Fast Facts: Every touchdown pass Russell Wilson has thrown in 2018

Friday I went over the most fundamental concepts of the Air Coryell system of offense the Seattle Seahawks are using this season under offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. The much anticipated Part 2 is on the way, however, to lay the foundation for the second installment, one of the things that is necessary is to see the way the Hawks offense is attacking defenses so far this season.

Thus, here is a still shot from each of the 16 touchdown passes that Russell Wilson has thrown so far this season with a notation of the coverage the defense secondary is playing.

Touchdown 1: Week 1 against the Denver Broncos to Will Dissly - defensive coverage involves a single high safety.

Touchdown 2: Week 1 against the Denver Broncos to Brandon Marshall - defensive coverage involves a single high safety.

Touchdown 3: Week 1 against the Denver Broncos to Tyler Lockett - defensive coverage involves a single high safety.

Touchdown 4: Week 2 against the Chicago Bears to Tyler Lockett - defensive coverage involves a no safety over the top.

Touchdown 5: Week 2 against the Chicago Bears to Will Dissly - defensive coverage involves a two high safeties.

One thing to note on this play is that the defense is playing cover-2, and this is a perfect example of the five receiver route combinations the Air Coryell offense focuses. Brandon Marshall at far left of the screen is holding one of the safeties. Meanwhile the two receivers on the right side of the screen, Tyler Lockett and Doug Baldwin, are running routes that should be successful against man coverage. Lockett runs a curl just past the end zone line and Baldwin runs a route that goes deep into the end zone, and likely would have come across the back of the end zone if Wilson hadn’t delivered the ball quickly.

There are two linebackers in the middle of the field playing zone coverage right at the goal line. The linebacker on the offensive right side initially takes Dissly as he runs a shallow crossing route across the front of the end zone, and as far linebacker passes Dissly to the near side linebacker as Dissly crosses, which frees the far side backer up to slide towards Lockett in case Lockett is running a crossing route.

This should leave Dissly covered one on one by the near side linebacker, however, the nearside linebacker has noticed Rashaad Penny sliding out of the backfield and into the pattern and has stepped up to cover Penny. This is the exact type of matchup the Air Coryell system is designed to create against zone coverage - the linebacker has to choose very early in the play whether to cover Dissly coming across the end zone or to pick up Penny. If he takes Dissly, the pass should go to Penny who will need to only break a single tackle to score. If the linebacker takes Penny, as he did on this play, it leaves Dissly completely uncovered. In any case, this play is a fantastic example of the Air Coryell fundamentals deployed on the field.

Touchdown 6: Week 3 against the Dallas Cowboys to Jaron Brown - defensive coverage is cover-3.

Touchdown 7: Week 3 against the Dallas Cowboys to Tyler Lockett - defensive coverage is cover-3.

Touchdown 8: Week 5 against the Los Angeles Rams to Tyler Lockett - defensive coverage has no high safety.

Touchdown 9: Week 5 against the Los Angeles Rams to David Moore - defensive coverage has no high safety.

Touchdown 10: Week 5 against the Los Angeles Rams to David Moore - defensive coverage has two safeties stacked on top of each other.

Touchdown 11: Week 6 against the Oakland Raiders to Jaron Brown - defensive coverage has one high safety.

Touchdown 12: Week 6 against the Oakland Raiders to David Moore - defensive coverage has one high safety.

Touchdown 13: Week 6 against the Oakland Raiders to Tyler Lockett - defensive coverage has two high safeties.

Touchdown 14: Week 8 against the Detroit Lions to Tyler Lockett - defensive coverage has one high safety.

Touchdown 15: Week 8 against the Detroit Lions to David Moore - defensive coverage has one high safety.

Touchdown 16: Week 8 against the Detroit Lions to Ed Dickson - defensive coverage has one high safety.

And that’s all 16 touchdowns that Wilson has throw so far in 2018, and there was no safety or a single safety deep on 14 of the 16 touchdowns.