Russell Wilson joined the upper echelon of quarterbacks cashing game checks just over a year ago. Now he's being handed some highest-paid criticism from his own coach.
The Seahawks gave up four first-half sacks in an 18-11 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday in Seattle. Head coach Pete Carroll got ahead of the storm -- if such things exist in preseason football -- by addressing the glaring statistic in his opening postgame comments.
"I know that you are looking at the sack numbers and thinking 'oh geez, what's that mean?'" he said, per the Seattle Times. "We really, we need to get the ball out. We need to throw the ball away and get rid of it so we don't take the big plays (losses). ... Russ can do a better job to help us there when we get stuck.
"Sometimes we try really hard to get out to try to make a bigger play when the pressure eventually gets there. But on rhythm, we were fine a few times. We need to get the ball out and stay quick with it like we want to and not let the rush get to us. When you don't, then you suffer negative stuff that makes it hard to get going."
We took a look at the film and determined that Carroll has a point. But Wilson also has a gripe on at least one play.
The first sack, coming on first-and-10 from the Seattle 39, is a case of Wilson holding onto the ball too long, being brought down after close to four seconds (and a few ball pats) in the pocket. Sack No. 2 happened just over five minutes later, when Wilson could have fired a pass in the direction of any of his four receivers, who each ran a variation of five-yard curl routes.
Sack No. 3 wasn't on Wilson, though. Or at least it didn't appear as such.
Minnesota overloaded the right side of Seattle's offensive line, blitzing safety Harrison Smith and linebacker Anthony Barr and forcing right tackle Garry Gilliam to make a decision between the two. He chose the edge (Smith) and attempted to pass Barr off inside to no one in particular, and the free-rushing Barr got to Wilson -- running a play action fake -- before the quarterback could fully turn to face the defense.
"It didn't have anything to do with the offensive line," Carroll said of the sacks. "We all missed a blitz one time that we had a huge play on. Russ saw it, he pointed it out. He cleared it up for the guys and we didn't execute it. That was one time we got in trouble. And then two other times he just held on to the football because they covered us up. He hung in there and and just waited and tried to make it happen and then he took off and he got caught against a really good rushing front."
Sack No. 4 looked much like the third: another overload blitz and with running back Zac Brooks getting swallowed up in the wash by trying to block one of three free rushers, Wilson again didn't have a chance. It's not certain which blitz Carroll was describing as the one Wilson saw, pointed out and the line didn't execute.
What is clear is that the Seahawks' retooled line is still trying to jell, which isn't unexpected. Wilson could help his guys out by not trying to be a shotgun superhero. That means another ball or two he chooses to throw away, instead of trying to improvise with his feet, which has helped Seattle succeed plenty in the past. How he adjusts in tandem with his line will be an interesting point to keep an eye on as we get closer to Week 1.
