. The third-down play actually produces an open receiver very quickly, as Doug Baldwin lines up in the slot and runs an option route against zone coverage before settling in a hole. For a veteran quarterback who can proceed through his reads quickly, it's an easy checkdown for a first down; for Wilson, though, that's not the case, because he actually can't get a good throwing lane to Baldwin. That throwing lane is clogged by defensive lineman Eugene Sims, who doesn't actually rush the passer but instead sticks around at the line of scrimmage to try to get in Wilson's line of sight. A quarterback with prototypical height and a higher release point would probably have been able to throw the ball over Sims and pick up the first down, but because Wilson can't generate that angle inside the pocket, he has to take a step or two to the left to create a throwing lane to Baldwin. Because Wilson does that, the Rams have enough time to descend on Baldwin, who hears footsteps and lets the pass go through his hands and into the arms of Trumaine Johnson. The ball is slightly behind Baldwin, but it's a catchable pass.
