Russell Wilson is (almost) always great vs the Patriots
What can 12s expect from Russell Wilson when the Seahawks take on the Patriots in Sunday’s primetime game?
This is just the fourth meeting between the Seahawks and the Patriots for Russell Wilson, or for Pete Carroll, for that matter. Pete only faced them twice before; that tends to happen when you used to coach the team you’re facing now. For now, I’m more concerned about how Wilson has performed against the renowned cheaters – sorry, I typed winners, but autocorrect knows the truth – from New England.
Unlike our previous look at Cam Newton’s record against the Hawks, we’ve got a pretty small sample size here. The ever-dangerous Russell Wilson has just two regular-season games versus the Pats, and of course, there was that big game played at the end of the season. Yes, I acknowledge the loss; again, I’m looking at Wilson’s overall performance, not just one play. So the random chowdahead that wandered in here can calm down.
Number 3 faced the Pats in his rookie season and led the Seahawks to a 24-23 win. The Hawks trailed by 13 points in the fourth quarter, but Mr. Unlimited threw his second and third touchdown passes of the game to steal (and seal) the win. The last was a 48-yard strike to Sidney Rice with just 1:18 left on the clock. That was already the second time Wilson tallied the winning drive inside the two-minute warning that year. He didn’t waste much time establishing his reputation as a fourth-quarter, magician, did he?
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The next time DangeRuss faced the Pats was in the title game, of course. Yes, we all wish the Hawks had handed the rock to Marshawn Lynch. But it isn’t like Wilson hadn’t come through in the clutch; see above, right? Up until that moment, he’d completed 12 of 20 passes for 247 yards and two scores. Even after the pick, his passer rating was 110.6, certainly good enough to win. The quarterback didn’t give up 28 points, after all. And that’s not a knock on the defense, believe. Considering the injuries the LOB fought through without missing a snap, it’s a miracle the game was within reach at all.
The last time Russell Wilson faced the Patriots
The last time Wilson led the Seahawks against the New England Villains – hey, it’s the autocorrect, what can I say? – he again led a comeback in the fourth quarter. This time the Hawks scored the final nine points of the contest. Number 3 connected on 25 of 37 passes, netting 348 yards and no turnovers. So overall, Mr. Wilson is 53-85 for 888 yards, eight touchdowns, and that one very costly turnover. He’s also been sacked eight times, and run the ball 11 times for 62 yards, with no scores. That’s an average game of 18-28 for 296 yards, about three touchdowns, and a third of an interception. So, a safety maybe?
Russ is NFC Player of the Week. dark. Next
Michael Bennett once said the Seahawks couldn’t win a game without Russell Wilson under center. He wasn’t knocking the rest of his Seahawks teammates, just clarifying that the QB is just that good. Hopefully, we never have to put Bennett’s theory to the test. For now, I’m just happy that Number 3 will be leading the Hawks to another win over the New England Videographers – alright autocorrect, I get it.