GLENDALE, Ariz. — Leaders aren’t just about having a Super Bowl ring.
Leadership means more than owning NFL records, having a glamorous wife and family, or owning a lakeside home with a $140 million contract that seemingly proves you lead quite well, thank you.
What Russell Wilson did to change what was supposed to be the final play of the Seahawks’ regular season earned him David Moore’s faith and following — forever. And it told Seattle’s locker room which side its quarterback is on.
With 22 seconds remaining and NFC West-champion Seattle on its way into next week’s playoffs with a 26-23 rally past the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium, Wilson knew the call was for a final kneeldown to expire the clock. But he’d known all week that Moore, the team’s seventh-round draft choice four years ago, needed one more reception to trigger a $100,000 performance bonus in his contract. This was the final regular-season game of that deal, the last chance for Moore to earn it.
So, unknown to play caller Brian Schottenheimer, Wilson changed the call.
Before the final drive, Wilson spoke to quarterbacks coach Austin Davis on the sideline, and discussed giving Moore basically a running play that is officially, statistically a pass in the NFL: a short, forward flip to Moore on a fly sweep. Wilson looked from the huddle over to Davis on the sideline. They nodded to each other to approve the switch.
“Hold on,” Wilson told his teammates in the huddle. “Let’s get this call here.
“Dave, you’re gonna get the ball right here. Here we go.”
Wilson called and ran the fly-sweep pitch to Moore. It gained 5 yards, the final of Wilson’s 20 completions for 181 yards to end the Seahawks’ 12th victory in 16 games entering next week’s playoff opener at home against the Los Angeles Rams.
More important for Moore, his wife and his daughter, Wilson’s gesture and switch gained the 25-year-old Texas native who played at lower-division East Central University in Oklahoma more than 11 percent of the $900,000 he was scheduled to earn for the 2020 season.
“It’s pretty cool, you know. It’s a blessing,” Wilson said. “He’s worked so hard this year so he’s definitely earned it.”
Wilson has trusted Moore in huge moments for years, giving more trust than elite quarterbacks usually have in third and fourth wide receivers. The fourth-down touchdown pass to win at Carolina a couple seasons ago. The 45-yard pass on the run in tight coverage against the Rams last week that finally got the Seahawks offense going to win the division with a second-half rally similar to Sunday’s over the 49ers.
This season, Moore has been deeply overshadowed by Seattle’s record-breaking receiving tandem of DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
Metcalf broke Hall of Famer Steve Largent’s franchise record from 1985 for yards receiving in a season on Sunday.
Lockett had 12 catches on 14 targets to become the first Seahawk with 100 receptions in a season. He broke a previous season record for catches that Doug Baldwin and Bobby Engram had shared.
Moore? That final play Wilson created for him was his 35th reception, after 17 last season. It was Moore’s only official target and catch Sunday, before bonus chances for his contract would have expired.
Wilson tried to throw to Moore earlier in the game on a deep route. The 49ers’ coverage and pass rush took away that chance.
So Wilson had to create one more.
“We called that play because David gets $100,000 if he gets that catch,” Wilson said.
“It’s a blessing to be able to help his family and his daughter. So that part of the game we wanted to get him that catch.
“So were were able to dial that up for him that last play.”
