Russ Ain't Cooking

Russell Wilson’s recent performances have knocked him out of MVP contention and could keep the Seahawks from winning a division title

by Brendan Smith, Sports O'Clock Writing Team Member

(photo credits: NFL.com)

The winning formula for the Seattle Seahawks during the first week of the 2020-21 NFL season was simple: let Russ cook. That mantra became popular as quarterback Russell Wilson made play after play to help the Seahawks win games and jump out to an early lead in the NFC West race.

That has all changed in the span of two weeks. The Seahawks have lost two straight games to the Buffalo Bills and division rival Los Angeles Rams, respectively. Over those two games, Wilson turned the ball over seven times – four interceptions and three fumbles – while throwing just two touchdown passes. On Sunday, the Rams prevented Wilson from throwing a single touchdown pass for the first time this season.

Wilson’s performances against the Bills and Rams have not only knocked the Seahawks out of the lead in the NFC West, but they have knocked him down the pecking order in the MVP race. Wilson was my midseason favorite for the award, but fellow quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, and even Kyler Murray are all firmly ahead of Wilson in the race.

The success of the Seahawks is completely dependent on the greatness of Wilson. The Seahawks lack a legitimate running game due to injuries to running backs Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde and they have one of the worst defenses in the league that cannot make plays. Wilson has to do everything in Seattle, and that formula is not working anymore.

It is clear that Wilson’s ability is not enough to carry the Seahawks to a division title. In the NFL, balanced teams always have the most success. That is clearly evident in the NFC West. The Rams and the Arizona Cardinals are both able to play effectively on both sides of the ball, and they have clear systems in place to utilize the talents of quarterbacks Jared Goff and Murray, respectively.

Now, the Rams and Cardinals are both ahead of the Seahawks in the divisional standings, and both teams possess a vital head-to-head tiebreaker over Seattle.

Wilson is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and that is a non-debatable fact. But he cannot win games on his own; that is why an NFL roster is made up of 53 players. To win games, the Seahawks need to simplify their performances. They need to run the ball, refrain from committing turnovers, and improve on defense. Relying on Wilson to win games is not a viable option anymore, and the Seahawks need to realize that before it costs them a playoff spot.

(Statistics taken from Pro-Football-Reference.com)

(All photos are cited properly. No copyright infringement intended.)