The NFC West Dream Team: Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll

Every team has a ‘dream team’ whether that a quarterback and running back, the quarterback and wide receiver, the defense itself, etc. In the NFC West I see this as Seahawks’ Russell Wilson and coach Pete Carroll. Why? Well, let’s get started!

Without a doubt, Russell Wilson is one of the greatest quarterbacks in the league – you could say I’m biased but you only have to look at his stats to know it’s true. He tied Peyton Manning’s 1998 record for most touch down passes by a rookie. He became the first rookie in NFL history to lead his team to an undefeated home record. He has the most combined wins in a quarterback’s first three seasons and he set the franchise record for most rushing yards in a season by a quarterback, and finally, he became the third youngest quarterback in NFL history to win the Super Bowl.

He’s a highly respected player in the league and I absolutely believe he will go on to leave a lasting legacy in the same way Peyton Manning has.

Of course, behind every great quarter back is a great coach, and Pete Carroll has some pretty creative and perhaps unique methods when it comes to this. He’s very in to letting his players be themselves and let their personalities shine through – examples of this being Marshawn Lynch and his media shy ways, Richard Sherman being his usual cocky-self. Carroll would respond to critics to say that Seahawks celebrate the uniqueness of its players. At the same time, he respects that they want to be themselves but does an great job at telling his players to be respectful and act in line with what is expected and what he expects is that no matter how frustrating an interview or no matter how uninterested they are, that they end every interview with a “thank you”. Carroll also likes to make sure music is blaring during practice and in the locker rooms as it keeps the players loose. They have a mini-basket ball hoop at their training facility so players can have fun – he likes to use this as a way to test a players focus in getting back to work when the fun is over.

I think what really works for the team and what makes Carroll such a good coach is that he gets them to work as one unit, everyone “buys in” to the program. I read recently that on the first day of the team meetings, he asks every player to stand up and choose a new seat for a fresh perspective on the season. For Carroll it’s not about the seats, it’s about who is with him on the journey. It’s things like this, in my opinion, that make him such a great coach.

Of course I am entirely biased, I’m a Seahawks fan, but undeniably, Wilson and Carroll are the QB and Coach dream team, not just for the NFC West but potentially even the entire NFC!