The Seahawks didn't panic after an 0-2 start, nor did they feel like the season was lost after blowing a big fourth-quarter lead in Cincinnati to fall to 2-3. So as dire as things might seem after home loss to Carolina which, yes, did include another fourth quarter comeback by an opponent, the Seahawks remain confident that they can still turn things around and have a successful season.
Of course players are disappointed in how things have gone, and in particular in a team-wide inability to finish out games they have led in the fourth quarter, but they aren't freaking out about their 2-4 start, "Because we know who we are," cornerback Richard Sherman said.
"It's easy to pass judgement, but we're going to go out there every game and we're going to continue to execute," Sherman continued. "We're going to continue to be who we are, and hopefully the chips will fall our way more often. There's no problem with people being concerned and things like that, but if all is lost for them, they're probably the only ones giving up faith. The guys in this building feel the same way as they always have… We're in a lot of these games. It would be a different story if we were getting blown out by 40 points every week and there was no way to fix it. But you know, there's one mistake, one play here or there that guys just need to clean up and correct and we're right on it."
The Seahawks are confident not just because they know there is a lot of talent on their roster, much of which was around for back-to-back Super Bowl seasons in 2013 and 2014, but also because of how they have played, at least for part of the game, in their losses. As Sherman said, the Seahawks aren't getting blown out; they're letting games get away late because of what they view as fixable mistakes. Obviously it's not ideal to give up big leads in back to back games, but bad teams don't build those double-digit leads on unbeaten teams in the first place. There are things to clean up, to be sure, but nobody in Seattle's locker room is of the opinion that this team is broken.
"I don't feel like there's much that needs to be said," linebacker Bobby Wagner said. "We just need to do what we're capable of doing and get this season going the right way. I don't feel like there's any panic or anything like that. As soon as we start getting some wins together and get rolling, we'll be fine.
"You can either get down, or you can figure out the problem and move forward. Everybody is staying positive. We know what we can do if we get the season going right."
Added linebacker K.J. Wright: "We're very confident. This is a good football team. I know our record says otherwise, but this is a good football team. We've been playing really good football, we've just got to keep doing it. Things will eventually will go our way. We've got to be optimistic, and eventually the ball will bounce our way and we'll get these wins.
"Of course (I'm surprised with our record). Coming into the season, I didn't think we'd be 2-4, but it is what it is; that's our situation right now. We can only get better. I don't believe our season will keep going like this where we keep giving up games like this, that's not in our DNA. We're going to turn it around. I believe in the guys on this team. We'll stay positive and play hard and just find a way."
And while the Seahawks would certainly prefer to have a better record at this point, a bit of adversity and some doubt from the people outside of their locker room can be a good thing.
"This is great, really," safety Earl Thomas said. "It's a part of the story. We're going to outlast this. This is why we're in this position in the first place. This is why we're the best. These situations, they're not going to break us."
Or as Seahawks coach Pete Carroll put it, "it's a challenge for us. But it's a challenge we're worthy of taking on."
This week, taking on that challenge also means doing so in a short week thanks to a Thursday night NFC West clash with the San Francisco 49ers. Normally players and coaches prefer a full week both to recover physically and to prepare for the next game, but after two tough losses, a quick turnaround may not be the worst thing for Seattle.
"I like that we play on Thursday," Wagner said. "Because I think we've got a bad taste in our mouth from the last two games, so this gives an opportunity earlier in the week to get rid of that. Everybody wants to get back on the field as fast as possible and get a win."
