Seahawks passing attack powered by overlooked receivers
SEATTLE – Doug Baldwin wants context.
When asked about the receivers’ “lack of production” in Week 2 as compared to Week 3, he bristled a bit.
“What do you mean not productive?” Baldwin asked.
Baldwin and his mates are probably the least talked about unit on the Seahawks. The defense is famous. Running back Marshawn Lynch and quarterback Russell Wilson are, too.
The receivers? Not so much.
Head coach Pete Carroll has always been run-first. Baldwin feels like that’s the main reason the Seahawks receivers — who lit up the woeful and young Jacksonville secondary for 219 yards and three touchdowns — are overlooked.
“We have so much talent at the receiver position, but we’re looked at as not productive or underrated because we don’t throw the ball that much,” Baldwin said. “We just don’t, because we’re a run-first offense. We have Marshawn Lynch and our offensive line, they’re just beasts. That’s how you win games. you control the game in the trenches, then you allow things to come to you in the passing game.”
Russell Wilson’s attempts illustrate the point.
No other NFL quarterback with three starts has fewer attempts than Wilson’s 73. Cleveland quarterback Brad Hoyer is just behind Wilson with 54 attempts. He’s played one game.
Even Oakland’s Terrelle Pryor, known for his legs, has eight more attempts than Wilson.
All this despite Wilson’s third-ranked 109.6 passer rating. Only Peyton Manning and Phillip Rivers are rated higher.
Multiple times against Jacksonville Wilson made what are often called “belief” throws. He threw to a spot to give his guy a chance. They made plays Sunday, whether it was Jermaine Kearse or Golden Tate up the sideline or Sidney Rice stabbing a pass in the end zone.
“He understands that, I think, really well,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. “But he also knows to throw the ball; to put our guys where they have the advantage and you’ll see him throw the ball particularly in spots where they can come back and go get it and it makes it very difficult for the defensive player. He totally understands that. I don’t think he’s more apt now to do that than before. I think that’s what I’ve seen in him all along.”
To close the first half, the Seahawks went 79 yards on five plays and scored a touchdown. It took 34 seconds. All five plays were designed passes out of the shotgun.
“In that moment, all we were doing was passing the ball, so we had the opportunities for guys for guys to make plays,” Baldwin said. “Like I said, as the best receiving corps in the league, in my opinion, we were able to do that.”