Seahawks Position Review: Russell Wilson Ascends to Elite Status
Nearly a month after their season ended at Lambeau Field, the Seahawks have put the 2019 season in the rear view mirror and transitioned focus to fortifying the roster for 2020.
Revisiting a successful 11-win season that culminated in advancing to the NFC Divisional Round, we’re going to look back at each of Seattle’s positional groups with player grades, top plays, and a key question that will need to be answered during the offseason.
To kick off the series, let’s analyze Seattle’s situation at quarterback, the most stable position on the entire roster.
Overview
Though he didn’t receive any MVP votes, Russell Wilson put together arguably his best season as an NFL quarterback and shouldered the load for the Seahawks. Remaining incredibly durable, he started all 16 games for the eighth straight year, throwing 31 touchdown passes, completing 66 percent of his passes, and posting a 106.3 passer rating. Becoming the first player in league history to throw for 200 touchdowns and run for 15 touchdowns in his first eight seasons, he was selected as a Second-Team All-Pro selection for the first time.
Player Grades
Russell Wilson: A
What else can you give Wilson? Playing on a team that probably wins 5-6 games without him, he orchestrated a league-best five game-winning drives this year and narrowly missed out on a sixth in the Week 17 finale against the 49ers. He didn’t turn the football over, throwing a career-low five interceptions. He surpassed 4,000 passing yards for just the third time and posted the second-best completion percentage of his career. He also remained a viable threat running the ball, scoring three rushing touchdowns and rushing for 342 yards on the season.
Geno Smith: C
It’s hard (or impossible) to grade a player who never played a single snap, but that’s what comes with the territory of being Wilson’s backup and he handled his duties on the sideline well. He did a quality job holding the clipboard and won a couple of overtime coin tosses, continuing the tradition of excellence started by Tarvaris Jackson years ago.
Top Play of 2019
Russell Wilson connects with Tyler Lockett for a 13-yard touchdown.
Nearly five months later, I’m still astounded Wilson managed to complete this pass. After faking to Chris Carson, he dropped back in the pocket and scanned the field with no receivers open. As pressure started to bear down on him off the right side, he sprinted to his left and it looked like he’d be forced to throw the first down pass out of bounds.
But while throwing across his body without setting his feet, Wilson somehow made a perfect throw to the back of the end zone on the left side, dropping a dime in the bucket to Lockett. Throwing on the run rolling out the right is challenging enough, but how many quarterbacks in the history of the game could throw such a precise downfield pass moving to their left and throwing across their body? It can likely be counted on one hand.
Burning Question
Who will be Wilson’s backup in 2020?
Not the most exciting question, I know. But Seattle has had a different backup for Wilson in three consecutive seasons and Smith will be a free agent, creating a vacancy at an important position. Last year, the Seahawks let Brett Hundley leave for Arizona after not playing any snaps in his lone season with the team.
Could Smith have a similar fate? It’s not impossible, but he’s not going to be in demand to compete for a starting job and seemed to enjoy his first year in the Pacific Northwest. Since he offers the athleticism to run Seattle’s playbook if Wilson were to go down, it seems like a good idea for both sides to extend the relationship into 2020. Most likely, he’ll be back and at least one other quarterback will be signed to compete against him.
If Smith doesn’t return, a few interesting options will be available on the open market, including former first-round pick Marcus Mariota. He’s going to be looking for a chance to start somewhere after losing his job to Ryan Tannehill in Tennessee, but if he can’t find that opportunity, he played college ball at Oregon and observing Wilson could help his chances of getting another starting shot down the road.
Outlook
Wilson has found ways to improve his craft in each of his first eight seasons and though he will turn 32 next November, he's still in the prime of his career and will continue to get better in 2020. If the Seahawks can add a few more weapons at receiver and tight end to complement Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, he will have his best chance yet to win MVP next season and lead the team on a deeper playoff run in January.
