The Panthers’ defense set to face the Seahawks in Saturday night’s Divisional Playoff is much improved from the one that fell to Seattle earlier this year. But Carolina actually did a solid job against the Seahawks and quarterback Russell Wilson for the first 55 minutes of that Week 8 meeting. The final five minutes was the Panthers’ downfall.“That’s what happens during a two-minute drive; teams are going to try to spread you out. But we have to be able to contain this quarterback,” safety Roman Harper said this week.Much of Seattle’s success on offense is based off Wilson’s ability to do damage with his legs, and Harper made another good point about how the Panthers need to defend the Seahawks’ top-ranked run game:”We have to try to counteract that and make them play left handed and make them do different things and make them adjust to us. Not just them always throwing the first punch, we have to throw the first punch this Saturday,” Harper said.
FIRST 55 MINUTES
One way the Panthers threw ‘the first punch’ in Week 8 was through the use of a free rusher.The example below shows a design the Seahawks base a bulk of their passing game off of: basic boot-action. The offensive line and running back Marshawn Lynch (red) sell hard on a play fake to the left. Conversely, Wilson (blue arrow) keeps the ball and sprints out to the right. Seattle hopes the defense bites on the fake, causing the front seven to crash down on Lynch, and clearing out the middle of the field.The receivers follow Wilson and go away from the play-action fake side of the field. One wideout typically runs a deep vertical route, another an intermediate cross, while a third acts as the outlet in the flat. The deep route (bottom of the screenshot) is meant to clear out the secondary, creating even more room for the quarterback to throw to the other two receivers:
These boot-action plays create favorable throwing lanes for Wilson, but again, their success hinges on the front seven biting on directional fake.The majority of Carolina defenders in the box (red) head to their right in the direction of Lynch. But linebacker Thomas Davis (green) stays at home on the backside. The play design is excellent and exposes his teammates, but Davis is in an optimal position to ‘throw the first punch’:
While his teammates head toward Lynch, Davis comes streaking off the edge to attack Wilson. A free rusher, Davis’ presence completely blows up the play:
Davis is in Wilson’s face as soon he turns, forcing the quarterback to launch an off-balance throw over the head of his tight end:
FINAL FIVE MINUTES
Here’s another notable comment from Harper this week: “[Wilson’s] so dangerous running, throwing, doing different things, creating and not just in a normal set play. The receivers know how to get open, he starts to scramble and when he starts to scramble somebody’s open, stuff like that.” And on this play, Wilson makes the Panthers pay with his arm.With Addison getting to the quarterback too late, and Klein biting on the fake, Wilson has the space he needs to throw to his wide-open tight end:
FIRST 55 MINUTES
http://i.imgur.com/I2xCjAj.gifv
FINAL FIVE MINUTES
Using defensive linemen to keep Wilson in the pocket while creating pressure is vital to success against the dynamic quarterback. But the Panthers had a few breakdowns on Seattle’s final drive.As with the sack above, this play is a classic drop back. Wilson goes through his steps, and when he can’t find an open receiver, he takes off through an interior gap. No one is there to stop him, and he picks up an easy 14 yards:http://i.imgur.com/xYsK7tD.gifvThe Panthers’ called a three-man rush on this play, a somewhat curious choice. The odds of creating pressure on a quarterback go down significantly when you send less than four rushers. The result was plenty of room left open for Wilson to run:
The Panthers did a good job containing Wilson during the majority of their Week 8 meeting, but he was able to lead his team to a game-winning touchdown in the final five minutes. Free rushers and creative defensive line pressures can help Carolina contain Wilson, something the Panthers must do for 60 minutes if they want to land the final punch in Saturday’s rematch.[author title=”About the Author”]