How Seahawks, Shane Waldron deployed Dee Eskridge and the ‘Hank Concept’

It’s great to see rookie Seattle Seahawks D’Escridge get back into the squad and get production opportunities. His electric talent was evident when he put on a career day last Sunday, pulling all three of his goals for 35 yards and a TD. While this baseline is respectable, it only tells part of the story; After a frightening concussion kept Dee off the field for much of his junior season, he appears to be settling in quickly. In limited motion, he demonstrated the speed, acceleration, and after-catch sprinting capabilities that made him such a sought-after prospect for a Western Michigan exit.

So how did Shane Waldron Eskridge involve him in his biggest event of the season so far? Let’s roll the tape.

D. Escridge and the concept of “Hank”

Love the theatrical design from the first game in particular. Classic West Coast Offis concepts play here; This is the slight variation on the 3 lid beater “Hank’s Concept.” It was designed to beat the delicate defense the Niners were showing, and it worked like a charm.

Basically, this is just a fancy WCO term for a scheme that gets all 5 players out onto the tracks quickly (as many do), with 1 and 2 (Lockett and Metcalf, obv) lined up on opposite sides and each working with 12 yard hooks. The screwed end snaps over the center, and the rear receiver/slot pops out into the flats.

Eskridge makes the catch in the short flat, but then flips it admirably, absorbing a blow from Josh Norman, who has a good size advantage over the rookie. De Norman shakes and picks up another yard after the catch. Easily the biggest blow to Eskridge coming out of college out of not playing in the power conference was his size; That’s why I’m especially thrilled to see him bring this brave but smart physicality to the next level.

landing

Another fun scheme at play here; DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are stacked on the right, with Eskridge flanking them wide. The basic Hi-Lo concept, which the Niners already defends well, as neither Lockett nor Metcalf have a wide open look. Gerald Everett runs an exit corner that manages to temporarily occupy three defenders, leaving Travis Homer somewhat open as he races into the flat, but Russell Wilson never gets a chance to look his way, given how the blocking is. Ross tries to look away from the defense by quickly turning toward Everett, but seems to lock in too quickly on Metcalf and Lockett, the seemingly designed readings in this play. At this point, most of the San Francisco 49ers on the defensive line gather between “a“and the other”a(As per SeAhAwks) in the final zone.

This leaves Decommore Lenoir a one-to-one match with Eskridge. Wilson advances and throws an arrow, and Dee in turn rocks Lenoir and finds the end zone for the first time in his young career. Great to see Eskridge settle into a soft spot in the area and give Wilson an outlet. It’s also great to see Ross quickly go through his progress, and after seeing his first and second reading covered, you go up in the pocket and find the open man. This looks like QB shakes off the rust and returns to its element.

D’Escridge: Leg Cover Mismatch

So we’ve seen Eskridge beat the area, but what does his electric speed look like to cover the man? even better. In the play above, we can see Eskridge and Lockett stacked on the right with Colby Parkinson inside. Metcalf wide to the left, facing Josh Norman. The Niners put pressure on the edge, as DB Talanoa Hufanga believes he has a clean shot at Wilson before Rashaad Penny utterly destroys him. Big credit to Penny for his improved pass protection, without that effort this play would likely have gone down very differently…

The Niners go with one safe, as fullback Aziz Al Shaer (talented but plays off position due to an injury Fred Warner) hangs around the short quarterback. Lockett delves deeper, and Eskridge runs through the formation. This is a great exploit to align the 49ers with, as Dontae Johnson has never had a chance to catch up with the young fast driver. Linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles retreats but doesn’t arrive in time to make a difference, leaving Eskridge wide open on the crossing path. Call good play, good execution.

Conclusions

Pairing a first-time attack coordinator with two game makers like Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf and then adding an explosive chess piece like Dee Eskridge seems almost unfair. Apparently, the universe has agreed and kept this powerful trio of passers apart for the 2021 season. However, we hope, with Eskridge’s renewed health and a return to form from Wilson, we’ll see more and more highlights like this on a weekly basis. Heading south to face the Houston Texans who were better at defending the passing game than they did literally Anything else this season, Waldron may need to get creative with how he engages Eskridge this week. Whether that means more off-field touches against a poor running defense or simply getting deep into the playbook again with track combos, I’m looking forward to seeing if this attack can build some momentum and harmony over the remaining stretch.