The Seahawks’ offense struggled throughout the first half, and after the game they said headsets were to blame.
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson said he frequently would hear only part of a play call, and that’s why the team used two timeouts trying to get the offense organized.
“I could hear bits and pieces of the play. You hear the formation or protection or route or whatever it may be, so you just try to put the two together,” Wilson said.
Seahawks guard J.R. Sweezy said the Seahawks showed later in the game, when the headsets were working, how their offense can play when there are no communications problems.
“There were a couple times we weren’t on the same page,” Sweezy said. “When we’re all on the same page, we’re really good. That kind of explains why we were slow at the beginning.”
Headset complaints became a major story in the first game of the regular season, when the Steelers complained that they were having problems in New England, and some suggested that the Patriots could have been to blame. The NFL, however, said the league, not the home team, is responsible for making sure communications between the sideline, the press box and the quarterback’s helmet are working properly. The Seahawks may want to have a talk with the league office about ensuring there aren’t similar problems next weekend in Carolina.