Seahawks Quarterback Russell Wilson “Really Tuned In” As Season Approaches
SEATTLE — It took all of two plays for Russell Wilson to remind everyone what they were missing in 2016.
Wilson played well last season, and along the way he demonstrated some serious toughness, playing through significant knee and ankle injuries, but for almost all of last season, Wilson wasn’t himself because of those injuries.
But on Seattle’s second play from scrimmage in Friday night’s 26-13 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, the now fully-healthy Wilson reminded Seahawks fans, not to mention hopeless defenders, what he can do when he’s playing at 100 percent. After faking a handoff to rookie Chris Carson, Wilson first stepped up in the pocket to avoid an initial pass rush, then when he sensed more trouble, he abruptly changed course, sprinting left to buy time before firing a strike, while rolling left, to Carson 37 yards down field. On Seattle’s next possession, Wilson again showed off his ability to throw across his body while on the move, dropping a perfect pass to Jermaine Kearse, who made an even better catch for a 39-yard gain.
“It feels great to be out there healthy and moving around, making plays and just having a lot of fun playing football like I always do,” said Wilson, who played one series into the third quarter along with the rest of Seattle’s starters. “… It definitely was tough last year, but that was last year, you know? It’s part of the journey. We were able to win a lot of football games last year once again, but now, no matter how good or how unfortunate last year was, we’re focused on this year.”
And thanks in part to how Wilson has looked over the past few weeks, both in practice and in preseason games, the Seahawks’ outlook for this year looks bright. Yes, Wilson made some magic happen with his legs, but he also carved up the Chiefs defense from the pocket—which, to the offensive line’s credit, held up very well in this game. Wilson had completions of 20 and 25 yards to Doug Baldwin and 30 yards to Jimmy Graham while comfortably sitting in the pocket, and he finished the game completing 13 of…