming offensive-minded coach.
Eric Bieniemy, Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator
One name that has circled around many different organizations over the last couple of years in the coaching carousel has been Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator, Eric Bieniemy. Luckily for Seattle and unbeknown to many, Bieniemy will once again be available for interviews as a head coach this offseason.
Bieniemy is certainly someone who belongs in the conversation, especially if you are looking for an offensive mind. His resume speaks for itself. The Kansas City Chiefs have been one of the most dominant offensive teams over the last 5 years. It is a large reason why they have gone to back-to-back Super Bowls with a chance to make their third straight this February. Another thing to keep in mind is that when you sometimes evaluate a head coach, you need to consider where he is coming from. In other words, what coaching tree does he belong to?
Well, Bieniemy has worked with Andy Reid, arguably the smartest offensive mind in the world. What I find most intriguing about Bieniemy is that he can fit in well with this Seahawks offense. Seattle and Kansas City both have a reliance on the explosive play. In fact, they have been both quite successful at doing so over the last couple of years. The major difference is that Kansas City’s big-play ability comes from play design while Seattle hits the majority of their big plays off the play action. Something that can only work if you establish the run.
The dynamic routes and play calls that stem from Andy Reid can really do wonders in Seattle. While you may have seen Kansas City’s struggles against Cover 2 this past season, Reid and Bieniemy showed their resilience in being able to overcome those issues. I really believe Bieniemy and Wilson would be a great pairing.
Joe Lombardi, Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator
The Los Angeles Chargers are one of the rare teams that have a defensive-minded coach. But, the key to success with that kind of team is a great offensive coordinator. After being fired by the Detroit Lions, Joe Lombardi — grandson of Vince Lombardi — found himself as the offensive coordinator for the Chargers.
If there is anything we have learned about the Chargers throughout this season, it’s that quarterback Justin Herbert is the real deal. He is going to have a lot of success in this league. Los Angeles has won the majority of their games with offense this year. One thing that has impressed me the most with Lombardi is his calm under pressure. As we have seen, the Chargers play with no fear. In many of their close games, we have seen them show no hesitancy to go for it on fourth down. As a coordinator, that is a tricky challenge as you always need to have your money plays ready when called upon.
Yes, Los Angeles has plenty of weaponry in Austin Ekeler, Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Jared Cook. But, their offense is very versatile in its play-calling. They can beat you deep with Mike Williams. They can pick you apart in the short game with Keenan Allen. Most importantly, they know how to utilize their X-Factors in Austin Ekeler and Jared Cook. Offensively, Seattle can provide Lombardi with a lot of the same in Tyler Lockett, D.K. Metcalf and hopefully Gerald Everett if he were to be retained in the offseason.
Who knows, if Lombardi were to come over to Seattle, maybe he would bring that aggressive ideology with him. We have seen Seattle become so conservative on 4th downs over the years and it has become increasingly frustrating, especially with a quarterback like Russell Wilson who has a history of delivering in the biggest of moments.
Brian Daboll, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator
The Buffalo Bills currently have the 4th best scoring offense in the NFL. Perhaps, their biggest weakness offensively is their lack of rushing attack. Although they average nearly 120 yards per game on the ground, a lot of that can be credited to the ultimate SUV they have in quarterback Josh Allen.
What intrigues me about Daboll is that he finds ways to get the most out of his players. Daboll completely turned around the trajectory for Josh Allen. After a shaky rookie season, Josh Allen has been in the MVP conversation ever since. The Bills as a team have shown improvement in each season, even reaching the AFC Championship last year. Similar to the Chargers, they are led by a defensive-minded coach in Sean McDermott. This only heightens the good job that Daboll has done with this offense since 2018.
When evaluating this Seattle Seahawks team, what jumps out as their weakness on offense at least? Yes, pass protection continues to be a major concern. But, the more glaring issue has been the constant one over the last two or three seasons. Towards the home stretch, Seattle’s offense gets muddy and they rely on Wilson to continually bail them out. While I actually like some of what Shane Waldron does, it appears Seattle has found themselves in that rut once again this season.
Brian Daboll, similarly to everyone else on this thread will introduce a new philosophy to the Seattle Seahawks. One that is Russell Wilson friendly. The greatest of coaches are always able to adapt to their players. Not, adapt their scheme to the players. I like what Brian Daboll has done over his tenure in Buffalo and can even bring over some ideas from his Alabama days.