Seattle Seahawks First Quarter Notes: Rushing and Receiving

by John Morgan on Sep 29, 2009 7:30 AM PDT

Rushing and Receiving:

The modified-option pass that Seneca Wallace threw to lead blocker Owen Schmitt was a great play design in a quarter of great play designs.

3-4- (2:31) (Shotgun) 15-S.Wallace pass short right to 81-N.Burleson pushed ob at CHI 34 for 16 yards (24-A.Afalava).

Seattle set in trips right with Burleson on the inside angle. John Carlson and Deion Branch pulled forward and Burleson ran open into the right flat. The play functioned like a crossing pattern, getting Burleson open in the flat, but did not take nearly as long to develop.

After T.J. Houshmandzadeh dropped the aforementioned pass, a Bear linebacker collided with him and it looked like jammed his wrist. He shook it off, but went to the sideline and into the tunnel at the end of the first quarter.

Burleson missed his hole on a toss sweep to the right. He should have run between his blockers and instead cut to the sideline and outside Houshmandzadeh. Housh wasn't sustaining his block and that might have influenced Burleson's decision.

Julius Jones and Owen Schmitt showed good chemistry and the two teamed for a productive first quarter run game.

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I was keeping an eye out for a read option play

I thought one of the early play actions looked like Seneca could have handed off to JJ. It might have just been convincing play action, I’m not sure. It was early in the game, maybe the first possesion, with Seneca in the shotgun and JJ crossing in front of him to fake the hand off from Seneca’s right to left. Did you happen to notice that play?

by Nate Dogg on Sep 29, 2009 9:35 AM PDT reply actions

While there were a lot of great plays

It got very tiring to see them revert to the shovel pass time and time again (all game, not just first quarter). It was uninspired, they never worked, and the 5 (or so it seemed, may be wrong on the number) times they tried it, I don’t remember them getting more than 3 yards.

by GarethLewin on Sep 29, 2009 9:37 AM PDT reply actions