Pete Carroll: Russell Wilson is “busting his ass” to clean up his mistakes

[Blitz]

Getty Images

Russell Wilson said after Sunday’s 23-16 loss to the Rams that he knows “there are better days ahead.” Wilson had better days behind him, too.

His status as MVP favorite clearly is gone.

But Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said Monday that his quarterback is “busting his ass” to clean up his mistakes.

“Russ would tell you that he always tries hard. He tries as hard as he can,” Carroll said on his weekly radio show on 710 ESPN Seattle, via Ben Arthur of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. “But there is a point in there where you feel like if I don’t do something here, maybe it won’t happen. And that’s where over-trying does take place. You don’t see the situation like you would normally see it. You see it with other circumstances and other criteria. It can change the way you perform. So we have to really work hard at that. It’s a big, big deal about consistent high performance and staying within yourself. That’s part of the game I have to continue to help Russ and everybody.

“Russ is busting his ass to play for this football team, and he’s doing everything he can. I would never ever think twice about anything but that. But that doesn’t mean that he can’t fall prey to [over-trying], too. . . . He’ll come back, and he’ll be great.”

Wilson has seven interceptions in the past four games, including three in the end zone. He has seven total turnovers the past two games.

Carroll and Wilson talked for a “long time” after Sunday’s loss. The coach stressed the basics of taking what the defense is giving him and being more decisive on his reads.

“I’m reminding Russ he is a great player,” Carroll said. “I’m reminding him that he does make great decisions, and that he does know how to take care of the football and all that because he does. So we just have to get back to allowing that to coming to the front.

“We got to make sure that he’s not feeling too much burden, and he’s trying to do too much. He’ll get back on track. He’ll be right back where he needs to be. We have to help him around. We have to do better around him so we’re not in these situations.”