If you didn’t know who Paul Richardson was before the Seattle Seahawks took on the Detroit Lions in the Wild Card Round, you’re not alone.
Paul Richardson’s jaw-dropping catches stole the show on the 1st day of the NFL playoffs
Richardson was going to catch anything thrown his way.
Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images
Richardson, a second-round pick in 2014 out of Colorado, had just two career touchdown receptions coming into Saturday night.
Against the Lions, Richardson had three receptions, two of which were absolutely ridiculous catches.
The first one came in the second quarter, when the Seahawks threw the ball on the 1-yard line on fourth-and-goal. Richardson made the catch with his left hand, while the right was draped across the facemask of the Lions’ Tavon Wilson.
Despite the missed penalty, we can respect the skills it took to still come down with that one.
This catch by Richardson, however, was also one-handed and clean. If people hadn’t drawn comparisons to Odell Beckham Jr. after the first one, they certainly did after this spectacular grab:
Richardson’s catches helped the Seahawks get into a rhythm on offense and led to some other highlight-reel plays that we saw, like Doug Baldwin’s butt catch or his stolen touchdown reception.
It seems typical of the Seahawks to have a receiver come out of nowhere to put up a great game, and Richardson was that guy for them on Saturday night.
It was a long time coming for Richardson, who tore his ACL at the end of his rookie year. And in the one game he appeared in at the end of the 2015 season, Richardson hurt his hamstring and was placed on IR.
When Tyler Lockett broke his leg in Week 16 this season, it paved the way for Richardson to be promoted to the team’s No. 3 receiver. He made the most of his opportunity on one of the bigger stages in the NFL.
Richardson finished the night with 48 yards and a touchdown on his three receptions. Seattle won 26-6, but more than the final score, Seahawks fans will remember this one as the Paul Richardson game.
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