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How hot is Pete Carroll's seat: 2. Cool seat

Observers who talk about the possibility of Seattle firing Carroll seem to forget the Seahawks gave him a five-year extension in the fall of 2020. If one lousy season was all it would take for Jody Allen to lose faith in him then the team's de facto owner probably wouldn't have given him a deal three years longer than his previous one. And while Carroll is ultimately responsible for the miserable start by the Seahawks' defense, Allen could conceivably chalk this up as a season done in by Russell Wilson's injury more than anything. However, Allen has been a massive mystery since taking control of the team in 2018, so no one knows what she could be thinking. But conventional wisdom says Carroll's contract and his track record before this season will give him security. -- Brady Henderson

The Seahawks have felt out of sync all year. We saw it again in a 20-10 loss to the Rams on Tuesday that all but ended their season. The turning point came with eight minutes to play in the fourth quarter: D.K. Metcalf got behind Jalen Ramsey and was open for a potential game-tying touchdown strike. All Metcalf needed was an accurate rainbow deep ball from Wilson, the type of pass the quarterback has perfected over the past decade. But Wilson's pass hung up in the Los Angeles air, allowing Ramsey to get back in the play and force an incompletion. Wilson has been a special quarterback in his career, but his misfire in a critical juncture of the season was emblematic of the offense's year as a whole.

So much for making a playoff run. Losing to the Rams Tuesday night pretty much ends their chances. What changes are coming now?

Reality settles in. Wilson's first losing season in Seattle might also be his last. Meanwhile, at a time when Seahawks would "earn" a top-10 draft pick, it's headed to the Jets courtesy of the Jamal Adams trade.

Our gift to you: Russell Wilson is the kid who asks Santa for a pony every year, and every Christmas he wakes up disappointed. This year, Russell, we're getting you that pony. And by "pony," we mean an entirely new and improved offensive line, the thing you've always wanted. (Will it make him happy? Stay tuned!)