Why the Seahawks Need Another Clutch Performance from Doug Baldwin

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin has a way of surprising you.

He does it with routes that change direction but not speed. He does it with catches that seem to defy the laws of physics. He does it by recording receptions, yards and touchdowns in bunches.

And right now, he's doing all that at the exact moment the Seahawks need it most: while heading into hostile territory for their divisional-round game against the Atlanta Falcons.

The Seahawks finished the regular season with a sub-.500 record on the road (3-4-1). That's why they need contributions from every offensive asset Saturday, especially if they want to match the firepower of Atlanta's second-ranked offense.

And if a familiar-looking Wild Card Weekend win over the Detroit Lions was any indication, the key pieces in the Seattle offense could be peaking at the right time. Running back Thomas Rawls set a single-game franchise playoff rushing record. And when he needed to make a key throw, quarterback Russell Wilson was steady, completing 76.7 percent of his pass attempts.

But the biggest difference-maker going forward could be Baldwin, a uniquely gifted receiver whose nimble feet lead to consistent separation and opportunities for quick-strike attacks.

He plays a whole lot like a recently retired receiver who enjoyed delivering pain with his physicality. And Baldwin knows it, too.

Baldwin has recorded double-digit receptions in two of his last three games. One of those contests was against the Arizona Cardinals and their fourth-ranked secondary. The Cardinals gave up only 6.8 yards per attempt, and Baldwin finished that afternoon averaging nine yards per target—and 13.2 yards per catch.

His game-by-game production may be a bit scattered, but that's more so a reflection of life in the slot, a role in which targets can be sporadic depending on the matchup presented. A critical element to success in the slot is being able to capitalize when a favorable matchup arises. And Baldwin knows a thing or two about pouncing.

Since the start of the 2015 season, Baldwin has had three touchdown catches in a game three times. By nature, touchdowns come inconsistently, as they're a product of game situations. So instead of looking at the dip in his regular-season scoring from 2015 to 2016 (14 touchdowns to seven), it's more important to add those touchdown totals and then look at the company that surrounds Baldwin.

Since the start of 2015, he's scored 21 regular-season touchdowns. That places Baldwin third among all receivers—narrowly behind only the New York Giants' Odell Beckham Jr. and the Pittsburgh Steelers' Antonio Brown.

Wide Receiver	Touchdowns
Odell Beckham Jr.	23
Antonio Brown	22
Doug Baldwin	21
Allen Robinson	20
Brandin Cooks, Michael Crabtree and Brandon Marshall	17

Elsewhere in pouncing, Baldwin has recorded four games with 130-plus receiving yards since the beginning of 2015. And two of his sudden surges led us to an answer for the ever-present "what have you done for me lately?" question.

Baldwin started to sizzle late this season, logging 319 receiving yards over the Seahawks' past three games. That includes 104 yards against the Lions, and even more impressively, 171 yards and a touchdown against the Cardinals in Week 16.

Baldwin's hot streak—and really, everything he does—stems from the mind he shares with Wilson. On the football field, they are forever linked, which is critical to a slot receiver's success.

It's a position that lives in the open field, and there are option routes for days. If he wants to see footballs sail his way as often as possible, the slot receiver needs to view the field through the eyes of his quarterback and react accordingly. He needs to have the same unspoken thought about the coverage and work in tandem with his signal-caller.

You know that dusty "they're on the same page" football cliche? The slot receiver and quarterback need to write the damn book together, and the Wilson-Baldwin combination has produced some beautiful poetry.

They've connected for five 30-plus-yard receptions over Seattle's past three games. One of those deep heaves was a 42-yard gain that, when examined closely, shows how maddeningly shifty Baldwin is in the open field and how easily he can turn defensive backs into human pretzels with his elusiveness.

Defensive backs have to respect Baldwin's burst at the snap. But he can also abruptly halt his flash of forward momentum and change direction with only a minimal loss of speed.

Lions safety Tavon Wilson had to deal with that feet-twisting combination of speed and quick cuts when Baldwin blasted off toward the middle of the field, selling a slant.

Credit: NFL GamePass

The art of deception could be seen in the intricate details. Baldwin's shoulders and head were lowered as he took four long strides. Surely he was looking to beeline for the middle then, right?

That's the question Baldwin forced Wilson to answer. The defender had to commit in a hurry and close off the opportunity for a quick completion. His hand was forced.

But the moment Wilson made his move, the play was over—at least for him. When Baldwin's right foot hit the ground on his fourth stride, he slowed instantly, then pivoted and turned upfield as Wilson skidded past.

Credit: NFL GamePass

The long-distance hookups like that one between Russell Wilson and Baldwin will always be greeted with wide eyes and rapid-fire fist pumping. But another core slot-receiver attribute is having the silky hands to secure tough chain-moving catches.

Baldwin has also checked that box, especially in 2016. During the regular season, 52 of his 94 receptions (55.3 percent) resulted in first downs. That percentage ranked 15th in the NFL in the regular season, which is significant considering Baldwin's inconsistent workload and 117 targets, which ranked 21st in the league, per Pro Football Focus.

The Seahawks turn to Baldwin often to keep drives going because he's built a strong sense of security over time. He can be trusted to make difficult catches in heavy traffic and to do it by any means necessary.

Like when he had to get creative late in the fourth quarter against the Lions on a ball thrown behind him. It was 3rd-and-9 with Seattle on Detroit's 24-yard line, and converting was the difference between trying for three points and getting seven.

To make it happen, Baldwin contorted himself like he was the main event at a Cirque du Soleil show. He did whatever he had to do, which in this case included using his hind region.

Credit: NFL GamePass

Two plays later, Baldwin stole a touchdown reception from fellow wide receiver Jermaine Kearse.

The Seahawks will surely lean on Baldwin again Saturday against the Falcons. He'll serve as the ideal complement to Seattle's bruising backfield, which emerged when Rawls finished with 161 rushing yards in the wild-card win. And he'll be doing that while facing perhaps his toughest matchup yet.

Standing across from Baldwin for much of the game will be Falcons cornerback Brian Poole. The fast-rising undrafted rookie couldn't be kept on the sideline, and his meteoric development led to a job as the starting slot corner.

He played 75 percent of Atlanta's defensive snaps, per PFF, and his inexperience hasn't mattered at all. Poole posted the third-best coverage-snaps-per-reception ratio among the 21 slot corners who played at least half of their team's snaps.

Cornerback	Coverage Snaps/Reception
Chris Harris Jr.	14.6
Steven Nelson	13.3
Brian Poole	13.2
Nickell Robey-Coleman	13.0
Brice McCain	12.3

There will be several matchups to watch when the Seahawks have the ball Saturday. Tight end Jimmy Graham against, well, pretty much anyone is usually the source of fireworks, and the Falcons gave up 61.4 receiving yards per game to tight ends during the regular season, according to Football Outsiders.

Rawls will also pound away at an Atlanta defense that was gashed for 4.5 yards per carry in 2016. And then there's Baldwin, who's always looming as either the complementary option or the option.

He's whatever Seattle needs him to be on a weekly basis. He's the sure-handed pass-catcher who can be counted on to get every inch needed. He's the acrobatic football juggler who dazzles amid the chaos of traffic. And he's the elusive route-runner who makes defensive backs guess—usually wrong—in the open field.

He's everything you want in a slot receiver and one of many reasons why another deep playoff run could be brewing for the Seahawks.