Tyler Lockett of the Seattle Seahawks had the inside scoop on quarterback Russell Wilson’s hand signs during Monday night’s victory over the Denver Broncos.
Lockett, who played with Wilson for seven years during the quarterback’s tenure with the Seahawks, knew exactly what him tapping his wrist meant prior to the snap of the ball. Lockett’s familiarity with the signal at the line of scrimmage gave the Seattle defense an advantage over Denver’s receivers.
An inside look of how the #Seahawks familiarity with Russell Wilson helped them to defend against him.
Tyler Lockett, tapping his wrist: “If you see this…”
Mike Jackson: “Go ball.
Tyler Lockett, nodding: “That’s a go.” pic.twitter.com/PCB1s1Sq8d— Seahawk Nerd (@SeahawkNerd) September 16, 2022
Lockett knew that when Wilson tapped his wrist, that meant the Denver wide-receivers would run a go-route, which is a straight vertical route down the field. In the video, Lockett shared the insight with his teammates from the sidelines. The move paid off for the Seattle defense, which held Wilson in check all game long.
Wilson only threw for one touchdown pass in the one-point loss to the Seahawks on Monday, according to ESPN. (RELATED: Seahawks Safety Jamal Adams To Undergo Season Ending Surgery On Torn Quad Tendon)
If Lockett hadn’t recognized Wilson’s hand signals, the game could have easily tilted in Denver’s favor. The difference between winning and losing this game came down to one big play being made. Lockett making the Seattle defensive-backs aware of the go-route may have prevented Wilson from connecting on the pass of the game.
The biggest contribution to Seattle’s defense during Monday night’s victory came from a player on their offense.