Tag Archives: Russell Wilson

Mild-mannered Wilson turns into Superman when needed most

September 22, 2014 cc Leave a comment

Russell Wilson catches a pass from Jermaine Kearse in the first half against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 21 (AP) — Russell Wilson catches a pass from Jermaine Kearse in the first half against the Broncos (AP)

Russell Wilson is kind of like Superman — mild-mannered pocket quarterback on your typical offensive series, but man of steel nerves and determination when the game is on the line.

Wilson became the latter Sunday, leading the Seahawks 80 yards for the winning touchdown in their 26-20 overtime victory over the Denver Broncos.

Wilson is such a team player that he often subverts his physical skills in favor of getting the ball to his teammates. But make no mistake: He can carry a team when he needs to.

And he needed to Sunday.

After Peyton Manning somehow led the Broncos 80 yards (with no timeouts) to the tying touchdown and two-point conversion in the final minute, Wilson coolly returned the favor in overtime.

Continue reading Mild-mannered Wilson turns into Superman when needed most →

CHAWK LINES

September 21, 2014 cc Leave a comment

The folks running Earl Thomas’ site give perspective to his impassioned press conference the other day in which he said he regained his “championship spirit” after the loss in San Diego.

Contrary to previous reports that had the Chargers’ receivers saying they “exposed” Richard Sherman, several Chargers expressed admiration for his ability.

Bruce Irvin apologized “to the 12th Man” for his “boneheaded play” that helped lose the game and also cost him some cash.

On to the Broncos …

Peyton Manning, 38, is in his third year in Denver, and he sounds like he will be back at least for a fourth.

Andy Benoit of MMQB predicts some of the strategies the Seahawks and Broncos will use against each other.

Denver tight end Julius Thomas is the next big challenge for Kam Chancellor and K.J. Wright.

And more …

According to this analysis, Russell Wilson is the league’s third-best two-minute quarterback.

The Seahawks aren’t the only team using a WR/RB hybrid (Percy Harvin). Danny Kelly of Field Gulls looks at the NFL trend.

Clay Travis of FOX Sports talks about the politicization of sports (the NFL) in the wake of Roger Goodell’s very politicky apologies-and-promises speech. Along the way, Travis points out that Goodell is just the scapegoat for issues that social media (and one video) have suddenly turned into bigger deals than they were 5-10 years ago.

While the media frets and frowns about a few bad NFL apples and makes it seem as if the entire league is populated by felons, Russell Wilson goes about his daily good deeds.

Week 2: At San Diego

Answers to the question: Where was Lynch?

September 16, 2014 cc Leave a comment

A lot of people had questions about Marshawn Lynch’s lack of participation in the game Sunday in San Diego.

Why didn’t he get the ball more? Why wasn’t he in on the Seahawks’ drive at the end of the first half? Why was he walking off the field with a minute left?

Marshawn Lynch leaves the field with a minute left in the game Sunday in San Diego (AP)

Easy answers.

Continue reading Answers to the question: Where was Lynch? →

Week 3: Denver

Carroll on facing another great QB: ‘It doesn’t get any better’

September 16, 2014 cc Leave a comment

As the Seattle defense prepares to face a star quarterback for the third straight week, coach Pete Carroll says, “It doesn’t get any better than this.”

Having beaten Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers and lost to Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers, the Hawks now prepare to host Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in a Super Bowl rematch. And Carroll cracked that they ought to add Tom Brady and the New England Patriots during the Seahawks’ Week 4 bye.

“It’s as hard as it can get,” Carroll said, not meaning that in a bad way. “It’s great for us. It’s going to help us during the course of the season. You can’t get any better challenges than these guys throwing the football. Aaron is phenomenal. And look what we just saw (with Rivers). And here comes Peyton.

“This is a great stretch for us. It’ll only help us,” Carroll said of playing the three top-rated active quarterbacks in the NFL. “We have to be so on the mark and so right in everything we’re doing to defend these guys.”

Continue reading Carroll on facing another great QB: ‘It doesn’t get any better’ →

X's & O's

All you need to know about the jet sweep

September 13, 2014 cc Leave a comment

In 2012, the Seahawks added a dynamic player with unique traits and eventually found a way to take advantage of them: Rookie quarterback Russell Wilson lit up the league with the zone read option in the last few weeks of the season.

This year, the Hawks have another new player with stellar abilities, and they already know how to use him.

OK, so Percy Harvin isn’t really new — he was acquired last year — but a hip injury limited him to just a few plays all season so this is really the first time he has been healthy and used to full effect. He showed off his skills impressively in the season-opening 36-16 win over Green Bay.

Now everyone is talking about the Seahawks’ use of the jet sweep — i.e., “The Percy Harvin play.”

Continue reading All you need to know about the jet sweep →

Week 2: At San Diego

Seahawks seem to have all of the advantages

September 13, 2014 cc Leave a comment

Chargers McCoy — Chargers coach Mike McCoy (Getty Images)

If the Seahawks don’t beat the San Diego Chargers on Sunday — perhaps handily — it will be a huge surprise. After all, how many advantages can one team have over another?

Shall we count the ways?

1 — The Seahawks saw the Chargers’ personnel in the preseason, during a 41-14 demolition, and we saw what happened the last time the Hawks played a preseason opponent during the season: Seahawks 43, Broncos 8 in the Super Bowl.

The Seahawks blew out the Broncos in the preseason last year, too, and they used that game to familiarize themselves with the Broncos’ personnel. (The Broncos have to really be looking forward to coming to Seattle next week.)

The Hawks did the same thing with the Chargers this preseason.

Continue reading Seahawks seem to have all of the advantages →

Week 2: At San Diego

Seahawks are passing through gauntlet of NFL’s top-rated QBs

September 12, 2014 cc Leave a comment

Plenty has been made of the fact that Russell Wilson is undefeated against the best quarterbacks in the league over his first two-plus seasons: Aaron Rodgers (twice), Drew Brees (twice), Peyton Manning, Tom Brady.

But who is largely responsible for him beating those quarterbacks? Seattle’s defense, of course.

The Hawks, who beat Brees, Colin Kaepernick and Manning last postseason as they claimed the first Super Bowl title in franchise history, face a trio of the best QBs to start this season as well: Rodgers, Philip Rivers and Manning.

Rodgers, Manning and Rivers are the three top-rated active quarterbacks in the NFL (Brady and Brees are fourth and sixth), and they are 1-2-4 in NFL history (Steve Young ranks third, ahead of Rivers). These guys are so good they basically run their offenses, calling plays in their fast-paced, no-huddle schemes.

“If you look at it from what we saw last week, this week and next week against Denver, we’re seeing very similar expertise,” coach Pete Carroll said. “The guys really understand the game to such great depth that their coaches have recognized that and given them the opportunity to run the game at the line of scrimmage.

“They get to utilize their strengths by seeing what they want to see, changing what they need to change,” Carroll said, “so I think we’re as challenged as you can get by the level of play by these guys. There is no drop-off and it’s amazing that we see three terrific quarterbacks right in a row.”

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Week 2: At San Diego

San Diego conjures lots of memories for Wilson

September 12, 2014 cc Leave a comment

Rivers, Wilson and Qualcomm — Philip Rivers and Harrison Wilson III, father of Russell Wilson (Getty and Dartmouth Athletics)

As the Seahawks get set to play their first real game in San Diego since 2002 — the year they returned to the NFC West after 25 years in the AFC West with the Chargers — it’s almost like homecoming weekend for Russell Wilson, too.

Seattle’s third-year quarterback is heading back to the place where his dad flirted with an NFL career, and he also will be facing the quarterback who set the standard at North Carolina State a few years before Wilson shot to stardom there.

“For me,” Wilson said, “it’s a special thing to get to go back there to Qualcomm Stadium and play in that stadium.”

Continue reading San Diego conjures lots of memories for Wilson →

CHAWK LINES

September 11, 2014 cc Leave a comment

Russell Wilson’s dad was roommates with Kellen Winslow in Chargers training camp in 1980.

Shaun Alexander says these Seahawks “are sitting on the shoulders” of what his Seahawks built.

Everyone’s getting excited about Percy Harvin and Seattle’s scary-looking offense.

Rob Staton at Seahawks Draft Blog says “all signs point to a strong focus on the defensive line” by the Hawks in the 2015 draft.

John Boyle of the Everett Herald weighs in on where the Hawks stand on the NFL’s annual list of team-by-team measurements.

CHAWK LINES

September 10, 2014 cc Leave a comment

Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times takes a first look at the Chargers and compares the stats of Seattle and San Diego. The Hawks have not played a real game in San Diego since 2002, the first year they moved from the AFC West to the NFC West.

Hawk Blogger Brian Nemhauser interviews Darren Woodson, a star safety on the Dallas Cowboys’ dynasty in the early 1990s, and finds out what Woodson thinks of Seattle’s chances of pulling off the Big D.

Brandon Mebane, the longest-tenured Seahawk, gets well-deserved kudos from coaches and teammates in this piece by Jayson Jenks of The Seattle Times.

Odd — but pretty interesting — story from SBNation about how Pete Carroll’s team is so good at inventing new football scores.

Carroll topped 1 million Twitter followers, apparently trailing only one player on his team and only one coach in America.

Mitch Quesada of 12th Man Rising passes along Michael Robinson’s anecdote about veteran Seahawks wanting to bench Russell Wilson for Matt Flynn after the season-opening loss in 2012.

Condotta has an FYI look at what all of the recently departed Seahawks did last weekend. Remember, these free agents figure to net the Hawks four draft picks next year.