Why Alfred Morris's First NFL Receiving Touchdown vs. Seattle was So Brilliant

It's hard to believe it, but Giants running back Alfred Morris caught his first NFL touchdown pass on Sunday against Seattle. Here's a closer look at the play including why it was a stroke of genius by the coaching staff.

With very few exceptions this year, the job done by this coaching staff has been nothing short of genius. And for further proof of that, let’s take a look at the touchdown run by Alfred Morris in the third quarter of last week’s game.

Play design aside—and it was a nice design—the key to this play working as well as it did was the personnel choice. If you recall, Morris said after the game that his touchdown reception was the first one he made in his NFL career, a stunning admission given how long he’s been in the league.

But in retrospect, it was also a telling admission and one that perhaps caught the Seahawks asleep at the wheel.

The Giants sent just about everyone to the left of the formation, leaving Morris to float out to the right flat. 

Because Morris is not known for his outside running or his pass-catching abilities, the Seahawks likely thought that Golden Tate, lined up as the left outside receiver, or tight end Evan Engram, lined up on the right side of the formation, might be the targets. 

In having quarterback Colt McCoy roll out in the opposite direction where all the white jerseys were going, McCoy had a clear passing lane to connect with Morris, who had no one in front of him blocking his path to the end zone. 

By the time the Seahawks defense recognized what was going on, Morris was pulling up in the end zone for his second touchdown of the game and the first receiving touchdown of his career.

Had the Giants instead gone with Wayne Gallman or even Dion Lewis, two pass-catching running backs, who knows if the play's design would have worked as well as it did. 

So again, brilliant design by offensive coordinator Jason Garett, not just from the Xs and Os perspective but also in the personnel selection, which fooled the Seahawks and gave the Giants an important touchdown.

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