Pete Carroll, “I was disappointed in our play”

Published on August 21, 2011 by Seahawks.Com News (Feed)     

The Seahawks not only didn’t make enough plays in their preseason home opener Saturday night, they made some that helped the Vikings post a 20-7 victory at CenturyLink Field.

Charlie Whitehurst is locked in a quarterback competition … with himself.

After his second statistically impressive performance in as many preseason games on Saturday night, the Seahawks’ backup QB was asked the obvious question: Does Whitehurst feel he’s competing with Tarvaris Jackson for the starting job?

“I’m kind of competing against myself,” Whitehurst said in the locker room after the Seahawks’ 20-7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at CenturyLink Field. “I’m trying to be as good as I can and help the team in any way they ask me.”

Diplomatic, but also direct and to the point.

“I motivate myself,” he said. “The external stuff, I don’t think it really factors in. I’m trying to be as good as I can and whatever happens happens.”

What happened Saturday night was this: After Jackson failed to generate any points during the first half, Whitehurst entered the game and directed a 16-play, 89-yard drive on the Seahawks’ first possession of the second half that ended with his 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Anthony McCoy.

Whitehurst was 10 of 11 for 79 yards on the drive, including a 6-yarder to rookie wide receiver Kris Durham on third-and-3; a 3-yarder to rookie fullback Dorson Boyce on third-and-2; an 11-yarder to rookie wide receiver Doug Baldwin on third-and-4; and the scoring pass, which came on third-and-3.

But coach Pete Carroll was quick to point out that it was two different games when Jackson and Whitehurst were on the field. Jackson faced relentless pressure from the Vikings’ pass rush in the first half, when he completed 11 of 21 passes for 75 yards. The game slowed down a bit and Whitehurst picked up the offensive pace against the Vikings’ backup in the second half, when he was 14 of 19 for 97 yards.

“It’s really two different halves, in the way that they were able to play and the guys that were in the game and that kind of stuff,” Carroll said. “It was much harder early on. Our matchups weren’t there.”

via Coming up short.

Tags: Backup Qb, Boyce, Charlie Whitehurst, coach pete carroll, Different Games, Doug Baldwin, Fullback, Home Opener, Impressive Performance, Locker Room, mccoy, Minnesota Vikings, Preseason Games, Relentless Pressure, Seahawks, Tarvaris Jackson, Tight End, Touchdown Pass, Wide Receiver, Yard Touchdown