Improbable and impossible are two distinctly different words often misused as synonyms.
When Russell Wilson has a pigskin in his hand, weaving around defenders, nothing seems impossible, even if a play is highly improbable. Wizards are jealous of Wilson's magical ability to conjure spells that befuddle opponents.
And so it was Thursday night, with the Seattle Seahawks trailing 6-0 early in what would become a back-and-forth tussle with the Los Angeles Rams, Russell Wilson spun his most magical of spells.
On first down from his own 13-yard-line, Wilson took the snap, play-actioned and searched for an open receiver. Nothing. He bounced in the pocket. Still nothing.
After almost five seconds of Wilson waiting for a target to pop free, the L.A. pass rush finally broke into his line of sight, flushing the quarterback to his left. On the move, the quarterback avoided a rusher, karaoked left and spotted Tyler Lockett streaking toward the back corner of the end zone. Wilson played contortionist, warping physics, as he twisted his body, bracing for an off-balance toss.
Then the QB unleashed his howitzer, firing an arching cannon that Lockett somehow corralled and managed to drag his feet in bounds. Seven points, Seattle.
Next Gen Stats, which tracks each player's positioning relative to defenders and the boundary, gave the pass a 6.3 percent chance of being completed. Six. Point. Three.
It's the second-most improbable catch in the NFL since Next Gen Stats began tracking data, and the most improbable TD pass.
Improbable is not impossible.
Of course, most of the world assumed Wilson was throwing the ball away.
"Come on, that's exactly what he was doing," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said when asked if he thought Wilson was throwing it away, via the team's official website.
Tight end Luke Willson, who ended up right in front of Lockett on the play, also assumed it was a toss out of bounds as it soared over his head.
"Shocking," Willson said, shaking his head, per the Seattle Times. "Shocking."
Improbable. Not impossible.
Russ compared his magical ability to NBA star Stephen Curry, who seems like his range is the locker room.
"I think about Steph Curry and how he shoots a basketball -- that's how I want to throw a football, you know," Wilson said. "Put it on the money. Make some crazy throws. Make some crazy plays."
It's one thing for Wilson to put the ball in the perfect spot, toeing the line between complete throwaway and allowing the defender to get its hands on the ball. It's another for Lockett to snag the pigskin and defy gravity to tap both toes in bounds before falling to the turf.
Receiver David Moore wasn't sure which was more impressive the throw or catch.
"That's about even, man," Moore said. "It's a heck of a throw and that's one helluva grab, man."
"Tyler's a magician when it comes to the toe tap," receiver Jaron Brown added. "Mr. Toe Tap, that's what we're going to call him now."
The beauty of football is that it takes more than one magician to cast spells that defy expectations of onlookers. Thursday night, Wilson and Lockett authored a masterclass in turning improbable into reality.
