Bracing For Tom Brady, Seahawks CB Tariq Woolen Continues Trek to Stardom

Though he hasn't made an interception in three games, Tariq Woolen's excellent play has continued amid the Seattle Seahawks current four-game winning streak facing increasingly tougher competition. Now, his greatest challenge awaits in Germany in the form of Tom Brady and a talented Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiving corps.

RENTON, Wash. - Ever since stepping onto the practice field for the first time at Seahawks rookie minicamp back in May, Tariq Woolen has aced nearly every test thrown at him.

First, Woolen impressed coach Pete Carroll during OTAs by playing tight coverage against speedy veteran Marquise Goodwin on back-to-back vertical routes. Then, once DK Metcalf returned from a brief hold-in with a new contract, he held his own against the former All-Pro receiver in training camp, winning several matchups against him in red zone drills. Rebounding from a tough start in his preseason debut, he dominated in Seattle's final two exhibition contests to earn a Week 1 starting job at right cornerback.

Since then, Woolen hasn't missed a beat, already winning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month for October and emerging as a front runner for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year through the first nine games of the 2022 season. Along with being tied for second in the NFL with four interceptions, quarterbacks have completed just 56.4 percent of their passes and posted a 56.7 passer rating when targeting him in coverage, and as of late, they're opting not to throw his direction very often.

Even with perennial All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins back from a lengthy suspension after not playing against Woolen and the Seahawks in their first encounter, that trend continued in Sunday's rematch against the Cardinals in Arizona. Facing his greatest challenge yet as a pro, the fifth-round pick out of UTSA continued his sensational rookie campaign by bottling up the future Hall of Famer with sticky coverage, leading Kyler Murray to only target him once when matched up against Hopkins.

The result? On the lone time Murray did test Woolen covering his top target midway through the second quarter, the 6-foot-4 cornerback exploded out of his Cover 3 drop and used his 4.26 speed and 33 1/2-inch arms to undercut Hopkins' 12-yard drag route for a third down pass breakup, forcing Arizona to punt the ball back to Seattle's offense. After that point, he wasn't targeted again when matched up against Hopkins, with Carroll crediting him for mixing up his techniques at the line of scrimmage throughout the game to keep the veteran wideout on his heels.

“He did a nice job yesterday. The sophisticated things he did in this game and playing at the line of scrimmage and how he kept him guessing a little bit," Carroll said of Woolen's performance. "He was really set with a game plan, and he carried it out really well. He stuck to him throughout the game, and did a nice job, and the ball didn’t go that much in his direction."

After making four interceptions in four consecutive games earlier this season, including returning a pick six in a Week 4 win against the Lions in Detroit, quarterbacks have recently given Woolen the patented Richard Sherman treatment. Since picking off Murray at the tail end of the Seahawks 19-9 win over the Cardinals last month, he's seen the total number of targets coming his way each week steadily decrease with quarterbacks avoiding him like the plague, the ultimate sign of respect in the NFL.

With those diminishing opportunities, Woolen has registered a pass breakup in three consecutive games. Still, he sees plenty of room for improvement coming out of Sunday's win and frustratingly missed out on opportunities to pad his interception numbers.

Considering how great of a jump he got on the drag route ran by Hopkins, Carroll said Woolen was upset he didn't pick off the pass, believing he could have played more aggressively undercutting the route to get his hands on the football. On his third and final target of the game, he also allowed a five-yard touchdown to tight end Zach Ertz on a throw he expects himself to be able to defend, a sign illustrating the immense confidence he's playing with right now.

"I know he was just kicking himself about the touchdown pass. He just didn’t quite get it done on [Zach] Ertz there down at the end. He wanted to get that play made too," Carroll remarked. "Also, he was grousing about how he should’ve intercepted the ball across the middle. He knocked it down. He felt he went a little conservative. He should’ve gone for the catch, but he played really well."

After taking care of business against Hopkins and a talented Cardinals receiving corps, things won't get any easier for Woolen and fellow starting cornerback Mike Jackson this weekend when the Seahawks travel to Munich to face the Buccaneers. While Tom Brady and company haven't been able to get untracked this year, the seven-time Super Bowl winning quarterback has a bevy of weapons at his disposal on the outside who will present stiff tests for the young cornerbacks.

First and foremost, Mike Evans remains one of the NFL's premier wideouts. At 6-foot-5, 231 pounds, he's one of the few receivers in the league with enough size to pose problems for Woolen, who typically towers over his opponents. One of the best in the business at high-pointing the football and bringing down contested deep balls, the four-time Pro Bowler squaring off with the talented rookie should be a compelling matchup on the outside.

Away from Evans, Chris Godwin has had a quiet season statistically but remains a viable threat in his own right capable of taking the top off of defenses with 4.42 speed. Seattle will also have to keep tabs on five-time All-Pro Julio Jones, who despite having just eight catches all season can still win vertically and present physical challenges with his 6-foot-3, 220-pound frame in contested catch situations.

In the past, Brady never shied away from targeting Sherman when he starred for the "Legion of Boom" and history suggests he won't be deterred from attacking Woolen either. The rookie will have to bring his A game physically and mentally going against the G.O.A.T. who has seen everything in his illustrious 23-year NFL career.

Just as was the case with Hopkins and the Cardinals a week ago, Carroll thinks slowing down Evans, Godwin, and the rest of the Buccaneers receiving unit boils down to the cornerbacks and coaching staff collaborating to devise and execute a quality game plan. After taking a substantial step forward last week against elite competition, he's more than confident Woolen and his counterparts will rise to the occasion and be ready for their next great challenge.

"We had a really specific plan for these guys, and I was really excited to see them do what they did in practice, and they were really subtle things. I don’t know if you could’ve picked up on it. They did some things that changed the rhythm at the line of scrimmage. It really helped them, and I thought it was a big step for us and we’ll need it going against [Mike] Evans and their guys. They’re really good coming up this week.”

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