Getty The Seahawks are once again NFC West champions.
One of the major questions heading into the NFL season is if the Seattle Seahawks would “Let Russ Cook” in 2020. If Week 1 was any indication, we could see the most explosive version of the Seahawks offense under Pete Carroll allowing Russell Wilson to be more aggressive.
Wilson had a near-perfect game going 31-of-35 for 322 yards and four touchdowns as he completed more than 88 percent of his passes. The Seahawks quarterback’s 35 attempts was slightly up from his 2019 average of 32 per game in a contest where Seattle had a sizable lead for much of the second half. When asked after the game if the Week 1 game plan was a sign of things to come, Carroll praised Wilson and noted that the offense has “earned their way” to their performance against the Falcons.
“I think it’s just a sign of how we’ve worked in this off-season and like I said it three or times already, it’s really the way we’ve been practicing and Russ was in total command of the game and had a beautiful game,” Carroll noted, per Seahawks.com. “But there’s so many things that factor in on that. Schotty making the calls, all the preparation to get there, it’s the guys coming through with their plays and all that, Russ will be the first to tell you. It is a statement, though, off the off-season, that this whole Zoom season, our guys did a marvelous job. Russ was extremely involved integrally involved with all of that and it just showed. …These guys, first game, they have earned their way right here. They have earned their way to play like that by the way they practiced.”
Chris Carson Was Heavily Involved in the Passing Game
Even in its most conservative state, the Seahawks offense has consistently taken deep shots down field. We saw a bit more creativity in how players were utilized as the 2020 season kicked off. Chris Carson only received six carries which is likely less than what we will see moving forward. The Seahawks utilized their running backs in the passing game with short passes that turned into big gains. Carson had six receptions for 45 yards and two touchdowns.
Wilson also has multiple tight ends at his disposal just a year after the position was decimated with injuries. Greg Olsen made his presence felt in his first game with the Seahawks.
The team also has Will Dissly and Jacob Hollister who are great receiving options as well. We already knew that Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf were going to be a big part of the Seahawks offense. Yet, it is the running backs and tight ends that helped make the Seahawks passing game lethal against the Falcons.
Wilson on Seahawks’ Offense: ‘We Wanted to Spread the Ball Around’
After the game, Wilson was asked about the Seahawks’ decision to throw the ball 21 times in the first 35 plays. Wilson noted that the team’s goal was to “spread the ball around” adding that they want to be “aggressive in their approach” this season. The Seahawks quarterback has been vocal throughout the offseason about his desire to step on the gas earlier in games.
“I think we wanted to spread the ball around get the ball to different guys,” Wilson said, via Seahawks.com. “We wanted to be aggressive in our approach just in general. I think we wanted to be able to run the ball well too which we were able to do when we did. It felt great. We had three drives in there I wish we could have back. We kind of got stagnant there we did not stay hungry with how we approached up the line of scrimmage and everything else. I think we had those couple penalties there, but other than that I thought it was a great day. For the first game of the year to step up like that the guys made plays and we are very confident in what we are doing. That was great.”
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