For a change, quick turnaround could be benefit for Seahawks
RENTON, Wash. (AP) If there was ever a perfect week for a Thursday night game to land on the Seattle Seahawks schedule, this would be that week.
Head coach Pete Carroll wanted to forget about Sunday's thumping at the hands of Green Bay as quickly as possible.
''It absolutely feels like that. That was the sense we had in the locker room. That's exactly the thought and we're kind of happy to have it come,'' Carroll said Monday. ''Both teams are at the disadvantage of the short week, so we compete every step of the way to get on track as fast as we can to put together a great game plan. There's no time. We don't get to sit on what happened one way or another, win or lose, and we have to turn it.''
Carroll and his staff were already beyond the 38-10 loss to Green Bay and immediately turning the focus to Thursday's game against Los Angeles. There was no other option, especially with what's at stake for the Seahawks.
A win over the Rams will give Seattle its third NFC West title in the last four years and assure at least one home game during the playoffs. But the loss to Green Bay took away the Seahawks' control of the No. 2 seed in the NFC and a potential first-round bye. Seattle now needs to win out and have Detroit lose at least once to earn a week off in the postseason.
The bigger picture is secondary at this point. There were too many issues that surfaced against Green Bay that need to be addressed immediately, and none bigger than the awful performance by quarterback Russell Wilson and his five interceptions.
''The ball didn't go right for us. We overthrew a couple times when guys were open, when balls got knocked around they went right to them,'' Carroll said. ''They did a great job to make their picks and control the football game. When you turn the ball over like that, nothing feels right and you don't have a chance to get anything accomplished.''
Wilson wasn't completely at fault for all five of the interceptions, with two bouncing off receivers and into the arms of Green Bay defenders. But it was an unexpectedly bad game from a quarterback who has made a priority of being precise with the ball. The only other time Wilson has thrown more than three interceptions in a game also came against the Packers in the NFC championship game.
The loss was also a rarity since Wilson's arrival in 2012. Seattle's track record since Wilson's rookie season was that even if it lost, the game was going to be close.
Sunday was the first time since midway through the 2011 season that Seattle lost by more than 10 points, falling to 2-4-1 on the road this season.
Along with clinching a losing road record, the Seahawks have a trend of lagging offensive production away from home. In Seattle's two road wins, the offense has been excellent. Wilson threw for 309 yards and three touchdowns at the New York Jets in Week 4. Against New England last month, Wilson was even better, passing for 348 yards and three TDs.
In those other five games, Seattle's offense has been awful. Three times they failed to score a touchdown. Twice, they scored just one offensive TD. All told, Seattle has 35 offensive points in 21 quarters on the road in its four losses and a tie.
It's a statistic that means little now with Seattle facing two straight home games followed by a season finale at listless San Francisco. But it could have meaning when the playoffs arrive if the Seahawks are unable to move back up to the No. 2 seed in the NFC and potentially face two road games to get back to the Super Bowl.
''We have to work together to do this. That was immediately the message in the locker room right after the game,'' Carroll said. ''We have a lot of good things ahead of us right now and we have to make sure we do it together and we get together.''
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