Seattle, OC part due to ‘philosophical differences’

SEATTLE — In a surprising move, the Seattle Seahawks and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer have parted ways after three seasons.

The Seahawks announced the decision Tuesday, citing “philosophical differences” as the reason for the parting, while calling Schottenheimer a “fantastic person and coach.”

The Seahawks scored the most points in franchise history this past season, but their offense fell off severely in the second half. Seattle led the league in offensive scoring at 34 points per game over the first nine weeks, but that average dropped to 22.6 points per game over the final eight weeks of the regular season.

The Seahawks’ offensive struggles continued in a 30-20 season-ending loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC wild-card playoff game three days ago. Quarterback Russell Wilson’s 40.7% completion rate on 11-of-27 passing was tied for the second-lowest of his career, while his 17.6 Total QBR was his worst in 16 career playoff games, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

The Seahawks’ deep passing game was one of the reasons for the second-half decline in offense. Wilson completed at least one pass of 30 air yards in each of Seattle’s first eight games of the season; he had three such completions total in the final nine games of the season, including playoffs.

Coach Pete Carroll declined to discuss the future of his coordinators when asked in his season-ending news conference if he expected them to return.

Schottenheimer’s offense set a number of Seahawks records, but after a meeting last night, it was evident there were philosophical differences between Schottenheimer and Carroll, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported. They decided a parting was in the best interest of both sides.

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