Explaining “Let Russ Cook” and How the Seattle Seahawks are 5–0 Due to It
The Seattle Seahawks are 5–0 heading into the bye. The biggest reason is that they have finally “Let Russ Cook.” I was truly someone who thought you couldn’t teach an old dog new tricks. However, Pete Carroll has proved me wrong, and has embraced the “Let Russ Cook” movement.
I’ll eat crow where it’s due. I thought Pete Carroll was going to be so stuck in his ways and that he would prevent Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks from reaching their full potential. To the point that two years ago I wrote an article about how the team should move on from Pete Carroll. I’m so happy to be wrong.
If you are a Seattle Seahawks fan, or maybe someone who has heard the phrase and aren’t quite sure what it means, I’ll explain what it is and why it’s important and pivotal to the Seattle Seahawks success. Seattle Seahawks fans quite literally complained enough and backed it up with analytics that suggest Russell Wilson should be throwing the ball more, and Pete Carroll finally obliged. From radio show hosts mentioning it, to reporters, it seems Pete Carroll heard what it could do for the team. It’s become a national phrase that sports media and broadcasters are saying now too in NFL games. This was quite truly something that originated from Seattle Seahawk fans.
There are some misconceptions about what “Let Russ Cook” means and so explaining it will make it easier for everyone, as people still argue about it online.
Let Russ Cook is NOT:
•Never running the ball
•Throwing 55+ times a game
•Never punting the ball
Let Russ Cook IS:
•Throwing more on early downs
•Avoiding running on 2nd and long, the statistically worst time to run the ball
•Giving Russell Wilson more control through the entirety of the game
•Playing aggressive on 4th down when you’re across midfield
Analytics suggest that passing the ball is more efficient than running, which makes sense. If a good RB averages 4–5 YPC (yards per carry) on their best days, and a good QB typically averages 8+ YPA (yards per attempt) that alone suggests that passing is more efficient than running the ball, right? Especially when you consider that QB’s get a lot of chunk plays in the passing game, and that only increases the more you pass the ball.
EPA (expected points added) is a statistic created from the analytics enthusiasts in the NFL world where you seek to measure the value of individual plays in terms of points. The higher the EPA, the more you are adding to your team. In some ways, you can think of it similar to Baseball’s WAR (Wins Above Replacement) but on an individual per play basis to determine how much a player is helping your team.
The “Let Russ Cook” movement, based off EPA, has Russell Wilson at #2 in the NFL for QB’s. It is important to understand that this doesn’t mean he isn’t the MVP frontrunner. He is, but you always want to draw from multiple formulas and multiple sources. This is just one way to show that Russell Wilson is one of the best QB’s in the NFL and how they are reaping the benefits of passing more.
The Seattle Seahawks used to be guilty of being one of the teams who ran the ball the most on 2nd and long in the NFL. This would lead to 3rd and longs and constant drive killers. This year, that has changed. The Seahawks are the most pass happy team in the NFL on 2nd and long, and it helps add up to the Seattle Seahawks being 5–0 and featuring the frontrunner MVP candidate.
You’re effectively limiting your offense if you have a good QB and are trying to be a 50–50 run-to-pass ratio team, which Pete Carroll in the past has said is important to him. The data has proven that Pete Carroll is no longer seeking 50–50 balance. Pete Carroll even told Seattle Seahawks Offensive Coordinator Brian Schottenheimer after the Seattle Seahawks went three-and-out on three straight runs to open the second half to make sure Russell Wilson is in the middle of everything. They hardly ran the ball the rest of the game.
The other aspect to “Let Russ Cook” which was briefly touched on was early down pass rate. This is effectively considered a neutral situation in a game. The NFL has trended more towards passing in these situations based upon the reasons we explained above, passing being more efficient being the blunt explanation. The Seattle Seahawks were constantly behind the NFL in this aspect, leading to a lot of 3rd and longs. Why play for 3rd down if you can just convert on 1st or 2nd down? Fans painfully know run-run-pass-punt as a sequence the team would face in the past. This year? No longer. The Seattle Seahawks lead the NFL in early down pass rate.
Sometimes it feels like I’m dreaming seeing evidence that Pete Carroll is fully onboard the “Let Russ Cook” movement. When I was with Sports Illustrated in 2015, I even wrote about how the Seahawks need to give Russell Wilson more control in games.
The Seattle Seahawks are 5–0 for the first time in franchise history. Letting Russ Cook is the main reason they are 5–0, and it’s the main reason they are Super Bowl contenders despite their struggles on defense. Russell Wilson is an MVP caliber player and a future Hall of Famer. Pete Carroll has fully realized and leaned into the fact that they need to lean heavily on him, and they are reaping the benefits of it.
DK Metcalf is reaping the benefits too, who is third in the league in yards after three games. You think these two are loving the “Let Russ Cook” movement? DK Metcalf even makes sure to say “Russ for MVP” after every press conference.
Let Russ Cook and go win the Super Bowl.
