Brian Schottenheimer, Pete Carroll have talked more on unleashing Russell Wilson. At times
Brian Schottenheimer giving Russell Wilson 28 pass calls in the season’s first 38 plays was more than taking what the defense was giving, to use one of the oldest coach-speak cliches in football.
It wasn’t just because the Atlanta Falcons with their iffy, generous pass defense were the Seahawks’ first opponent, either.
The play-caller Schottenheimer, coach Pete Carroll and their quarterback had been talking for months about being more aggressive in calling plays specifically for Wilson to make more of them this season.
“I appreciate you not using the slogan,” Schottenheimer said Thursday, smiling.
The slogan?
Oh, you mean “Let Russ Cook”? The phrase as ubiquitous in the Pacific Northwest as “still in phase two” and “air-quality index” all spring, summer and heading into fall?
Turns out, Schottenheimer, Carroll and Wilson were lighting the stove on Let Russ Cook even while the critics stayed fired up about it all offseason.
“I would say, 100%, we’ve talked more about it,” Schottenheimer said following Thursday’s practice for Sunday night’s home opener for Seattle (1-0) against New England (1-0).
“We started talking about it in the offseason, in terms of: ‘OK, hey, we’ve got a great player in Russ. We’ve got great weapons around him. ...’
“We’ve certainly had way more discussions this year about it.”
The proof
That talk became reality in the first game. Schottenheimer gave Wilson eight pass calls in the first 11 plays at Atlanta, ending with the first of Chris Carson’s career-high two touchdown catches Sunday.
The play that epitomized the coaches’ intent to have Wilson decisively impact games earlier in them this season came in the third quarter.
Seattle was slogging with a 14-12 lead. On third and 3 at the Atlants 36-yard line, Schottenheimer had Wilson give the ball to third-down running back Travis Homer on a sweep outside left. The Falcons dumped him for a 2-yard loss. The decision to run there in past years would have led to a punt by Michael Dickson to get the opponent’s offense pinned against its own goal line, Carroll playing his signature field-position game.
For the 2020 Seahawks, running Homer on third and 3 showed their intent of using two plays to gain the first down. They decided before third down they would go for it on fourth.
Schottenheimer and Wilson said what also aided Seattle’s decision to go for it was seeing the Falcons wildly celebrating their third-down stop of Homer, like they had just tackled Jim Brown to win an old NFL championship game.
“Their sideline is going crazy,” Schottenheimer said. “And it was almost instinctive. I knew what Pete was getting ready to do.
“The competitor of Pete was like, ‘OK, those guys are going crazy over there. Let’s go try to get ‘em.’”
Wilson said he could see the situation unfolding from the center of the field.
“I recognized they were celebrating,” he said. “I just kind of stood out on the field. And Pete held the (kicking-team) guys back and it was, let’s go for it. ...
“The score was 14-12 at the time. It was time to separate a little bit, so we had to.”
To separate, Schottenheimer decided to have Wilson attack Atlanta with a strike not just to get the first down on fourth and 5 but to break open the game with a touchdown.
“This one does show the aggressiveness that we are looking for,” the offensive coordinator said.
He sent wide receiver DK Metcalf out wide left into one-on-one coverage by cornerback Isaiah Oliver. Schottenheimer called for Metcalf to angle what initially looked like a short slant route into a straight go-route sprint down the left side, a “sluggo” (slant-then-go) route. Metcalf easily got an inside release on Oliver. Then he simply sprinted past the flat-footed Falcon. Wilson’s pass perfect hit Metcalf in stride for the touchdown. Seattle was up comfortably for the first time in a game it won 38-25.
“I think that starts with the preparation through the offseason, he and I communicating clearly...,” Schottenheimer said of Carroll.
“And then, of course, the trust of: Put it in Russ’ hands, let’s see how it goes.”
It went historically, for the first week, anyway.
Wilson’s passer rating in Atlanta was a nearly perfect 143.1. That improved what already was the best passer rating in road games in NFL history. He also ran for 28 yards on a bootleg play. The next play was his second touchdown pass of the first quarter to Carson, a perfectly executed screen pass to the running back.
The Seahawks’ 38 points in the opener were their most in a first road game of any season in 17 years.
Wilson role in the coaches’ talk
When asked Thursday if he approached his coaches this offseason and told them he wanted to throw the ball more often earlier in games, Wilson laughed at the mere mention of “Let Russ Cook.”
“I come to play this game to be the best in the world. That’s just the bottom line,” the 31-year-old quarterback said. “I don’t wake up to try to be anything different.
“So, for me, I’ve always had those talks, ever since I got here, really, to be honest with you. And I think it’s just been a steady process.
“But I think right now going into year nine (of his career), I’m trying to break away, you know what I mean? I want to be the best in the world to ever do this. I’ve got a lot of great players ahead of me. I think about guys like Peyton Manning. I think about guys like Tom Brady and Drew Brees and all guys that I’ve gotten to be pretty close to, to be honest with you. And then you’ve got guys like Joe Montana.
“I want to be remembered. I want to be remembered. And I want to be able to leave a legacy that people can’t ever forget.”
Schottenheimer was asked if Wilson came to him wanting to, well, “cook” more this season.
“Russ and I talk all the time. And Pete and I talk all the time,” he said.
“So there was definitely something we discussed in the offseason about, ‘Hey, look, this guy’s a great player. If the opponent fits what we are trying to do, he’s going to take care of the football. He’s going to get us positive plays.’
“I think what’s really cool is, Russ and I have the type of relationship now where he can come to me and say, really, anything he wants to me, in terms of: ‘Hey, I think that was a (crappy) call.’ Or, ‘Hey, I think that was a great call,’ or, ‘Hey, I want to do more of this,’ and I don’t feel like he’s pushy. I feel like he’s giving me ideas.
“And sometimes I push back, and I’m like, ‘Nah, I don’t see it that way.’ And he’s like, ‘OK, I respect that.’
“Again, we realize he’s a tremendous player. And we’ve got great guys around him. But, it’s going to be game-planned every week. And what we did in step one, which is this past week, is that we showed we can play that way. And when we do that, against certain opponents—not that it will always turn out like that—but we know he is capable of doing that.”
That was about the third time in his 16-minute interview Schottenheimer mentioned the game plan for the Falcons was for Atlanta only.
The Falcons’ weakness is absolutely the Patriots’ strength. New England has six defensive backs who could start for most teams. Stephon Gilmore isn’t just the most renowned cornerback in the league, he was the NFL defensive player of the year in 2019.
Jason McCourty starts at the other cornerback spot. His twin brother Devin is a Super Bowl-winning safety Devin is a three-time Super Bowl champion with the Patriots. He doesn’t even start for them right now.
JC Jackson and Gilmore have the most interceptions since 2017 of any Patriots on their roster. Jackson had five interceptions last year. He had an interception in the red zone to deny Miami its last chance in New England’s 21-11 victory last weekend. Jackson didn’t even start the game.
So if Wilson isn’t 31 for 35 for 322 yards and four touchdowns again throwing it all over CenturyLink Field Sunday night it will be because Letting Russ Cook like he did in Atlanta every week, against everyone, could also get the Seahawks burned.
“I say this all the time: each week is different,” Schottenheimer said. “Atlanta is going to be different than New England...and then Dallas (the week-three foe for Seattle) will be different—in terms of how we approach the game.”
This story was originally published September 18, 2020 at 6:47 AM.
