Greg Cosell’s Film Review: Russell Wilson when he’s at his best
When you break down the Seattle Seahawks at their best, they have a dominant run game, a historically dominant defense and quarterback Russell Wilson fits in very well with that.
The Seahawks ran the ball very well last week against the San Francisco 49ers and the defense played well, and not surprisingly, Wilson played very well too. Wilson didn’t try to do too much, because he didn’t have to do too much. Seattle’s run/pass ratio was pretty close to 50/50. Thomas Rawls, filling in for injured Marshawn Lynch, ran the ball really well. There have been times this season when Wilson was asked to do more, and the results haven’t been the same as in years past. Last Sunday was how the Seahawks want to play, and Seattle did a great job putting Wilson in positions to be his best.
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One thing that stood out was that Wilson played within the structure of the offense. He’d hit his back foot and the throw would come out. He threw in rhythm, with great timing. Now, the defense has to help out with that – there have to be throws there to make – but he did a good job delivering the ball in the flow of the offense.
Wilson’s first two touchdown passes are good examples. On the first, against the 49ers’ man free blitz, Tyler Lockett beat slot cornerback Jimmie Ward off the line of scrimmage on a slot fade, and Wilson delivered the ball with excellent timing and ball placement.
On an 11-yard touchdown, Lockett again got open as the 49ers ran a man free blitz. Lockett ran a quick slant, and Wilson again delivered the ball in rhythm. Lockett broke a tackle and scored.
Wilson was 11 for 11 for 138 yards and three touchdowns against the blitz. Wilson hasn’t always looked so comfortable this year.
The Seahawks don’t have a great pass-protecting offensive line, and that adds to the fact Wilson leaves the pocket too early at times. Is leaving the pocket quickly a trait Wilson has or a product of the line in front of him? It’s hard to say. Surely Wilson knows after a couple years behind this line that he won’t be protected that well. And he’s not a quarterback who can stand in the pocket and deliver against the rush, because of his height. Philip Rivers, who is 6-5, can stand in and throw it against the rush. Wilson can’t do that.
Does Wilson make some plays because he leaves the pocket? Of course. He also leaves some throws on the field because of how he plays. And Seattle lives with that; that’s who Wilson is.
On two straight plays in the second quarter Sunday, Wilson left throws on the field. On one he took a sack.
Then on third-and-16, he ran for 5 yards. Both plays, Wilson had a receiver open.
Wilson has always been a quarterback that has left throws like that on the field. When the running game is at its best, the defense is playing really well and the Seahawks win, no attention is paid to the throws Wilson doesn’t make. And the Seahawks have learned to live with that part of Wilson’s game because of some of the other plays he can make.
There is always a lot of conversation about Wilson. Because of the Seahawks’ success the past few years, including back-to-back Super Bowl appearances, many feel Wilson is an elite quarterback, whatever your definition of that is. But Wilson is a unique quarterback, too – he’s a good thrower, but he’s inconsistent at times as a passer because he’ll leave throws on the field, but he also makes plays with his legs running the ball and can put tremendous stress on a defense that way – and that makes him an interesting study. This season, the Seahawks haven’t had the same level of play from the defense and the run game hasn’t been so dominant. The offense has been more inconsistent Wilson, who hasn’t been as accurate and is leaving the pocket too early at times, is a part of that. But when you break down this team, Wilson fits what the Seahawks want to do really well. When they’ve had a dominant run game and a great defense, Wilson has been very good and efficient. This year, when he has had to do more, the results haven’t always been the same.
However, when the Seahawks play a complete game like they did against the 49ers last week, Wilson can still make the plays we’re used to seeing him make.
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NFL analyst and NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell watches as much NFL game film as anyone. Throughout the season, Cosell will join Shutdown Corner to share his observations on the teams, schemes and personnel from around the league.
