NFL Seattle Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks’ Cooper Helfet Starting To Make A Name For Himself

Cooper Helfet Seattle Seahawks Touchdown

Getty Images

While the Seattle Seahawks certainly miss the presence and steadiness of tight end Zach Miller, they are discovering a new talent at the position. Cooper Helfet, an undrafted tight end out of Duke University, is beginning to make an impact on an offense that has struggled with a consistent passing game all year long. Most people pointed to Luke Willson to be Miller’s replacement, but Helfet has been the player that has made big plays. His stats wouldn’t show it, but Helfet has made plays in key moments, especially in Sunday’s game.

Helfet’s 20-yard touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday was the only play to find the end zone in the entire game. It was an impressive run-after-catch as he had to leap to touch the ball to the pylon for the score. The touchdown put Seattle up 19-3 going into the fourth quarter, a score that would end up being the final. The third-year tight end also had a key block that sprung quarterback Russell Wilson‘s touchdown run, which was unfortunately called back due to a holding penalty. He even had a great play on special teams, making a physical tackle on a Cardinals player after the Seahawks blocked a punt.

On a team that lacks a natural red-zone target, Helfet may provide the answer. The Seahawks had good field position all day against the Cardinals. However, in five trips to the red-zone, Seattle’s only touchdown came on Helfet’s catch-and-run. This may be a sign of things to come, as the young tight end has one of the few big bodies that Wilson can target in the red zone. Helfet’s first touchdown of the year also came in the red zone, a 19-yard touchdown in an eventual loss to the St. Louis Rams back in Week 6. His 6-foot-4, 240-pound frame makes him an ideal big-bodied receiver to throw the ball deep in an opponent’s territory.

Something tells me that Sunday’s red-zone touchdown won’t be the last one for Cooper Helfet in 2014.

Connor Frederickson is a Seattle Seahawks Writer for www.RantSports.com. “Like” him on Facebook, follow him on Twitter @cfredrun or add him to your network on Google.

Share Tweet