Looks like former Seahawks QB Russell Wilson was the real OC killer

It seems former Seahawks QB Russell Wilson doesn’t seem to be satisfied with any offensive coordinator. We wish his new coordinator luck; he’s gonna need it.

Hey 12s! Remember when Schotty Jr. got the boot from the Seahawks? You remember the guy, right? B R I A N  S C H – oh, never mind. He wasn’t the most popular coach in Hawks history, that’s for sure. Seattle’s offense ranked in the top ten every season under Schottenheimer, it’s true. It’s also true that the offense sputtered once the postseason rolled around. That was a valid criticism and a major factor in his departure.

Or was it that big a factor? I mean, yes, it certainly had to play into the decision. But recent reports say that despite his public lovefest for Schotty, former Hawks QB Russell Wilson himself was a major player in the Seahawks decision to move on from Schottenheimer. What? Do you mean DangeRuss would say one thing in public, and another in private?

Seahawks OC apparently got the boot by Wilson

To be sure, it wasn’t solely Russell Wilson’s decision to part ways with Schottenheimer. But as reported by several outlets, Wilson was less than enamored with the offense at the time. As quoted by Jenna Lemoncelli in The New York Post:

"“I think that it wasn’t my decision to change Schotty,” Wilson said. “But I think that coach [Pete] Carroll made that decision. I think that I trust his decision. But at the same time, obviously Schotty and I have been so close. I mean, he’s going to be a tremendous coach somewhere else.”"

What’s truly ironic here is that Russ wanted more no-huddle plays, more passing, and more of “Let Russ Cook”. The Seahawks officially parted ways with Schotty because they had largely abandoned the run. Clearly, there was a conflict in offensive philosophy. Schottenheimer couldn’t satisfy both camps.

Let me clarify, I think it would have been possible to satisfy both desires. The Hawks certainly could have run the ball more than they did. Rushing attempts dropped each season under Schotty, from 534 to 481 and finally 411. The true issue was the lack of adjustment to defenses in the second half. As for Wilson’s public stance, it didn’t match his private concerns. Nick Selbe reported in Sports Illustrated that a source with the Seahawks made this clear:

"“Don’t let his comments mask his real thoughts,” the source said. “He had grown tired of Schotty from a play calling perspective and wanted something fresh. As much as he benefited from his coaching, he didn’t think the two could co-exist anymore in a football marriage.”"

Despite getting the OC he apparently wanted in Shane Waldron, Wilson still wanted more. And so, DangeRuss is in Denver, and we’ll see who winds up as the Seahawks starting QB. Fair warning to Broncos OC Justin Outten: the clock is already ticking. He could well be on the way out…ten. Sorry, couldn’t resist that one.