The Perils and Pleasures of Additional Wide Receivers

by John Morgan on Nov 17, 2010 1:41 PM PST

This big play was accomplished through read and scheme rather than a rocket arm.

A quick break can provide clarity. Matt Hasselbeck and Jeremy Bates took Matt's week off to tweak the offense. Or maybe it was just the absence of Darnell Dockett, but for an afternoon Seattle was able to spread the field and give Hasselbeck some targets to work with.

If Seattle can carry this attack to New Orleans and against a better defense depends a lot on Russell Okung. If he's healthy and dominant, then Hasselbeck could enjoy another resurgent outing. If not, well, we've all seen how that turns out.

1-10-SEA 33 (15:00) 8-M.Hasselbeck pass deep middle to 86-C.Baker to ARZ 23 for 44 yards (54-G.Hayes).

Justin Forsett motions wide left drawing corner Greg Toler. From left to right, Forsett, John Carlson, Chris Baker, Ben Obomanu and Mike Williams run down field. Five routes, all deep, and that isolates Baker on Gerald Hayes. This is exactly the kind of route we want to see Hasselbeck execute: lots of options, loose coverage and middle-breaking routes down field. He drops a pass into Baker, hits him in stride and the completion puts Seattle in field goal range.

Hail the big play. Hail the return of the big play.

The drive quickly ground to halt.

1-10-ARI 23 (14:21) 8-M.Hasselbeck pass short right to 11-D.Butler to ARZ 23 for no gain (78-A.Branch, 93-C.Campbell).

This was thrown flat-footed with Stacy Andrews back in Matt's face. Butler had to squirm around to receive and attempt to make something of it, and though he has some RAC, this play was DOA.

2-10-ARI 23 (13:36) 8-M.Hasselbeck pass incomplete short right to 11-D.Butler.

Pass sailed wide right. No clear cause.

3-10-ARI 23 (13:31) (Shotgun) 8-M.Hasselbeck pass incomplete short right to 17-M.Williams.

This is a pressure incomplete disrupted by a free blitzer. Arizona rushes five, overloading the middle. Forsett stays in to block and picks up a blitzer, but Kerry Rhodes rushes through untouched and forces the premature pass. Mike Williams can not complete his route before the pass is out.

(Field Goal)

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Comments

I was shocked when I saw Hass drop it into Baker's mitts perfectly in stride

Where has that been all this time? Alwwwways slings it just a bit long or interrupts their stride on those plays.

Also was surprised to see it was Baker doing the very nice over-the-shoulder catching rather than Morrah or McCoy …or Carlson for that matter.

I Bleed Blue and Green

by DSAhawker on Nov 17, 2010 2:51 PM PST reply actions

Am I the only one that is sad Carlson didn't make the high catch in the back of the endzone?

The ball came high and hot, but it hit both his hands and seemed very catchable, if I remember correctly.

by IslandHawk on Nov 17, 2010 8:40 PM PST up reply actions

Once again, Matt looks good when we spread the field.

Sometimes I think the only thing keeping offensive coordinators going to the pass 75% of the time is the whole conservative nature of the NFL. It seems pretty obvious that passing, especially out of multiple-receiver sets, is more efficient than running… the college game figured this out long ago.

by djafrot on Nov 17, 2010 7:10 PM PST reply actions