Seattle Seahawks Roundtable: Has the NFL figured out Russell Wilson?
By Ed Stein
Matt Barry, Contributor Emerald City Swagger
Coming into 2018, Russell Wilson had been sacked 248 times in six seasons. After two games this season, no quarterback has been sacked more than Wilson (12 times). How does a guy who is very athletic and can make plays with his feet as well as anyone get sacked as much as Wilson?
The short answer is the offensive line. Watching Monday night’s game was eye-opening for Seahawks fans. Wilson had zero time to throw and was under constant pressure. The Bears probably weren’t a great matchup the way they rush the passer. But this has been a problem for a while now for Seattle.
Wilson is also a one-man band offensively. Running backs Chris Carson and Rashad Penny have offered very little running attack. Wilson’s favorite target WR Doug Baldwin is injured. There just isn’t much to work with. I don’t think it is a matter of the league figuring out Wilson. It’s more that his team hasn’t figured out how to help their quarterback.
Another aspect to look at is the way Wilson starts the year. Last season, the Seahawks scored just 21 points in the first two games. Wilson did not surpass the 200 yards passing mark in either. Russell Wilson will be fine. It’s the rest of the offense that needs a major fix.