It seemed like a great idea at the time. When the Seattle Seahawks traded center Max Unger to the New Orleans Saints for tight end Jimmy Graham, Hawks fans fully expected the star hybrid to significantly help their quest for another championship run. The addition appeared to be the perfect complement to quarterback Russell Wilson‘s smooth and polished style of play.
Great Expectations: The Resurgence of Seattle Seahawks Tight End Jimmy Graham
Since his first season with Seattle, critics have widely criticized the Seahawks for failing to make the most of Graham’s potential. Furthermore, struggles with the offensive line have left fans scratching their heads, wondering if the loss of their Pro Bowl center was worth the sacrifice. This season, however, Graham has made a comeback, and is now a valuable member of the offense.
So far this season, Graham has tallied six touchdowns and 859 yards, after being held to two touchdowns and 605 yards in his first year with the Seahawks. This diminished role must have felt like a hangover to Graham after his stellar career in New Orleans. During his time with the Saints, Graham recorded a total of 51 touchdowns and 4,752 receiving yards over a five-year span. No wonder Hawks fans were excited about his arrival in Seattle.
Disappointment and Difficulties Adjusting to His New Team
Then came the sobering reality. Early on, Graham played like a shadow of his former self. These troubles were partially symptomatic of the team’s struggling offensive line. The Seahawks needed him to help block up front, and could not afford to let him run passing routes more frequently. When he tried to become more active offensively, the line did not give him time to make plays.
In order to remedy this situation, many detractors called for more unorthodox play calling. Some commentators have suggested playing him like a receiver in order to provide more opportunities. This approach is self-defeating, since long passes require even more time to develop.
Simplicity Is The Key To Jimmy Graham’s Improvement
Graham does not need to change position or experiment with alternate variations. The best approach is simply lining up close to the quarterback, just behind the line of scrimmage. This way, the defender must guess whether to treat him like a blocker or a pass catcher. With 61 receptions so far this year, compared to only 48 last year, Wilson is simply targeting his key tight end more often.
Graham is most effective when he lines up in a traditional tight end formation, and runs straightforward routes. Spread passes toward the sidelines are not his strongest option. At his best, he creates havoc and confusion toward the middle of the field. As often happens in the interior, many receivers cough up the ball on initial contact. Graham’s strength enables him to keep possession of the ball, resulting in fewer fumbles, interceptions and incompletions. He can then turn downfield and add many yards-after-catch.
Jimmy Graham does not need to use much trickery in his game plan. His speed allows him to outrun his opponents, and his strength enables him to outmuscle would-be tacklers. A simple play fake from Wilson, followed by a turn in Graham’s direction, is sufficient to disrupt opposing defenses. Often Graham lines up close to the hash mark, then simply runs straight down the field. Wilson needs only fake a handoff, or flinch in the opposite direction, before finding his marquee tight end sprinting past the defender in stride.
Frequently, the Seahawks receivers provide the deception necessary to help Graham find an opening. Wide receivers Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse, and the now injured Tyler Lockett make excellent decoys since they are big play scoring threats. One of offensive coordinator’s Darrell Bevell‘s favorite formations involves all three of these receivers lining up to one side, while Graham lines up on the weak side. This lineup forces defenses to concentrate most of their efforts to the strong side, often leaving Graham wide open.
The Seahawks also utilize simple screen passes that require little time to develop, helping take some of the pressure off the problematic offensive line. Graham’s speed and physicality helps to convert these short passes into long yardage. When the offense wants to add a little extra complexity, Wilson will run a bootleg pattern in Jimmy Graham’s direction, forcing defenders to choose between guarding the tight end or pursuing the scrambling quarterback.
In easily his best game as a Seahawk, and one of the best performances by any pro tight end in recent memory, Graham played masterfully in a shootout against an underrated Buffalo Bills defense. In this gem, Graham accumulated two touchdowns with eight receptions totaling 103 receiving yards, averaging almost 13 yards per attempt. Virtually all these receptions were the result of short slant passes towards the middle of the field.
In addition to his speed and strength, Graham displays great on-field awareness. Often quarterback Russell Wilson places the ball in the one place where Graham alone can exclusively make the play. Graham knows instinctively where the pass is headed, enabling him to focus on the target and avoid distractions.
At times, the grip in Graham’s hands appears magnetic. Both his touchdowns against the Bills were one-handed circus catches. Graham made both of these receptions despite physical play from safeties who were subsequently called for pass interference. The defenders locked one arm, so Graham simply made the catch with his other arm. These highlights illustrate another one of his strengths – the ability to make plays even when he is well defended or the ball is overthrown.
This season, Jimmy Graham still has plenty of opportunities to pad his stats. The Seahawks will need him to complete his comeback season if they hope to make a deep run in the playoffs.
