Seattle Seahawks Roundtable: Has the NFL figured out Russell Wilson?

Ed Stein, Site Expert Emerald City Swagger

I think Denver and Chicago have exposed the Seattle Seahawks and quarterback Russell Wilson. The right side of Seattle’s offensive line is bad, which makes the unit as a whole, bad. Future opponents now have a blueprint to beat Seattle. Send players at Wilson from different positions and blitz packages, he won’t be able to handle the pressure.

More from Seattle Seahawks

• Seattle Seahawks: To rest or not to rest, that is the question
• Seattle Seahawks: 12s still waiting to exhale
• Seattle Seahawks: 4 Takeaways from 26-23 Loss to the 49ers
• Seattle Seahawks: Four Takeaways from Week 14 21-7 victory
• Seattle Seahawks: Three Takeaways from the Week 13 43-16 victory

Wilson has gone down 12 times this season, and one of the reasons is because he holds the ball too long in the pocket. The combination of a poor line and him holding the ball in a spot where defenses can reach him quickly is a death sentence for any quarterback, whether or not his name is Russell Wilson.

The good thing about football is that its a game of adjustments. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and head coach Peter Carroll have to make some. They watch the same game films the other teams watch, they know what’s coming. I wrote an article last week about how to get Wilson more time to throw.  At this point, the coaching staff has to adjust the offense’s game plan.

That goes back to Brian’s point about figuring out how to help Wilson. Both Herb and Brian mentioned Wilson’s lack of resources at the skill positions, especially without Doug Baldwin. I admit its a factor, but as big of one.

The running game looks like its picking up a little steam. So far they averaged 3.6 yards-per-carry against two stout defenses. Problem is the Seahawks have only run 38 times which is 29th in the NFL. A two to four-tenths increase would be huge and put the Hawks in more manageable third-down situations, where defenses couldn’t just come at Wilson.

Wilson’s receivers may not be the best corps in the NFL, but they can still be effective. Brandon Marshall has done well on shot/medium routes. Tyler Locket has proved he can make plays. Most importantly tight Will Dissly can catch the football and gain yards after. I don’t buy that Wilson has no one to throw to.

At the least, Seattle could go to a two tight end set. They could use Dissly and Nick Vannett for blocking help on running plays, as well as, sending them out on passing plays. Both of them can block and catch. Why not take advantage of that so Wilson doesn’t have to get teed off on two of every three plays?

In the end, something has to change. If Wilson is getting sacked six times a game, its a matter of time before he gets hurt.