but it seems like the team has been issuing him concrete cleats.
I don't blame Wilson for last weeks loss against the Rams. I should say, I don't blame ONLY Wilson for the loss, as he is culpable as well as the rest of the offense. However I think it is ludicrous for fans and even analysts to be calling for Matt Flynn to start. Who are we now, Broncos fans? We don't ditch our starting QB for a career backup after 4 games! Especially when said rookie QB led us to two victories over tough teams! Both of our losses have come on the road, where lets face it, we stink. Maybe in week 1 Flynn would've completed one of those red zone passes for a game winning TD. We don't and will never know, because Flynn is not our starting QB. Perhaps Flynn wouldn't have thrown two of those three interceptions against the Rams by throwing a "more catchable ball" (lol). We'll never know.
Lets look at what really doomed our beloved Hawks against the despised Rams. In my honest opinion the playcalling was what was really to blame. There were several instance where we had 3rd down and a short field for the first, and instead of running the ball with Marshawn Lynch (who was averaging 5.9 yards per carry) we chose to come out in passing formation and try a short pass. Not only does this not make sense on the surface, but when you think about the fact that by coming out in passing formation the opposing defense is not threatened by the run and KNOWS we are going to pass, it makes us one dimensional and easy to read. Its simple really. On third and, oh lets say 3 yards to go, you line up in an I formation or splitback formation and either hand off to the pro bowl fullback or to the leading rusher in the NFL. I could go on further on this topic but I feel like I'd be beating a dead horse.
And why of all times to throw on third and short, especially when you're not throwing enough on first and second downs? We saw what happened in the first beautiful drive. First play... 17 yard pass to Sidney Rice. Other teams know that we are a run based offense, lets change it up every once in a while and throw the pigskin.
Wilson critics cry about how we have the worst passing offense in the league in terms of yardage. Yes, this is true, it's a fact. However, we're also dead last in passes attempted, by 11 passes. Is this because the staff wants to gradually work Russell into the system and let him acclimate? Is it because of lack of faith? We're also only 19th in completion percentage and 20th in % of Touchdowns when attempting to pass. This is not an instant offense. It's going to take a little bit of time for Russell to gain rapport with the crew and to adjust to the speeds of the defenses. However if theres ONE THING I know about Wilson its that he is a quick learner.
On top of the poor playcalling was the poor WR play which seems to have been an issue for most of the beginning of this year. The first INT was on Doug Baldwin. Yes, that was a tough catch, so was the one he dropped week 1 that would've been a game winner. But Doug will tell you that he needs to catch those balls. The third INT was not Wilson's fault. He threw the ball to where Anthony McCoy was going to be, had he not slipped and fell. Yes its possible that Doug was more open and a better option but thats not the point. Both were open and that throw is not on Russell.
The offensive line has been surprisingly decent so I can't hate on them for now, so with this last paragraph I'll pick on Mr. Wilson. How many times did frustrated Hawks fans see Seneca Wallace run out of the pocket too early and either take a sack or miss a throw? There have been way too many instances so far this year where Russell seems to lack faith in his line and their ability to provide a pocket, and he bootlegs out to the sides to throw on the run. Now, he is pretty good at throwing on the run, but that limits his field and allows pursuit. He needs to step up into the pocket when he feels pressure on the edges and throw with confidence rather than while being chased. On top of that he seems to miss receivers over the middle fairly often. I don't know if this is a height issue or a confidence issue, though I doubt its confidence to be honest. I think that stepping up into the pocket could help him hit his TEs and slot guys over the middle of the field.
I'm not ready to give up on Russell Wilson. If he is our QBotF then we ride or die with him. Lets ride.
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