Breaking down the big play that turned the tide in the Falcons - Seahawks game

Week one was a familiar look for the Falcons. It was one of disappointment and lack of preparation.

I look at this game, and I must say that I was a little angry. Now, I fully expected the players to exhibit some rust on the field due to no preseason games, but quite frankly, the players managed to stay in the game up until the 2nd half. There was sloppiness, but nothing had slipped away.

However, bad scheming and play calling ultimately cost the Falcons this game. There was one particular play that ended up being the turning point in the game, and it was an infamous 4th down gamble by Pete Carroll on Seattle’s 1st possession in the 3rd Quarter.

Grid View

Here you see the Seahawks in a shotgun formation with DK Metcalf lined up on the weakside at the X. The Falcons defensively have a single high look.

Now, there are some serious issues here. If I were Coach Morris or Quinn, I’d call a timeout right here. Why? The single high, Kazee, is shaded to the strong side of the formation and Oliver is squared up on DK Metcalf, one on one, looking to press. This is an obvious mismatch where safety help could be useful, given Metcalf’s speed, but nothing could go wrong here, right?

Grid View

Russell Wilson is one of the best QBs in the game and one of the best deep ball throwers, even if he’s not given enough credit for it. He already knows where he’s going with the ball presnap.

A QB’s job is to look the safety off then go deep, but Kazee made it much easier for him. Even worse, Oliver allowed Metcalf to get an inside release, almost like he thought he was getting safety help. Metcalf releases inside, gets parallel to Oliver, and that was one of the easiest throws Wilson had all game.

Players showing some rust and being a bit sloppy I surely expected. What I didn’t expect was the coaches not being prepared and making adequate adjustments, especially on the handful of plays that decided the game.

It seems like the same old song, but it’s just one game. Rest assured, if the staff doesn’t get it together and fast, the Falcons will be crawling out of yet another hole at the beginning of the season.