Grip on Sports: The defense was fine in Chicago but the Seahawks’ offense gave the game away

A GRIP ON SPORTS • The Seahawks have lost their first two games and everyone seems to have questions. Why should we be any different? There is one big one, though, that overrides everything and it involves Russell Wilson. Read on.

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• Before you immediately dismiss any questions about Wilson as an overreaction, think back to the dark days of Darrell Bevell in command of the Seahawks offense.

What did you want the Hawks to do the most back then? Free up Russell, right? Let him be him. Put the ball in his hands and let him run around and make decisions. Speed up the tempo and allow him to put pressure on the defense with his two eyes, his two feet and his two arms – hey, he throws a pretty mean shovel pass with his left arm if forced to.

But that wasn’t Bevell’s way, unless the Hawks were in such dire straits they had nothing else to try.

Well, guess what? Bevell’s gone, Brian Schottenheimer is in and nothing’s changed. It wasn’t Bevell’s call folks. It was, and is, Pete Carroll’s. And John Schneider’s. How do we know? The evidence is there for everyone to see. The Hawks force pocket-passer, Mr. Slow Tempo, on us until they are down in the second half. Viola, here comes the quick game. It works, at least for one series. It looks as if it would work right from the get-go, given the chance. 

Which begs the big question: Why don’t the Hawks just roll the dice and run it all the time?

We don’t have an answer for you. Not a definitive one, at least. But we do have some guesses.

– The Hawks have so much wrapped up in Wilson, they can’t afford to lose him.

Remember those days when Seattle was paying Wilson less than a million dollars a year to be a multi-million dollar quarterback? Good times. Those days are gone. This year, Wilson’s contract counts for nearly $24 million against the cap. (That’s $23 million the team used to be able to spend on others by the way, but I digress.)

But forget the money. He’s a crucial part of everything they do offensively. If he is lost to an injury, the offense would look worse than it did in last night’s 24-17 loss at the Bears – as if that’s possible. (By the way, he’s been with the team seven years and the Hawks still haven’t been able to figure out the backup quarterback situation, but I digress – a little.)

So Seattle tries to wrap Wilson in bubble-wrap, knowing the offensive line is challenged enough to protect him in the pocket. Trying to get those guys to also do their job with him out is space would be tantamount to trying to get them to explain how derivatives work. In other words, Wilson is too valuable an asset to risk in a volatile market.

If that’s the case, though, he’s not worth the money you gave him. Which just might explain the Hawks’ reluctance to offer an extension. But that could also be explained by their corporate philosophy, which is to wait until the final year of the current deal.

– Another corporate philosophy: Focus on the defense.

That’s where Carroll’s heart is. And he makes every decision through the prism of the defense, even offensive ones. 

A quick tempo offense has a tendency to wear down a defense. Both defenses, actually: The opponents during the course of a game; yours during games and the season. Too many snaps, not enough rest.

At least that seems to be the philosophy. Turning Wilson loose, going quickly, opens the possibility of too many short possessions. That puts the defense back on the field with too little rest. That’s not Carroll’s way.

– Old guys just don’t want to change. OK, I understand this one, being part of that protected class. When you’ve done things the same way for years, it seems right. Especially when it has worked. But adaption is the cornerstone of survival.

The Hawks needed to adapt. (We won’t digress into the defense here, but this is question for later.) So Carroll fired Bevell and scoured the universe for someone who would use Wilson in a manner befitting his talents. Sorry, just kidding. 

Carroll went out and found another, even more conservative coordinator. He wanted to get back to the Seahawks’ roots.

Except those roots had withered and died – or moved to Oakland. This offense is invested in Wilson, a quarterback who is OK in the pocket but exceptional out of it. He’s OK directing the old-school NFL look but exceptional when improvising. He’s (usually) OK the way Schottenheimer is using him but could be so much more.

No matter what the Hawks’ reasons for not letting Wilson loose, they really don’t matter, do they? If they are going to be 8-8 protecting him, why not roll the dice? They could be 11-5 and make the playoffs. Or they could be 4-12 if he doesn’t finish the season. 

(And, yes, I know this sounds callous. But playing not to get hurt doesn’t guarantee anything in a sport as rough as football. It’s a sad truth to the game. And here’s another one: Quarterbacks are targets no matter where they are.)

Both outcomes are better – one means a chance at a title; the other means a better draft pick – than the mediocrity that looms on the horizon.

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WSU: It was a busy day in Pullman, with events compressed due to the Friday night game. Theo Lawson has nearly a handful of stories, beginning with his first look at the game. He also looks at the numbers associated with fourth quarters in the first three games. They are impressive. There is a story focused on the Pac-12 awards won by Gardner Minshew and Travell Harris and another on the linebacker USC will be missing for a half. … Oh, the Utah kickoff time is out and it’s midday. … Theo also has his Pac-12 power rankings and video of post-practice interviews with assistant coaches Jeff Phelps and Dave Nichol. … Larry Weir and Theo talked yesterday and that resulted in this Press Box pod. … Finally, a complaint was filed against Jason Gesser. He was suspended as a result. Tom Clouse has more in this story. … There is a story in the Times based off Mike Leach’s press conference. … USC raised the intensity at practice yesterday, even yelling an expletive aimed Washington State’s way.

Elsewhere in the Pac-12, Washington is still the class of the conference, but that doesn’t mean all the Huskies are appreciated. At least not in Chris Petersen’s view. … Oregon State is just following the game plan. … Two top 20 teams will match up in Eugene when Oregon hosts Stanford on Saturday. Even “College GameDay” will be there. … California likes to tell the truth on Mondays. … Utah might be looking to run the ball more after its bye week. … No matter who the coach is, UCLA seems to be penalized. Maybe it’s the uniform color. … Arizona State has to learn how to win on the road. … Even with a bum ankle, Khalil Tate is still crucial to Arizona’s success. … Finally, Larry Scott thinks the sky is falling in California.

Gonzaga: In what was probably Rui Hachimura’s final game with Japan this FIBA World Cup qualifying round, the GU forward had 25 points and seven rebounds in a win over Iran. Jim Meehan has all the particulars.

EWU: Around the Big Sky, Weber State is moving up the rankings quickly. … One of Portland State’s assistants has an interesting backstory. … Montana will open conference play with Sacramento State. … There is a quarterback dilemma at Montana State.

Seahawks: The offensive woes are at the center of every discussion about the loss in Chicago, and rightfully so. Its mistakes are what decided the game. … Up next, the Dallas Cowboys at home. … Will Mychal Kendricks be playing? … Don’t worry. The Hawks tried hard. Too hard, actually. … That seems to be the case with Chris Carson.

Mariners: Daniel Vogelbach is determined to show he deserves a shot to play in the big leagues. That may not be in Seattle, however. Still, his grand slam last night led to a 4-1 win at Houston. … The M’s and King County reached a compromise on Safeco’s maintenance. … James Paxton is feeling better.

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• If you have an answer why the Hawks don’t turn Wilson loose, I would love to hear it. But I’m not sure it’s the right one. Only Pete Carroll knows for sure and he isn’t saying. Even if he did, it’s hard to say whether we could trust it to be the truth. Until later …