Is Russell Wilson poised for another 2nd-half surge?
Russell Wilson submitted the best stretch of his career during the second half of the 2015 season - throwing for 25 touchdowns against two interceptions during the Seattle Seahawks' last eight games - silencing the notion that he couldn't succeed in the pocket and validating his place among the NFL's elite quarterbacks.
Similar to the first half of last year's campaign, Wilson's raw numbers belie his on-field success, completing 66.7 percent of his passes for seven touchdowns against two interceptions in eight games. However, after fending off an ankle injury for the majority of the year, Wilson finally looks to be fully healthy for the first time in weeks.
Is Wilson poised for a second-half breakout? theScore's investigative team finds out here:
The case for Wilson
For the first time in his career, Wilson is armed with a healthy, versatile armada in the passing game, commandeering a resurgent Jimmy Graham and Doug Baldwin downfield. Once described as a pedestrian group of receivers, Wilson can evaluate numerous options in the pocket, making the Seahawks' passing game far less predictable than in previous years.
After Marshawn Lynch retired in February, Wilson was afforded greater responsibility in the offense as the team restructured from a run-heavy scheme to a more balanced unit. Wilson, who's excelled both in and outside of the pocket this season, is on pace for the most passing attempts of his career, which bodes well for a second-half charge.
| Year | Pass Attempts | League Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 564 | T-19th |
| 2013 | 524 | 26th |
| 2014 | 507 | 32nd |
| 2015 | 548 | 22nd |
| 2016 | 290 | 21st |
Wilson's case for a resurgent home stretch is supported by the analytics community, graded as the fourth-best quarterback by Pro Football Focus. It's nearly impossible to truly quantify the effect of Wilson's ankle injury on his play to date, but there's ample reason to believe he could return to top form while remaining clinically efficient.
The case against Wilson
Unfortunately for Wilson and the Seahawks, a number of quality of opponents remain in their way as the team looks to secure their fifth consecutive playoff berth. Wilson and company square off against four top-10 rated passing defenses to close out the year.
Here is the Seahawks' remaining schedule:
| Opponent | Passing Defense rank |
|---|---|
| New England Patriots | 15th |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 6th |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 28th |
| Carolina Panthers | 18th |
| Green Bay Packers | 7th |
| Los Angeles Rams | 8th |
| Arizona Cardinals | 2nd |
| San Francisco 49ers | 32nd |
Wilson's eight-game tour de force was by far the most impressive stretch of his career, and while he should be lauded for being an elite, hyper-efficient quarterback, there's reason to believe he won't throw for 25 touchdowns in an eight-game period, again. Even with Graham making a case to be considered as the league's best tight end once again, no one is going to take Wilson's pocket presence for granted anymore.
The three-time Pro Bowler plays behind one of the NFL's most decrepit offensive lines and Wilson often is forced to make plays with the pocket collapsing upon him. Wilson's been adept at making the correct read while under pressure, but he's getting no help from his offensive line, and there's reason to believe he'll be forced into some mistakes as his tackles routinely get bowled over.