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Russell Wilson can finally do what he does best
Photo: John Bazemore / AP
The man has a healthy sense of self: "Am I the best quarterback in the league? I believe so, without a doubt."
Russell Wilson responded to a question from sports presenter Dan Patrick 24 hours before his Seattle Seahawks' second game of the season against the New England Patriots.
And against the most successful team of the last 20 years, Wilson delivered: He brought 21 of 28 throws to the man, gained 288 yards of space and threw five touchdown passes to five different receivers.
Wilson picked up exactly where he left off in the first game against the Atlanta Falcons.
"Dangeruss" instead of "Marty Ball"
For years Seahawks fans have been amazed and annoyed that their quarterback, who is without a doubt one of the best throwers in the league, is allowed to pass so little.
Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer is notorious for his conservative strategy, which many still associate with his father Marty: run, run, pass, punt - that is, run the first two attempts, then try a pass - and punt if it doesn't work .
Schottenheimer has long been considered one of the most running coaches in the NFL, in 2018 the Hawks (together with the Titans) were one of only two teams that ran more often than threw.
In particular, the running play on the first attempt seemed set in such a way that it made the offense too predictable in the eyes of many fans - and at the same time robbed it of its most powerful weapon.
A meme conquers Seattle
Head coach Pete Carroll also played his part in the running game: Between 2012 and 2014, Seattle had one of the strongest running backs in the league with "Beast Mode" Marshawn Lynch - and produced one of the best offenses ever no longer tie in with it.
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Wilson takes a stand - in every way
Photo: Elaine Thompson / AP
For many fans, the point at which the whole system toppled was the playoff loss to Dallas in the playoffs of the 2018 season.
The Hawks played their tactics into the hands of opponents who had a good running defense - and Wilson was, in a way, chained.
In the end you lost a playoff game that was definitely winnable.
After another playoff-off last season, the excitement in Seattle finally boiled: The Seahawks fan Zach Whitman had already published a tweet during the season that would later become legendary: "Let Russ cook" - "Let Russell cook" - so basically let Russell do his thing, let him decide, let him throw - finally let him play.
This motto was later taken up by NBC and in the form of numerous pictures into an Internet meme with Chef Russell Wilson.
MVP discussion already in full swing
After intensive discussions this off-season about whether Carroll was still the right head coach, the Gordian knot now seems to be severed: 2020 - if you take the first two games as a benchmark - could be the year of the pass king Russell Wilson .
His performance in the first two weeks, which included nine touchdowns in an interception, has already sparked initial MVP discussions.
Of course this is a very early (not to say earlier) point in the season, but it has a certain justification.
Only two other quarterbacks in NFL history have so far been able to conjure up such a record in the first two games: Patrick Mahomes in 2018 and Peyton Manning in 2013. Both were subsequently voted the most important players of the regular season.
The otherwise rather reserved coaching legend Bill Belichick, head coach of the defeated Patriots, was full of praise: "Russell may be underrated by the media and the fans, no idea. But I really don't know a better player. He can do everything he is a great leader, a great playmaker, especially in the most difficult game situations. "
The next step is to take place on Sunday against Dallas, of all people against those cowboys against whom you lost the playoff game, which ultimately resulted in the demand "Let Russ cook!"
culminated.
In the first two weeks, both teams were characterized by their offensive strengths.
If Wilson and his now great receiver corps stay healthy, it could be a big season for the Seahawks.
However: Defense would also have to do its part.
But that's a different story.
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