Pete Carroll is doing his best to keep his Seattle Seahawks squad motivated even though the team remains without Russell Wilson.
That has Geno Smith under center and the result has been back-to-back three-point losses.
The Seahawks are close with Smith, but not close enough.
The latest loss was an ugly 13-10 defeat at the hands of the New Orleans Saints.
So will this lead to a change at quarterback?
The answer to that question is no, as Carroll made it clear he is sticking with the veteran.
“He’s managing the game well. I would like him to get the football out, be more open to throw the ball away,” Carroll said, as shared by NFL.com. “We talked about it in the locker room after the game. Sometimes those situations happen so fast, and to make that declaration to give up on the play is something that takes experience.”
Smith is not doing anything to make the Seahawks lose, but still needs to do more to help them win.
Ultimately, he is the team’s best option until Wilson returns and Carroll can see that.
Geno Smith, where do you go from here?
“Man, the sun is going to come up tomorrow. And we are going to get right.”
Seattle weather tomorrow: all clouds. 90% chance of rain. #Seahawks pic.twitter.com/wz8wJCwTBQ
— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) October 26, 2021
Managing The Game Without Wilson
Smith initially came on in relief during the Week 5 loss against the Los Angeles Rams.
He got the start the following week on the road in Pittsburgh and finished with 209 yards and a touchdown in the 23-20 loss.
Smith did not throw a pick, but did lose a fumble.
Next up was Monday’s game against the Saints.
An 84-yard touchdown pass accounted for much of Smith’s production on the day as he finished with 167 yards through the air.
.@GenoSmith3 ➡️ @dkm14 and that's a touchdown for EIGHTY FOUR YARDS! 🙌
📺: #NOvsSEA on ESPN pic.twitter.com/nFsCwP1mx6
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) October 26, 2021
The Seahawks got nothing from the running game either and now sit at 2-5 on the year.
Jacob Eason is the only other option on the roster and he just showed up after starting his career with the Indianapolis Colts.
That leaves Smith as the only logical option at quarterback, and Carroll just has to keep supporting the veteran until Wilson can return.
The alternative is accepting the fate that his team is likely not going to the playoffs this year.
NEXT: Pete Carroll Reveals How Russell Wilson Impacted His Coaching Career