How the 49ers will try to slow Seattle’s Russell Wilson, who’s off to historic start
Things are about to get much more difficult for the 49ers’ defense that’s continued to play well despite being nearly drowned by injuries.
Sunday’s opposing quarterback, Seahawks star Russell Wilson, has tied Peyton Manning’s NFL-record pace with 22 touchdown passes over six games, he leads current starters by averaging 315 yards per contest and he’s the leading MVP candidate.
“Russell’s always been the man,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said this week.
But this season has been unique. There’s a noticeable difference between Wilson’s current season and what he’s been asked to do in years past. He’s throwing far more than when the Seahawks were constructed around their running game and a top-flight defense. The changes are a result of Wilson’s career-long progression to super stardom paired with Seattle’s current historically bad defense.
Wilson leading Seahawks offense
This season, Wilson is averaging a career-high 36.5 passing attempts per game. That’s up from 26.1 over his first three seasons, and 33 from seasons four, five and six. The nine-year pro’s also completing passes as the highest rate of his career (71.2 percent) and leading the NFL by averaging a robust 9.4 yards per attempt.
The former game manager has molded into the engine that drives the train. His current 119.5 passer rating would be the highest of any quarterback since Aaron Rodgers in 2011 (122.5).
As Shanahan said this week, Wilson had been known for his play in the fourth quarter. But now he’s playing like it’s the fourth quarter all the time.
“Usually, they keep it close until the fourth and then Russell kind of takes over and that’s why they’re hard to beat,” said Shanahan.
Wilson is also reaching the point of his career where his feel for the position, reading defenses and anticipating throwing lanes, are at the highest levels of his career, which is a biproduct of starting 134 straight games since he entered the league.
His head coach, Pete Carroll, believes Russell is playing the best ball of his career.
“I think he is better. I know he’s better,” Carroll said. “He’s just in better command of everything that we’re doing than he’s ever been. That’s just how it goes from year to year. You can keep getting better a long time at this position. The position is so complex, it just calls for so much, there’s room to improve, and he is just in absolute command of what we’re doing in all aspects, and can fix plays, fix protections, adjust calls, read things and change from one thing to another with such freedom. It’s just because he’s capable of it and he owns it.”
Wilson also has 237 rushing yards on 29 attempts, including 13 that have gone for first downs. His 39.5 rushing yards per game is the second-best clip of his career.
With any mobile quarterback comes the balance between being productive as a passer while being able to make plays with his legs. Quarterbacks can use scrambling as a crutch that prohibits their development. But Wilson uses his elusiveness to create new throwing platforms and he’s developed into arguably the best deep-ball thrower in the NFL. He also avoids taking big hits, which has allowed him to continue his impressive starts streak.
49ers defense focuses on Wilson
Wilson leads the NFL with nine touchdowns coming on throws at least 20 yards beyond the line of scrimmage (Jimmy Garoppolo, by contrast, has none), according to Pro Football Focus.
“I do think he’s going to end up in the Hall of Fame one day,” 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said. “I probably speak for a lot of people when I say that. (But) the man is phenomenal. He gets better every year, believe it or not. His deep ball is the best in football.”
The 49ers could have their starting free safety Jimmie Ward back on the field after he missed last week’s game with a quad injury. Ward suffered the injury during practice Thursday before the trip to New England and was listed as a limited participant on Thursday.
He might be needed to slow receiver Tyler Lockett, who leads the NFL with seven touchdown catches after having eight last season. He’s coming off a ridiculous 15-catch, 200-yard, three-touchdown performance in last week’s overtime to the Arizona Cardinals.
The 49ers during the first two seasons of Shanahan and general manager John Lynch’s regime were known for targeting taller cornerbacks with longer while they landed the prototype, former Seahawk Richard Sherman, in 2018.
But San Francisco’s cornerbacks are going to have a very different look against Sherman’s former team. Expected starters Jason Verrett and Emmanuel Moseley are listed at 5-foot-10 and 5-foot-11, respectively, and will have to rely on their quickness against mammoth receiver D.K. Metcalf.
Metcalf, the second-year pro from Ole Miss, is quickly blossoming into a star and the best deep threat Wilson’s had with the Seahawks. Metcalf has 519 yards on 24 receptions, giving him a league leading 21.6 yards per catch. The good news for the 49ers is Wilson has connected with Metcalf on just 54.5 percent of his targets.
What’s the key to slowing Metcalf while giving up some six inches and 40 pounds?
“Myself and Moseley, the advantage that we have is our foot quickness,” Verrett said Thursday. “I think being able to get closer to the hip, reading hips and hands when you’re dealing with a higher stature receiver, I think that’s probably the best way you can position yourself and be able to make plays, is being able to play the hands and eyes.”
This story was originally published October 30, 2020 at 7:16 AM.
