Football teams love running screen passes because they are, theoretically, low risk plays. They involve the quarterback getting the ball quickly to a pass catcher — whether they be a wide receiver or a running back — and setting them up with at least a blocker so they can pick up a few easy yards.
The issue is that when they don’t work, they end in disaster. That’s what happened in the NFC Wild Card tilt between the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks. During the second quarter of what had been a pretty defensive football game, Russell Wilson dropped back and looked to pick up a few easy yards with a screen pass to DK Metcalf.
Unfortunately for Wilson, Rams cornerback Darious Williams knew exactly what was coming. Whether it was because he read something or he just knew what his division foes like to do in that spot, Williams blew the play up, reeled in the pass from Wilson, and despite Metcalf’s best effort was able to stroll into the end zone untouched.
DARIOUS WILLIAMS PICK-6 #RamsHouse
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— NFL (@NFL) January 9, 2021
The craziest thing about this is that the play was not only the first pick six on a WR screen pass this season, it was the first time a quarterback was picked off on this play all year.
Wild, Darious Williams: League wide, there were 784 screen passes targeting WRs this regular season and ZERO interceptions. That pick-six targeting DK Metcalf was a screen pass.
— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) January 9, 2021
Weird things happen in the playoffs, and few things are weirder than something like this happening. Regardless, this is one hell of a play by Williams to give the Rams their first touchdown of the game.