Note: Hello Twelves! Week One of this 2020 Covid 19 season is in the books, and our Seahawks are off to a fast start with a 38-25 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. Russell Wilson was phenomenal, playing a nearly flawless game. He completed 31 of 35 throws for 320 yards and 4 TDs, in the process winning the Week One NFC Offensive Player of the Week Honors. Though Seattle’s defense looked porous at times against Matty “Ice” Ryan (37-54, 450 yds, 2 TDs) and his All World receiver Julio Jones (9 rec, 157 yds), we did get our first chance to see the impact of Seattle’s new All-Pro safety Jamal Adams, and we weren’t disappointed. Adams was everywhere for Seattle on defense, racking up twelve tackles, a sack, two tackles for loss and several quarterback hits. The guy’s energy is infectious—he has a motor that just doesn’t quit. After watching this game several times through, however, what really stood out to me were the key plays on 4^th down. The outcome of those plays determined the course of the game. Please read on…

________________________________________

Needless to say, the game of professional football is changing; and I am not just talking about the social justice protests and players’ and coaches’ advocacy of Black Lives Matter. I’m talking about on-field changes, one of which is the increasing tendency of teams to dispense with punting the ball, sometimes even FG opportunities, and going for it on 4^th down. Last season Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn ordered his team to go for it on 4^th down over 20 times. It’s a Quinn tendency that would continue in his team’s 2020 season opening game against the Seahawks, won by Seattle 38-25. In this game the Falcons attempted three 4^th down conversions, and failed on all three. Two of these failures gave Seattle the ball with great field position, leading directly to Hawks touchdowns, and the third squelched a Falcons scoring opportunity from deep in Seattle territory.

Watching Atlanta’s futility on such plays in this game begs the question: “How’s that 4^th down thing workin’ out for ya, Dan?” I am sure coach Quinn is basing his decisions on these plays on sound statistical metrics that tell him his team averages so many yards per play, so why not go for it on 4^th and 2 or 4^th and 3? Whatever the reason, however, in this contest his 4^th down gambles, combined with Seattle’s own successful 4^th down dice roll, may well have cost Quinn’s team the game. No question, the 4^th downs were huge in this game.

The first of these Atlanta 4^th down debacles took place with 2 minutes and 14 seconds left in the first quarter and the ball at Seattle’s 40-yard line. Trailing at that point 7-3, and already on the outer limits of field goal range, Ryan and Co. needed a paltry 3 yards for a first down. The Atlanta QB lined his team up with three receivers in “trips” right formation and two receivers split out to the left. From the shotgun, Ryan took the snap and looked to his right, cocking his arm for what would be a quick pass for the needed yardage. The ball never arrived at the intended target, however, colliding instead with the massive, outstretched paw Seattle’s Benson Mayowa, who batted it backwards and watched as it fell harmlessly to the turf.  Wilson and the Hawks offense took that gift and then drove the 40 yards to a touchdown and a 14-3 lead on a Wilson 19 yd scoring screen pass to Chris Carson.

The second Falcons futile 4^th down attempt took place with 8 minutes left in the 3^rd quarter. With Seattle leading by a score of 21-12, Atlanta had the ball, 4^th and 2 at their own 33 yd line.  Deep in their own territory, Quinn had his team lined up in punt formation; which, under the circumstances, I thought the sensible thing to do. But this is Dan Quinn we’re talking about, and these are the Falcons. Instead of going to the punter, the long snap went to the Falcons up-man in the formation, who snatched the ball from the air and then ran straight up the gut straining for the needed two yards. The hapless Atlanta runner might have made it too; but for Seahawks defensive back Marquis Blair, who is becoming increasingly known for his hard hits. Blair came crashing in from the runner’s left side and stuck his helmet squarely on the ball, popping it from the runner’s hands. The ball bounced around for a while, finally landing in the hands of Seattle rookie Freddie Swain. Seattle now had the ball, with 1^st and 10 at the Falcons 35-yard line and a short field to the goal line. Never one to refuse a gift, Wilson then drove the Hawks to another score and a 28-12 lead on a short pass to tight end Greg Olson; his first touchdown as a Seahawk.

You might think after those two plays the Falcons would rein things in a bit and be just a bit more conservative with their 4^th down play selections. For Falcons fans, however, there was no such luck. At the 1 minute and 17 second mark of the 3^rd quarter Atlanta had the ball at the Seattle 12-yard line, 4^th down and 2 yards to go, and trailing 28-12. A Falcons field goal would make it a two-score game with a whole quarter yet to play. Once again, however, Quinn eschewed the conventional, and had his team go for it. This time Ryan took the snap from under center, took a quick scan to his right, and then bailed out of the pocket, rolling to his right laterally across the field. Meanwhile, Seattle’s Benson Mayowa, rushing from his right defensive end position, broke through the Atlanta line untouched and started chasing Ryan down. Unlike his counterpart on the Seahawks, speed and elusiveness are not Matt Ryan strengths. Plus, by rolling to his right he effectively eliminated the whole left side of the field as a passing option. Taking full advantage of these facts, Mayowa closed on Ryan from behind, made a final superman-like leap, and brought the Falcons signal caller down for an 8-yard sack. Once again, Seahawks ball! This time Seattle had a long field to traverse, but Wilson still led them on a long drive to a Jason Myers 42-yard field goal and a 31-12 lead.

For all the points Seattle got from the Atlanta 4^th down turnovers, the most devastating 4^th down play for the Birds from the southland was not one of their own, but one the Hawks pulled off that was an absolute thing of beauty. The play took place early in the 3^rd quarter. Clinging to a 14-12 lead, Seattle had moved  the ball to the Atlanta 38 yard line, where, after a failed 3^rd down Travis Homer sweep to the left, the team faced a 4^th down and five situation. What to do? What to do?

After the game, in speaking of that failed Homer sweep that set up the 4^th down, Wilson said he saw the Falcons players celebrating , obviously feeling they had stopped the Hawks to force either a long field goal attempt or a punt. Apparently, something about the Falcons celebration ignited the competitor in Wilson, for he went to Hawks coach Pete Carroll and basically said “&*%-it! Let’s go for it.” (Translated to Wilson-ese that means, “Gee whiz, coach, look at those guys celebrating, let’s stick it to ’em and go for it!”) Well, “go for it” is what the Hawks did! Wilson brought his team to the line of scrimmage with second-year receiver DK Metcalf split wide to the left and two other receivers, David Moore and Tyler Lockett, split wide right. From the shotgun the Seahawks quarterback made his pre-snap reads and instantly knew where the ball would go. The Falcons were in a “single high” defense, with one safety to cover the middle of the field deep, and the cornerbacks up closer to the line of scrimmage in man to man. Knowing it is nearly impossible for a corner to cover the fast, strong, athletic and tall Metcalf man to man, Russell’s eyes must have been wide with anticipation as he released the beautiful, spiraling throw down the left side of the field. Watching on their TVs, Twelves all over the Northwest went nuts as the ball settled into DK’s hands at the 6-yard line and he waltzed into the end zone for the score.

What a gorgeous, ballsy play it was; and because of it, and all of Atlanta’s 4^th down gaffes, the Seahawks returned home with their 38-25 week one victory. Considering there were no pre-season games, and that practices had to be limited because of Covid 19, the Hawks played OK in this game I thought. The secondary was a bit leaky, the pass rush spotty, but they got the job done. As noted at the outset, Jamal Adams was fantastic; an obvious superstar; and Russell Wilson played like, well, Russell Wilson; just possibly the best quarterback in the league.

Despite the win, however, it is difficult to tell just how good these Seahawks are. This Sunday’s tilt will tell us a lot more, for Bill Belichick and the Cam Newton-led Patriots are coming to town for a nationally televised game at “The Clink.”  Last week the Pats beat the Dolphins by 10 points as Newton carried the ball 15 times for 75 yards and completed 15 of 19 passes for 150 more. Based on that game Cam looks like he’s up to his old tricks. But, it’s the Patriots defense that concerns me. Last week they intercepted 3 of Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick’s passes. It’s a defense that features great defensive back play, with All Pro and AFC 2019 Defensive Player of the Year, Stephon Gilmore (6 picks last year) at one corner and young and talented JC Jackson at the other. Last season New England led the league in interceptions AND yards allowed, so this game will be a good litmus test for the Hawks. If they come out on top it will bode well for the season.

Let’s hope they do.

Go Hawks!

Copyright © 2020

By Mark Arnold

All Rights Reserved