The Seattle Seahawks needed more from Russell Wilson after a so-so start for both him and the team. In the last three weeks, he has been more than delivering. He’s been the best quarterback in the NFL.
Wilson has led the Seahawks to three consecutive wins (one of them helped a lot by officials) and a 7-5 record while throwing 11 touchdown passes, 0 interceptions, completing 76.7% of his passes while posting a 148.2 passer rating. One might argue about the quality of defenses they’ve faced, especially in the wins against the 49ers and Steelers, but you can’t ask him for anything more or to play any better than that.
Wilson has played with a problematic offensive line and receiving crew all season. He’s had to deal with Marshawn Lynch’s injury, which has always been the most important aspect of the team’s offense. But Thomas Rawls is doing an excellent job of keeping the running game intact, while Wilson, who threw seven interceptions through the first nine games of the season and posted an above 100 passer rating just twice, has found a new level of focus and execution, maybe because things are more familiar to him now without Jimmy Graham on the field.
The talk about Wilson trotting in the same place this season? They’re gone. The Seahawks need the offense to move away from the running and put more pressure on Wilson to succeed. The good news for him? It might be a while before he’s really tested again, with the Ravens (never know what you’re going to get), Browns and Rams (broken inside) in the next three games before a final week showdown with the Arizona Cardinals.
By then, the Cardinals should lock up the number one spot in the division, and the Seahawks might be clear from any danger in the Wild Card race. This season and hopefully the playoffs, more than ever, the Seahawks need Wilson to do more than just play it safe. They need him to be consistently one of the best quarterbacks on an NFL field at any given moment to keep their dominant era going.