How the Seahawks' defense eliminated New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham

Jimmy Graham started with a bang before the NFC divisional playoff game, getting into an altercation with Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin. But the New Orleans Saints' tight end didn't show up again until 24 seconds remained in the Saints' 23-15 loss.

Drew Brees only targeted Graham once in the first half. He targeted the All-Pro tight end four more times and came up empty. Graham's sixth and final target turned into his one and only catch for eight yards.

Not exactly the type way he wanted to wrap up a contract year, though Graham's previous results should make him a very, very wealthy man this offseason. But the paltry output induced a bucket of negative comments from the Seattle locker room, including defensive end Michael Bennett telling Bleacher Report that Graham was soft and the most overrated player in the NFL.

"I read what one player or two players had said and look, that is pretty typical when you get into these heated games," Saints coach Sean Payton said Monday. "I don't concern myself as much with what an opposing player might say. What's most important to us is our evaluation of a player's progression and how he impacts our team and how he helps us win."

I charted each of Graham's snaps on passing plays from the coaches' film. The Seahawks mixed up coverages on Graham and typically blanketed him when using single coverage.

Here's a look at each snap Graham received on a passing play:

First quarter
- Tight end formation for Graham; short crossing route bumped by a linebacker along the route; incomplete screen pass to Mark Ingram
- Inside receiver; seam route into a post; bumped off the line; linebacker in front and a safety behind; looked like Brees wanted to go to Graham; checkdown to Khiry Robinson for 13 yards
- Lone receiver to Brees' left, single coverage; play looked to be a designed screen with Graham trying to block; minus-3-yard screen pass to Darren Sproles
- Slot receiver to Brees' left; single coverage on a 5-yard out route; looked like another designed screen resulting in a Sproles 9-yard reception

Second quarter
- Lone receiver to Brees' left, single coverage and good coverage on a go route up the sideline, Brees looked Graham's way first and is forced to look elsewhere, ball sails too high to Lance Moore over the middle for an incomplete pass
- Tight end formation with hand to the ground, but outside tight end with Josh Hill and Benjamin Watson inside of Graham along the line; Graham gets a free release on a quick slant; play wasn't designed for Graham as Brees rolled right and threw an incomplete pass to Hill
- Inside receiver to Brees' right; Graham ran a quick turnaround at the first-down marker; two Seahawks settled in on Graham; Brees pumped into his direction, tucked the ball and had his pass intended for Colston batted down on fourth down
- Inside receiver to Brees' right in trips formation; short seam route with a linebacker in front of Graham; a Colston 9-yard reception
- First target; inside receiver to Brees' right in trips formation; intermediate seam route; Brees threw an incomplete pass to Graham as safety Earl Thomas flew over Graham's back to break up the pass; Graham looked for a flag, but Thomas had perfect timing
- Inside receiver to Brees' right in trips formation; deeper seam route; one defender in front of Graham and two behind him; incomplete to Colston

Third quarter
- Lone receiver to Brees' left; single coverage; Graham ran a go route, but looked like he was more clearing out his defender to open up the middle of the field; Colston hauled in a 16-yard reception thanks to the clear out; Graham also laid a block on a second defender to keep him out of the play
- Tight end formation with hand to the ground with Watson lined up inside of Graham; Graham ran about a 10-yard crossing pattern with a linebacker drifting in front of Graham in coverage; Robert Meachem 17-yard reception
- Inside receiver to Brees' left; single coverage and tight coverage; play was designed to Watson all the way to the right, but Watson's screen pass went for no gain
- Inside receiver part of a stack formation with a third wideout to the left; single coverage with a linebacker blanketing him; Brees sack and guard Jahri Evans fumble recovery
- Tight end formation with hand to the ground; Graham ran a go route with a defensive back playing behind him; incomplete to Colston
- Second target; lone receiver to the right; cornerback Richard Sherman in single coverage; Sherman had his hands all over Graham on a short crossing pattern at the first-down marker; pass was batted down at the line for an incompletion
- Graham went in motion to become the inside receiver to Brees' right; defensive back jammed Graham hard on his short out route; Brees rolled right, possibly pondering Graham as an option; stopped and threw back across the field incomplete to Moore to turn it over on downs
- Inside receiver to Brees' right; initial defender let Graham scoot by with Sherman picking Graham up right away; Brees threw a 6-yard completion to Colston at the defender who left Graham
- Tight end formation with hand to the ground; Graham initially blocked a defensive end, then took off on a quick crossing route off the line; Hill 23-yard reception

Fourth quarter
- Lone receiver to Brees' right; Sherman in coverage with hands all over Graham as Graham ran a stutter step at the line and wanted to run an out route once he hit the end zone; Brees hit Moore for a 9-yard reception instead
- Lone receiver to Brees' right; Sherman on single coverage and good coverage with no grabbing this time on a Graham go route; Colston 6-yard reception
- Inside receiver to Brees' left; linebacker in single coverage; Graham didn't really run a route as he looked to block his defender; incomplete screen pass to Travaris Cadet on the opposite side of the field
- Inside receiver to Brees' left in a tight formation; linebacker in front and safety behind in bracket coverage on Graham's 10-yard out route; Colston 15-yard reception
- Inside receiver to Brees' left in trips formation; zone coverage with a linebacker in front and defensive back behind on a short crossing pattern to the right; Brees scrambled to hit Kenny Stills on a 30-yard reception, but Zach Strief's holding penalty negated the play
- Third target (exactly midway through the fourth quarter); middle receiver in trips formation to Brees' left, but inside receiver is essentially stacked next to him; safety Kam Chancellor had single coverage on Graham's crossing pattern; incomplete as Chancellor dropped an interception right in his hands
- Fourth target; middle receiver in trips formation to Brees' left, but he's stacked essentially next to a receiver; Graham ran a crossing route as the Seahawks played zone; Thomas banged into Graham again as the Seahawks' safety played the middle of the zone to break up the pass for an incompletion; Graham got up again looking for a flag and had a better argument this time than in the second quarter
- Tight end formation with hand to the ground as the outside tight end; Graham had a free release, but ran out to find someone to block for a screen pass that fell incomplete; defensive holding gave the Saints a first down
- Inside receiver to Brees' left with a tight formation; Graham ran a deep out route with single coverage on him by a defensive back; Meachem 52-yard reception off the tip
- Tight end formation with his hand to the ground; single coverage initially on a go route, but the safety came over quickly to help; incomplete to Ingram
- Lone receiver to Brees' left; short crossing route with single coverage; incomplete to Colston
- Inside receiver to Brees' left; quick out route with a linebacker not really too near him in single coverage; play obviously wasn't designed for Graham; incomplete to Sproles on the opposite side of the field
- Inside receiver in trips formation to Brees' right; Graham ran a flat route with really no one around him; Colston 18-yard reception
- Inside receiver in trips formation to Brees' right; Graham ran an intermediate turnaround route with a linebacker in tight coverage; Moore 11-yard reception
- Inside receiver in trips formation to Brees' right; Graham ran a flat route with single coverage; Colston 11-yard reception
- Inside receiver in trips formation to Brees' right; Graham ran a flat route with no one within 10 yards of him; Colston 16-yard reception
- Inside receiver in trips formation to Brees' right; Graham ran a little stutter route up the seam with a linebacker in front and a safety behind; Sproles 6-yard reception
- Inside receiver to Brees' right; single coverage by a defensive back on a quick crossing pattern; the umpire helped the Seahawks as Graham got tangled up with him on the route; incompletion to Stills; defensive penalty for 12 men on the field
- Fifth target, inside receiver to Brees' right; free release off the line; Graham cut left at the goal line; Chancellor jumped the route and nearly picked the pass off on the incompletion
- Inside receiver to Brees' right as he lined up tight along the formation; defensive back with single coverage and solid coverage on an out route at the goal line; incomplete to Moore
- Inside receiver in trips formation to Brees' left; flat route that Graham eventually turned into an out-and-up route with single coverage; Moore 7-yard reception, but offensive pass interference negated the play
- Inside receiver in trips formation to Brees' left; seam route with two defenders around Graham; Sproles 14-yard reception
- Inside receiver to Brees' left; single coverage as Graham ran a crossing route at the goal line; Colston 9-yard touchdown reception
- Sixth and final target; one and only reception; inside receiver in trips formation to Brees' right; Seahawks played deep zone; Graham ran up the seam and settled in the middle of the field for an 8-yard reception
- Inside receiver to Brees' right in a trips formation as if the Saints were running a Hail Mary; Graham ran the go route as two defenders were with him; Colston caught the pass and the failed lateral ensued

Soft? Overrated? I'm not buying either tag. But we've seen good defenses find ways to take Graham out of the equation in 2013. Finding ways to counteract the tactics of some of the upper-tier NFL defenses will be essential for the Saints to find more consistent production from the top weapon.


(nola.com)