Shotgun Look A ‘Now’ Thing For Seahawks
Lost in the efficiency of Saturday night’s precision passing effort against Arizona, the Seattle Seahawks unveiled a slightly new look to their offense. They expanded the use of the shotgun formation.
Normally reserved for third-and-long passing plays or in the 2-minute offense, the Seahawks put John Friesz and Warren Moon in the shotgun on a few second-down plays. Friesz even opened up the second offensive possession by converting a shotgun snap into a nine-yard completion to wide receiver Brian Blades.
In many ways, the shotgun could be a means to survive in the AFC West, a division loaded with aggressive, highly paid pass-rushers. The division is loaded with pure pocket passers, some lacking in mobility. San Diego Chargers quarterback Stan Humphries, for example, tried the shotgun for the first time in his pro career Saturday.
For Friesz, the occasional ability to take snaps seven yards behind the center was refreshing.
“John likes it,” Seahawks coach Dennis Erickson said. “He’s never done much of it, and we really didn’t do it a lot last year. We’ve built it into our plans. We only have a draw play with it as a running play right now, so we need to add another running play.”
The shotgun is a huge benefit for quarterbacks facing quick, strong pass-rushes. Instead of retreating from center, the quarterback uses the extra one to two seconds watching how receivers move into pass defenses.
“It gives them a little more time, and gives them a good chance to see the field,” Erickson said. “John does a good job stepping up there and throwing the ball.”
Perhaps the biggest benefit of the shotgun was apparent in what appeared to be an aborted third-down play at the end of the first quarter. The shotgun snap from center Kevin Mawae bounced to Friesz.
He retrieved the ball and found enough time to look down field and hit Joey Galloway with a 33-yard completion.
Moon only had one opportunity to go into the shotgun but that wasn’t by plan. His efficiency in moving the ball for first downs in his two possessions against the Cardinals didn’t give him many shotgun opportunities.
Erickson wants to use the shotgun in second-and-long situations (more than seven yards), sure third-down passing plays and occasional first downs. Moon directed drives of 77 and 30 yards for 10 points in the second quarter, but his eight consecutive completions only gave him two long second down situations.
“Warren’s been in it for a long time,” Erickson said of the shotgun. “It wasn’t the style of the two teams (San Diego and Washington) that John was with for him to use it.”