Why Seahawks don’t do joint practices. What to expect in 2nd preseason game: Geno Smith
Pete Carroll instills in his Seahawks the mantra — the demand, really — to “Always Compete.”
When it comes to training camp, that means only against themselves.
As he often does, Carroll is bucking another league trend. This is the 14th consecutive summer he’s led Seattle through training camp without having his Seahawks conduct joint practices with another NFL team.
This week, 20 teams were scheduled for combined practices before their preseason games: Browns-Eagles, Commanders-Ravens, Bears-Colts, Jaguars-Lions, Raiders-Rams, Buccaneers-Jets, Titans-Vikings, Dolphins-Texans, Saints-Chargers and Patriots-Packers.
The Colts, Patriots, Vikings, Titans, Rams, Raiders, Texans, Saints, Jets, Lions and the Packers, the last Seattle’s third and final preseason opponent next weekend in Green Bay, will each have two joint-practice sets this summer.
Seattle is one of just five teams in the 32-team league that are not having joint practices this summer, the Associated Press noted this week. The two-team practices come later in camps, when the visiting team arrives at a host club’s practice facility a few days ahead of a preseason game between the teams.
While coaches and players around the league praise joint practices for their freshness in breaking up the monotony, Carroll prefers his ability to orchestrate the competition within his own team.
Besides, how many other teams would be down for traveling all the way out to the NFL equivalent of South Alaska to drill amid the blaring music, screaming fans, bouncy houses and circus atmosphere the Seahawks have at their training camp?
“I think we control practice better the way we do it. Look how hard we were running against each other the other day,” Carroll said.
“More than that, we cherish the preseason games. We use the preseason games. I’ve done those practices before (in his coaching stops before Seattle), but we feel like we can keep our focus and stay within the stuff we need to do.”
Seahawks tight end Noah Fant played his first three seasons for Denver. He arrived in Seattle last year in the Russell Wilson trade. Fant said he likes joint practices during training camp.
“I mean, that’s kind of a double-edged sword,” he said. “I’ve had joint practices when I was in Denver. I liked them. I think that you still get those reps in games against other teams. So, it’s just depending on what coaches like, and obviously Coach Carroll or whoever it was who decided that we weren’t going to do that.”
Fant said the joint practices were a break for the players from banging on each other for six weeks.
“It was a good change-up, different guys,” he said. “Guys coming to your facility or you’re traveling to somebody else’s facility. It’s a good change-up in the middle of camp.”
Carroll said “there’s been a couple of teams that’s asked over the years,” but the rest of the league doesn’t bother asking the Seahawks much anymore about having joint practices.
“I think they know we don’t do it, so we don’t get a lot of it,” Carroll said. “I don’t want to travel and stay in somebody else’s place for a week. It’s crazy to me.
“We’re always open to it. We do talk about it. It’s not like we’re closed-minded about it. We haven’t had the right setup.”
Including this week with the Dallas Cowboys. They are coming to Seattle for the preseason game with the Seahawks, Saturday at 7 p.m. at Lumen Field.
Geno Smith, others likely to play
When Carroll says he “cherishes” and uses the preseason games, he usually does for his younger players trying to win roster spots. The coach sat 15 of his 22 starters last week in the first preseason game against Minnesota.
Signs are this game against the Cowboys will be different for the Seahawks.
Last week in practices, backup Drew Lock quarterbacked the starting offense in the day’s before the game. That was a solid indicator Lock was going to start and Geno Smith wasn’t going to play.
This week, Smith took all the snaps with the starters in the days leading to this game. So did wide receiver DK Metcalf. So did the entire starting offensive line: Charles Cross at left tackle, Damien Lewis at left guard, Evan Brown at center, Phil Haynes at right guard and Abe Lucas at right tackle.
The only starters who seem unlikely to play against Dallas Saturday are wide receiver Tyler Lockett, lead running back Kenneth Walker and perhaps cornerback Riq Woolen. Lockett had a hip-leg issue early in training camp and has been cautious not to aggravate that since. Walker returned to full participation in practice Thursday, for the first time since he strained his groin July 26.
This week Woolen practiced fully for the first time since his arthroscopic knee surgery in May.
Carroll, as always, was coy and secretive answering whether Smith and Seattle’s starters would play Saturday.
Smith wants to. He spent the first preseason camp on the sidelines wearing a headset and team cap over his jersey and shoulder pads.
“Yes I would like to. I would love to play,” he said. “Anytime I get an opportunity to go out there with my guys, it’s always a great opportunity. I love the game and I love to play.
“I’m looking forward to it and I can’t wait to get out there.”
Matt Landers set back
Undrafted rookie Matt Landers, with size (6 feet 4) and speed (4.37 seconds in the 40-yard dash), had his best day of camp Wednesday. He sped past cornerback Chris Steele to meet Lock’s perfectly lofted pass covering 60 yards down the sideline for a touchdown. That was the highlight among multiple standout plays on the day for Landers.
Landers caught a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter of Seattle’s preseason opener.
But he got hurt at the end of his starring Wednesday, one of 20-plus injuries the Seahawks had during 16 camp practices. Landers is unlikely to play against Dallas.
That hurts his chances to make the team, because undrafted rookie wide receiver Jake Bobo from UCLA will get another chance to impress Saturday night.
“He had a quad thing that bothered him at the very end of practice (Wednesday),” Carroll said of Landers, who was due an MRI exam.
“We’ll see. He had a terrific day (Wednesday). Unfortunately, he didn’t finish it.”
This story was originally published August 18, 2023 at 2:23 PM.
