Russell Wilson grade week 9: Seahawks quarterback struggles

Russell Wilson has struggled in two out of the last three games.

What’s wrong with Russell Wilson? The answer, of course, is very little but let’s be real. In two of the last three games, Wilson has made some uncharacteristic and bad mistakes. He’s been under pressure quite a bit more and at times looks as if he is seeing ghosts. There is no doubt that getting hit a lot more is affecting Wilson as it would any human.

But even before week 7’s loss to the Cardinals, Wilson was not as sharp as he had been in the first three games when he was near-perfect. The one interception that Wilson had in the first three weeks was Greg Olsen’s fault and not Wilson. In week four, though, against the Dolphins (a win that looks less doable now than it did a few weeks ago), Wilson underthrew players a bit.

Sure, his numbers didn’t make it look that way as he still completed 70.6 percent of his passes in week four, but anyone who watched the game knows that Russell Wilson was missing somewhat he passes he normally doesn’t do. And in the third quarter Wilson threw an interception when Seattle made it to Miami’s 6-yard line.

In week 7, Wilson threw three interceptions against Arizona. One was picked off at the Cardinals 2 with Seattle inside the 10-yard line. Another was intercepted at the Cardinals goal line when Wilson threw it on 3rd and 5 from the Arizona 30. Wilson’s interceptions (of which he now has 8 which is fourth-worst in the league) have not only been a lot of bad throws instead of great defensive plays, but many have also come at the worst possible times. That is, when Seattle was in scoring position.

Russell Wilson versus the Bills

Against the Buffalo Bills, Russell Wilson seemed to get rattled. He was hit officially 11 times. He was sacked 5 times and he got hit hard a lot. And that affected Wilson. It probably didn’t help that Russell Wilson felt a lot of pressure to win the game on his own as his defense once again was awful and he was without his top running backs. But Wilson simply has to be better because Seattle needs him to be.

There were several times, sometimes on consecutive plays, where Wilson simply missed receivers. On one third quarter drive, Wilson missed an open David Moore 20 yards down field and then on the next play threw behind D.K. Metcalf who was open. On Wilson’s interception in the fourth quarter, Wilson threw into coverage while also throwing behind D.K. Metcalf.

Wilson also fumbled twice in the game, one when he was simply carelessly holding the ball while scrambling.

And this is bottom-line issue. The Seahawks cannot win many games if Russell Wilson isn’t great. Not simply good, but great. And Russell Wilson’s quarterback ratings have gone like this as the season has gone on from game to game: 143.1, 132.1, 130.7, 112,4, 100.7, 84.4, 128.3 (against a banged-up 49ers defense) and 94.6. Wilson is digressing and as he does so do the Seahawks.

Russell Wilson was not good on Sunday versus the Bills and neither was the rest of the team. Combine those two and the defeat was one of the worst in many years for the Seahawks.

Russell Wilson week 9 grade: D+