After being perhaps the best player in the entire NFL in the preseason, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson looked like the rookie third-round draft pick that he is in his regular-season debut. So does that mean his great preseason was meaningless?
Not according to Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, who defended Wilson after Seattle’s 20-16 loss at Arizona.
“I thought Russell battled,” Carroll said. “They pressured a lot, made it tough on us. But he hung in there, came back, and did a very nice job of getting back into the game in the second half.”
It’s true that Wilson brought the Seahawks back and nearly won the game for them, but it’s also true that his poor play was the reason they were trailing. Prior to the Seahawks’ final possession, in which Wilson drove them down the field and threw a couple passes into the end zone that could have been caught, Wilson was just 12-for-20 for 98 yards in three and a half quarters. But Carroll said he thinks Wilson played well considering the pressure he was under.
“They threw everyone hard at us,” Carroll said. “Considering how Russell was under duress, I think it was a great first game for him. It was not easy for him at any time.”
If Wilson keeps playing like he did on Sunday, it may not be easy for Carroll to justify keeping Matt Flynn on the bench.