Huard: Russell Wilson isn’t the problem — Seahawks stuck ‘in between’

Nov 22, 2021, 12:54 PM

Seahawks QB Russell Wilson is sacked by Cardinals DE Chandler Jones on Sunday. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Seattle Sports

The Seahawks’ offense is the obvious thing to point to when discussing their two straight defeats, or even the five losses they’ve suffered over their last six games. What makes that most concerning is that Seattle’s offensive woes have continued even with Russell Wilson back from a midseason finger injury.

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Wilson struggled for the second straight game in Sunday’s 23-13 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, throwing 14 of 26 for 207 yards and no touchdowns, with several of his incompletions coming on deep attempts when he had options to throw to for shorter gains.

Mike Salk of 710 ESPN Seattle posted a poll on his Twitter account Sunday night asking where the blame lies for Wilson losing three straight starts for the first time in his career, and as of 12:30 p.m. Monday, the leading answer was Wilson’s own decisions and ego.

Russell Wilson has now lost three straight starts for the first time in his career and really has not looked great all year.

In your view, what is the problem (please explain if you can)?

— Mike Salk, 710 ESPN (@TheMikeSalk) November 22, 2021

When Salk was joined by former NFL quarterback Brock Huard on Monday morning, however, the pair agreed that’s not what they point to for the Hawks’ offense being at such a low point.

“What I was seeing out there is people saying it’s his ego that won’t let him check down. That it’s his ego that makes him throw deep all the time, and a lot of the poor decisions come from Russell’s ego and need to take the big play rather than what’s available,” Salk said.

Responded Huard: “Well, I don’t see that too often. I certainly don’t see many opportunities that they get. You’re talking about his greatest strength, the deep ball that was still in DK (Metcalf’s) hands. I know it was double coverage, but I mean, come on, DK, go up with your hands and catch it. … By no means do I want to limit (Wilson’s) greatest strength, which is the deep ball.”

Huard then pointed to the biggest offensive play of the game, a deep ball from Wilson to Tyler Lockett that picked up 48 yards in the fourth quarter and led to the Seahawks’ lone touchdown.

“My vote would not have been with decisions, either,” Salk said. “I actually thought the offensive line, the protection has been so bad that he just never seems to have enough time to do anything – and I know what you’re going to say so I can just say it for you, because you’re going to say, ‘Yeah, but then move the pocket, and when they do all those things they have a lot more success.'”

Salk clearly knows his longtime Brock and Salk co-host.

“Yes they do,” Huard followed up. “And that was exactly what this guy was brought here to do in (first-year offensive coordinator) Shane Waldron.”

So what has Huard seen while watching the Seahawks’ offense repeatedly run into trouble in recent weeks?

“They’re just tentative. (Wilson) is tentative, the scheme is tentative, they are just totally in between. I mean, that’s the worst place to be in sports,” he said. “… There’s a tentative passivity to the scheme and to his game that’s hard to watch, especially when you have a defense that can’t play, either. So you combine those two (factors) and that’s why you’re at a rock, rock, rock bottom.”

You can hear the full conversation between Huard and Salk in the final segment of the podcast in the player below or at this link.