In Win Over Texans, Seahawks' Quads Usage Beat Cover 2

Quads formations—also known as 4x1—are the fashionable offensive concept in the NFL. Up until their 33-13 win over the Texans, the Seahawks had struggled in their brief quads appearances. However, after Russell Wilson's 29-yard completion to Tyler Lockett out of 4x1 to beat Cover 2, Seattle's passing game may have found an explosive solution to middle field open coverages.

The Seahawks’ offensive renaissance versus the Texans not only featured an improved run game; Seattle also found quads formation redemption.

Shane Waldron’s offense features numerous passing concepts designed to put four men in the pattern to one side of the field. This stresses defensive coverages horizontally, putting an extra threat than the defense has numbers for and therefore requiring. However, the offensive coordinator mainly achieves this look post-snap with his route distribution—not via pre-snap alignment.

Indeed, prior to the Houston game, the Seahawks had aligned at the snap in quads (four eligible receivers to one side of the formation with a lone threat backside) just five times. It was disastrous, with Seattle’s five plays ending in a total of negative one yard; its biggest gain was just four yards. Three of the plays were screens—speaking to the Seahawks’ struggles in this area (they also like four-strong looks for screens).

While Seattle has only recently sprinkled quads into its offense—and it’s been like a dusting of anthrax rather than Christmas morning snow—4x1 formations are all the rage league-wide. Here’s Packers head coach Matt LeFleur speaking about the formation’s popularity around the NFL. Tellingly, the offensive mind speaks about the “copycat” nature of the league and the search for how to generate big plays.

I asked coach about the seemingly overnight popularity of Quads to one side of the field that we've seen around the league this year: pic.twitter.com/gmUuPLvXdd

— Aaron Nagler (@AaronNagler) December 15, 2021

Immediately: they look cool.

Fun appearance addressed, let’s dive into the scheme. In the NFL, offenses have been smart in how they use the look for pass protection purposes. An empty backfield typically means only five men blocking for the quarterback. In a 3x2 empty formation, the offense can chip pass protect to add extra bodies and give the passer more time. However, chipping to the trips side means that the passing game loses the three receiving threats. The trips combinations disappear.

In quads, though, an offense can chip pass protect while still maintaining three receivers to one side of the field.

The major element to quads is that defenses are not used to seeing such formations. The unusual approach requires defenses to adjust their coverage rules to it. And yet, because the strategy is novel, defenses rarely practice for the look and coaches’ schemes give less thought to the 4x1 distribution.

In simpler terms: the defense has two choices dictated by the intent of the offense’s quads formation. They can adjust to get the numbers back to the quads side, playing five defenders over four. However, this leaves an obvious one-on-one backside. It also contradicts the offense possibly not wanting to keep four receiving threats on one side of the field after the snap, given the cramped space.

So the other solution is the defense choosing to leave the numbers advantage to the strongside pre-snap, anticipating the possibility that receivers will travel back across the field on their routes. If the offense stays with four strong in their route distribution, the defense will then attempt to flood their coverage post-snap.

Houston decided to play Seattle’s 3rd and 9 quads formation with a "normal" coverage, running a Cover 2 zone defense that, if faced with four strong in the distribution, would have relied on the backside curl defender flooding to the strongside.

Instead, the Seahawks had a receiver run back across the formation, with Lockett—aligned at the No. 4 spot—running a deep crossing “special” route to the opposite sideline. 

Pre-snap, Wilson knew he was facing some form of zone coverage thanks to DeeJay Dallas' presence as the widest receiver and Houston responding with a CB over the RB.

The quarterback's half-hearted fake to the smoke route of Dallas in the flat fooled none of the defenders, with the verticals of Gerald Everett and Freddie Swain covered.

On the single side, DK Metcalf chipped the edge rusher before releasing on a nestled sit route beneath and to the inside of the cloud, Cover 2 corner, Lonnie Johnson Jr. Metcalf then pivoted back outside with Wilson’s buying-time pocket movement, pausing the cornerback at the sticks.

The curl defender, linebacker Christian Kirksey, covered Lockett’s deep crosser and attempted to pass the route off to the corner on that side of the field. Kirksey expected Johnson to keep gaining depth. Instead, as Kirksey zoned off, Lockett kept running into the space behind the cornerback and outside of the deep half safety—the honey hole.

Earlier in the play, the backside half safety, Jonathan Owens, was paused by the vertical route of Swain from the No. 3 receiver spot, with Owens looking to help the middle run thru linebacker as well as Kirksey. Lockett caught the well-placed pass from Wilson for 29 yards and the first down, largely thanks to the unusualness of the No. 4 receiver running a deep crosser. Additionally, the tightness of Lockett and Swain’s verticals meant the pattern developed quicker.

pic.twitter.com/affuT4Jgr9

— Ultra Rare Tape (@UltraRareTape) December 21, 2021

The Seahawks have experienced well-documented difficulties in staying explosive versus middle field open defenses. The added stress imparted by quads is one way Seattle’s passing attack will look for the deep play moving forward. The COVID-forced absence of Lockett will hurt though, with the Seahawks desperately needing Dee Eskridge to step into that role.