Monday night will mark a sight the Seattle Seahawks never thought they’d see… Russell Wilson on the opposing sideline. The Seahawks are opening the 2022 NFL Season on Monday Night Football playing host to their best quarterback in franchise history, who is now a member of the Denver Broncos.
No one is better aware of what Wilson is – and is not – capable of than the Seahawks. During his decade in the Emerald City, Wilson helped guide the Seahawks to unfathomable heights, including their first Super Bowl Championship. Wilson played at an MVP-caliber level for many of his years in Seattle, and it’s a major reason why he is the franchise’s all time leader in both touchdown passes and passing yards.
However, in recent years, Wilson became somewhat of a “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” type of player. When he was at his best Wilson could prove to be unstoppable. But when he wasn’t? Increasingly, the disparity between Wilson’s best and his worst became wider and wider. The cold hard truth of the Seahawks offense during the Wilson era is the fact Seattle was never able to sustain a high level of play during an entire year. In four of the last six seasons, Seattle suffered catastrophic offensive meltdowns.
Is this exclusively Wilson’s fault? Of course not. But as quarterback, especially one who sees himself as an MVP candidate, the lion’s share of the blame needs to fall somewhere.
Unfortunately for the Seahawks, the flip side of this is that September has become Wilson’s best month in recent years. With a fresh start, limited film study in the Broncos offense, and the added motivation of trying to validate his move to Denver, the Seahawks run the risk of being torched in their own building.
They key is to be able to generate unrelenting pressure. Wilson’s propensity to never throw the ball away and find a big play downfield has always been a double-edged sword, but as of late, it killed many drives in Seattle. If the Seahawks are able to keep Wilson contained and unable to escape, the Denver offense will struggle.
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