Seahawks need Russell Wilson to play like an MVP week one
By Lee Vowell
The Seattle Seahawks got blown out in Green Bay in 2016 38-10. Quarterback Russell Wilson played most likely the worst game of his life. For Seattle to win in week one on the road, Wilson needs to play one of the best games in his life.
Clearly, this is a no-brainer, right? The quarterback for each team needs to do well. The thing is Green Bay was eighth against the run in 2016. For the Seahawks to win this game, Wilson is going to have to put up yards – and touchdowns – through the air.
Wilson is dangerous, too, because of what he can do running the ball. Due to injury in 2016, his rushing numbers were the lowest of his career. His quarterback rating of 92.6 was the lowest of his career. The Seahawks works best when Wilson is a threat to run. Defenses have to worry about the zone option runs, and this can open holes for receivers.
In week one of 2016 Wilson got stepped on by the Miami Dolphins Ndamukong Suh. He was never really healthy the rest of the season. The offense suffered. Seattle has been open about making an effort to get back to a more heavy rushing attack. Green Bay will be aware of this as well. The Packers can also assume that former-Packer Eddie Lacy will want to have a huge game against them.
In Green Bay last season, Wilson threw five interceptions. The Packers led 21-3 at halftime. Whether any athlete can truly forget bad performances and move on is up for debate. Wilson, though, might use the memory of last year’s game as extra motivation.
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Wilson has friends, however. Doug Baldwin is great, of course. But Paul Richardson and Tyler Lockett also will start the season healthy. Plus, Jimmy Graham is fully recovered from his 2015 injury and has looked sharp in limited preseason time.
Wilson has also looked great in preseason. One thing people underestimate often is the quarterback’s drive to succeed. He will need to be great for Seattle to win on Sunday.