Hobbled Russ surely a plus
Aone-legged Russell Wilson is as useful as a right-handed Jim Zorn, which basically means Pete Carroll’s offense is screwed if the Seahawks quarterback doesn’t magically heal in the next few days. Wilson isn’t nearly as awesome as his Puget Sound loyalists believe, so it’s ludicrous to think that he’ll be able to hobble into MetLife Stadium on a gimpy left knee and right ankle on Sunday and have his way with the Jets.
Strip away the myth and here’s the unvarnished truth about the Seattle signal caller: He’s very good, not great. He can’t touch Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger and a few others.
Wilson is a nice second-tier quarterback with occasional improvisational superpowers. He’s much closer to Batman than Superman.
Wilson, whose effectiveness is rooted in his mobility, is ordinary if he doesn’t pose a viable run-pass threat. He suffered a right high-ankle sprain in the season opener before spraining his left MCL last week.
Bruce Wayne without the Batmobile strikes fear in nobody. Who’s afraid of some rich guy driving around in a Prius?
Although Carroll said Wednesday that he’d be “surprised” if Wilson didn’t play against the Jets, it’s likely that the quarterback will be less than 100 percent. Wilson has started all 77 games in his career, including the playoffs, and didn’t miss a snap until last week, but Week 4 is not the time to play the role of tough guy and risk further damage.
Wilson’s legend has grown precisely because of his innate ability to escape trouble in the pocket, which will be significantly limited given that human beings with MCL sprains need more than a handful of days to heal.
You think Sheldon Richardson, Mo Wilkerson and Leonard Williams feel sorry for Wilson because he has a booboo? Remember, Todd Bowles’ team was undressed last week in Kansas City. Compassion and empathy for the opponent doesn’t — and shouldn’t — exist. The Jets have their own problems at the moment.
“We’re not going to ease up on him if he’s not healthy,” Richardson told the Daily News. “If they’re going to run the zone-read, we got to treat him as if he can run, cut, jump and all that . ... We think that he’s still going to do the same thing as if he was 100 percent. If he makes one of us miss and buys time, that puts pressure on our DBs to cover longer. So we got to make sure we bring him down the first time.”
That should be much easier given Wilson’s current health situation and a suspect offensive line. It makes you wonder whether Carroll should shut him down with a Week 5 bye on the horizon. (Editor’s Note: He should).
Opposing defensive coordinators have spent countless sleepless nights through the years scheming to slow down Wilson, whose elusiveness will be hampered this week. It’s a dimension that has created some memorable plays in his first four seasons.
“I saw one play on film where somebody was coming from the back side,” Williams told the News. “He couldn’t see the dude, but I guess he could just feel him and he just rolled out and spun (away). That’s definitely something you have to account for pass rushing. At the same time, you don’t want it to slow you down. You don’t want to start hesitating. You still want to take your shot.” Wilson is far from lost in the pocket. “He’s a better pocket passer than he’s given credit for,” a NFC scout said. “It’s just that his athleticism out of the pocket creates a problem for defenses. So, that’s what teams try to take away.”
His success in the pocket, however, is buoyed by his ability to break contain and make plays with his legs. If a team puts a spy on Wilson (like the Jets did at times against Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor a couple weeks ago), there’s one fewer defender in coverage.
So, let’s not go Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs at Wilson’s statistics on throws inside the pocket last season, per ESPN Stats & Information: A league-best 118.6 passer rating, 72.8 completion percentage, 31 touchdowns, seven interceptions.
Those numbers are helped immensely by the threat of him taking off and running. He’s not frightening without that dimension. His injuries coupled with an offensive line in flux have resulted in an 88.5 passer rating and a career-low 7.5 yards per attempt through three games.
“He’s got a Super Bowl ring, so you can’t knock him on anything,” Richardson said. “He knows how to win. He’s gotten it done. They have a system over there that works for them.” hat system works best if Wilson is a dual threat. Otherwise, the Seahawks are in trouble.
A hobbled Wilson, of course, doesn’t guarantee anything for the Jets, who will face one of the stingiest defenses in the league.
But it sure doesn’t hurt. Tonight, 8:25; NFLN Bengals by 7; 44½ Seth Walder Dolphins & under Gary Myers Dolphins Manish Mehta Bengals Pat Leonard Dolphins Mighty Quinn Bengals Kevin Armstrong Bengals Ebenezer Samuel Bengals Ian Powers Dolphins Mike Matvey Bengals
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