Former Seahawks quarterback Brock Huard, now a radio host for ESPN Radio in Seattle, said the contact between receivers and the Seahawks' defensive backs forces offenses to change their entire game plan. For instance, basic routes like the skinny post, on which a receiver bounces slightly toward the middle of the field (in the direction of the goal post), must be scrapped because receivers can't accelerate fast enough after contact.
Even if the receivers do get to full speed, the long arms of defensive backs such as Sherman simply poke the ball away if a pass is anywhere near them. That goes for "vertical" routes, too, the straight-ahead patterns that are a favorite of the Saints, the Seahawks' opponent Saturday.
Former Seahawks quarterback Warren Moon said the only way to combat the grabby defensive backs is by running plenty of slant-and-go routes and other patterns that involve receivers making cuts. The idea is to get the defense's big cornerbacks on the move and hamper their ability to get their hands on a receiver.
Waiting for the officials to save you isn't a strategy. "If you think they're going to be called and expect that to be the solution to the problem, you're going to be sadly mistaken," said former Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, who said the Seahawks' persistent interference happens on nearly every play. "They've perfected the art."