Carroll on Wilson and the NFL’s elite QBs: “He’s one of those guys”
Sep 22, 2014, 5:33 PM | Updated: 5:34 pm
Seattle's win over Peyton Manning and the Broncos was another feather in Russell Wilson's cap. (AP)
(AP)
BY
Former Seattle Sports Lead Editor
Make that 7-0 now for Russell Wilson and the Seahawks against Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees.
After their overtime win over Manning’s Broncos on Sunday, the Seahawks still have a perfect record since 2012 against the four quarterbacks who are considered to be the best in the business.
Of course, it’s not just Wilson who deserves credit for that, which Seahawks coach Pete Carroll noted when he joined 710 ESPN Seattle’s “Brock and Salk” on Monday. But when he was asked what allows Wilson to rise to the occasion in games against the NFL’s elite quarterbacks, Carroll said it’s that Wilson is one himself.
“He’s one of those guys, that’s all,” Carroll said. “He’s as good as those guys.”
| Wilson vs. Packers, Patriots, Saints and Broncos | ||||||
| Season | Opponent | CMP/ATT | Yards | TD/INT | Rating | Result |
| 2012 | Packers | 10-21 | 130 | 2-0 | 99.3 | W, 14-12 |
| 2012 | Patriots | 16-27 | 293 | 3-0 | 133.7 | W, 24-23 |
| 2013 | Saints | 22-30 | 310 | 3-0 | 139.6 | W, 34-7 |
| 2013 | Saints | 9-18 | 103 | 0-0 | 67.6 | W, 23-15 |
| 2013 | Broncos | 18-25 | 206 | 2-0 | 123.1 | W, 43-8 |
| 2014 | Packers | 19-28 | 191 | 2-0 | 110.9 | W, 36-16 |
| 2014 | Broncos | 24-34 | 258 | 2-1 | 99.9 | W, 26-20 |
The 7-0 stat should come with a mandatory reminder that it’s Seattle as a team – and not just Wilson alone – that has gone unbeaten against those four opponents. Framing it as a head-to-head quarterback matchup would be ignoring the role that the Seahawks’ stellar defense – and not to mention the rest of their offense – played in those games.
But Wilson has certainly done his part. The chart shows his stats in those seven games. Most notable is a 14-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio, the lone pick coming Sunday against Denver.
That was one of the few blemishes on an otherwise strong day for Wilson, which he ended by engineering an 80-yard touchdown drive in overtime that gave the Seahawks a win and their quarterback another feather in his cap.
“When you get him in those matchups, he’s been able to come out – he would be the first to tell you our team came out – on the top end of that,” Carroll said. “But it’s a cool little stat to look at and keep track of as we go. He can play with everybody. There’s nobody that he can’t play with and hold his own (against), and he did it again. We’re lucky to have him.”
