Seahawks’ Russell Wilson hasn’t been on target
RENTON, Wash. – The Seahawks enter Sunday’s game at Kansas City riding their first three-game winning streak since last January’s postseason romp to their Super Bowl title.
Yet many fans are freaking out over the usually precise, mistake-free Wilson having his fourth multiple-interception game of his career last Sunday.
Wilson’s 10-for-17, 172-yard passing day against the New York Giants included two more sacks. But it also included good decision-making on read options. That led Seattle’s franchise-record 350 yards on the ground. Wilson joined Michael Vick and Billy Kilmer as the only NFL quarterbacks since 1961 with three 100-yard rushing games in a season, and last weekend his outside runs opened inside lanes for Marshawn Lynch’s 140 yards and four scores.
Above all, Wilson won, 38-17, as Seattle improved to 6-3.
“My accuracy’s been a little bit off, for whatever reason,” Wilson said Thursday. “It’s just, I keep believing in myself. I’m not going to doubt myself.”
Wilson’s win over the Giants came after victories over Oakland 30-24 in which he had his sixth sub-50-percent passing day of his career and at Carolina 13-9. In that Panthers game Oct. 26, he was 16 for 28 until going 4 for 4 on the final, game-winning drive that ended with his touchdown throw to Luke Willson with 47 seconds left.
Wilson says faulty footwork and rushing of his throws have caused his erratic throwing lately. He’s got a reason to rush his passes. He’s spent the last two seasons often scrambling behind an offensive line that has been too decimated by injuries or too ineffective to give him with consistent protection.
“One of my strengths is just being poised,” he said. “I think I have to get back to that. … Always being as calm as possible and being smooth as possible and making those throws and hitting it when it’s there.”
Wilson’s two interceptions last weekend against New York give him 11 touchdowns and five interceptions this season. The interceptions have him on pace to finish with the same he had last regular season, nine. He had 10 in his rookie regular season of 2012.
But he’s on a career and near-NFL-record rushing pace for a quarterback. His 500 yards on the ground would make him the leading rusher on 18 of the league’s 32 teams. He is 539 yards from the Michael Vick’s 2006 record for yards rushing by a quarterback.
Notes
RB Marshawn Lynch missed a second consecutive practice with the previously listed calf issue and a new rib injury. He missed two practices last week – then steamrolled the Giants on Sunday. … TE Luke Willson practiced on a limited basis for the first time since he sprained his ankle in last weekend’s game. … MLB Brock Coyle (gluteus) hasn’t practiced this week. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn said if the undrafted rookie can’t start for Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright would move from OLB to MLB with LBs Malcolm Smith and Kevin Pierre-Louis sharing time in base sets outside.