Tracking a football over your shoulder on a vertical route is one of the toughest tasks a wide receiver has to execute.
On Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, Tyler Lockett made it look easy.
Facing a 3rd-and-6 just outside the red zone, the Seattle Seahawks dialed up this vertical concept against the Colts, with Lockett running a vertical route attacking the middle of the field. Given how much Indianapolis plays with two-high defensive structures, Russell Wilson was probably expecting the Colts to stay in such a coverage, allowing Lockett to split the safeties.
Instead, the Colts rotated at the snap to a Cover-0 blitz look, sending pressure after the QB. With man coverage across the board, Lockett was now working against a safety playing against him with inside leverage. Wilson’s throw targeting Lockett was lofted to the outside, and the receiver tracked it perfectly:
Oh. My. Word.
Tyler Lockett and Russell Wilson in midseason form 👀
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) September 12, 2021
Watching this play from the end zone angle highlights just how hard the reception really is to make:
This is not easy 😮
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) September 12, 2021
Yet the receiver made it look easy.
