It’s always a small number of key plays that determine an NFL game.
“That’s football. The game’s going to boil down to three or four plays,” Captain Munnerlyn said. “I’ve been taught that since I was a little kid. We can’t tell you when those plays are going to happen but it’s going to boil down to three or four plays.”
Hold that thought, because before we talk about three or four plays, we’ve got to go back. Way back.
Because make no mistake, the Panthers secondary was depleted before the season even began.
During 2018 training camp, the team looked a lot different – Ross Cockrell was expected to compete at multiple cornerback positions, Kevon Seymour was battling Donte Jackson for the starting corner position, and let’s not forget that Da’Norris Searcy was holding down the starting safety position, much to the chagrin of those who wanted to see third-round pick Rashaan Gaulden get some action.
Fast forward to Week 12, and the position group is completely different – Cockrell broke his leg in two places in August, Seymour had shoulder surgery before Week 1 and Da’Norris Searcy was replaced by free agent signee Eric Reid after Searcy suffered a concussion in Week 2 and was placed on injured reserve – the Panthers have had only four cornerbacks active for each of the past three weeks.
So when rookie corner Donte Jackson hurt his quad on the first play of the game, forcing Captain Munnerlyn to slide to outside corner and Corn Elder into his first extended playing time since Week 2, the Seahawks sensed a weakness – and pounced on it.
“It was a great job by [offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer] and Russ to make sure that we went after the new guy,” said Seattle coach Pete Carroll. “It’s always about matchups and they were on it.”
Matchups like the 6-2 David Moore against the 5-10 fifth-round pick Elder on a key fourth-and-3 with the Seahawks down seven at the Panthers’ 35-yard line with just over three and a half minutes left, matchups that enabled Wilson to throw the ball up to Moore because he trusted Moore would come down with the contested catch – perhaps because Elder had only taken three defensive snaps over the course of the past three months or perhaps because the quarterback and wide receiver had worked together before training came in Los Angeles to improve their communication.
Whatever the reason, Wilson lobbed it 35 yards when the Seahawks only need three – Elder never got his head around to look at the ball and the Seahawks had tied the game at 27.
“We were in man-to-man coverage,” said Elder. “I felt like I was in good coverage, I’ve just got to turn around and make a play on the ball. Russell Wilson threw a perfect ball, so I’ve just got to turn around and make a play on it. I was prepared, I get reps in practice, I’m in the film room as much as the other guys, I’m in every meeting – it wasn’t that I wasn’t prepared.”
“I’ve just got to make that play.”
RUSSELL WILSON.
DAVID MOORE.
4th down…GOT ‘EM! 😱
📺: FOX #Seahawks pic.twitter.com/eH5TKa8Vsb
— NFL (@NFL) November 25, 2018
Two minutes later, after a missed Graham Gano field goal put the Seahawks back on the field in a tie game with no timeouts at their own 42-yard line, Wilson faced another key decision, this one on third-and-5. An incompletion would have stopped the clock and likely given Cam Newton and the Panthers a chance to drive for another chance at a win, but Russell Wilson does what Wilson does – bought time and allow his receivers a chance to make a play.
Just like he told them he would.
“Well I stepped up, it wasn’t there necessarily right away and I kind of slid to the left,” said Wilson, who only had three incompletions in the second half. “We talked during the week, there is going to be a big scramble, [an] extended play, not necessarily a scramble run-around, but there is going to be a time where the play is extended a little bit and we are going to need it. There was a play where he was out there on the right and he kind of did that same kind of thing, he kind stuttered and went, but it wasn’t necessarily the play, he said, ‘Hey, I’m just kind of working on something in case we need it.'”
“Funny thing is we needed it and it worked.”
Wilson gives the credit to Lockett, but guess who Lockett credits for the play’s success.
“As long as he keeps it alive, we understand how hard it is for defenders to continue to try and guard somebody over five seconds,” said Lockett. “So if it’s longer than four or five seconds, it puts us in a better position to be able to get open.”
Tyler Lockett with another big play!
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/8r6J9piMwM
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) November 25, 2018
With Jackson out, Munnerlyn took most of the snaps at outside corner, pushing inside when the team chose to run with three cornerbacks as Elder took over the duties on the outside when the Panthers went to their nickel package. While Ron Rivera said they tried to use their ‘big nickel’ package with Shaq Thompson to try and alleviate some of the pressure from Elder and Munnerlyn, the injury obviously affected the gameplan.
Donte Jackson may have been expected to take on the challenge of shutting down Tyler Lockett, who led the Seahawks in both receiving yardage and touchdowns, but when he went out, that plan went out the window – that may have been what led to Lockett streaking downfield unaccounted for when Wilson extended the play.
Munnerlyn, who followed his assignment and broke down towards the outside receiver in the flat when the play began, looked up and saw Lockett streaking deep,
“When he threw the ball, I really thought I had a chance to make a play,” said Munnerlyn. “I looked and I saw Lockett running up the sideline and I knew – I gotta go. He’s running up the sideline, he’s running free and when I looked up, I really thought I had a chance at the ball. But it kept sailing and he made the catch.”
Three plays later, Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 31-yard field goal, it was true, and the Panthers were 6-5. Turns out it wasn’t necessarily three or four plays.
Just two.
