Seahawks QB Russell Wilson reflects on first half (while wearing a Sounders scarf)

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson now has eight games under his belt, and just like the Seahawks, who are 4-4, the rookie has also had his ups and downs (see numbers below).

Most notably, when he has played well and not as well, Wilson has found himself in a number of close games, experience he feels will help him and the team moving forward.

“I think I played well,” Wilson said of his first half. “Obviously I wish a had a couple more wins on my belt, we’ve lost a couple of games right there at the end, but the great thing about it all has been, for me as a rookie playing the quarterback position, all of those games have come down to the end of the game. I don’t think it can get any better in terms of being a rookie, for this organization and for me personally, to be in those situations and understand those situations that much better and still play at a high level in those situations.”

Wilson says he doesn’t changed his expectations going forward, because he was already expecting big things from himself, but he is expecting to win more games.

“My expectations are still the same,” he said. “I always have high expectations, so the first expectation is to go 1-0 every week and just win. That’s the main thing, it doesn’t matter how we win. Obviously with eight games under my belt, it makes me feel a lot more comfortable and I’m trusting my offense, trusting my guys. The chemistry with the guys is a lot better, and you just continue to grow. I respect the process.”

Asked if he is worried about hitting any sort of rookie wall—including preseason games, rookies have now played the equivalent of an entire college season, Wilson quickly dismissed the idea.

“I think people forget that I played college football and professional baseball all in one year, so this isn’t anything for me,” he said. “I can go all day. It’s one of those thing, mentally you have to be focused, you have to get in a routine—I’m on scheduled routine in terms of getting here early, waking my body up, getting in the hot tub, cold tub, stretching a lot—and that kind of gets you alive and awake when you get here. And more than anything, when you love the game, you never get tired of it.”

And finally, you might be wondering why Wilson is wearing a Sounders scarf in that picture. Well, Sounders FC plays its first playoff game tomorrow against Real Salt Lake, and given the connections between the two franchises, several players were wearing scarves in the locker room Thursday. Wilson said he played a little bit of soccer when he was younger, and having worked out with Sounders forward Eddie Johnson at the IMG Sports Academy in Florida (Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner is also close with Johnson from their time at IMG), he has an appreciation for the game.

“I did play soccer as a little kid,” Wilson said. “I was actually all right at it, but I love football that much more. I do have a lot of respect for soccer, their ability to run up and down the field, their athleticism. I trained with Eddie Johnson at IMG, so I’ve gotten to know him extremely well and gotten to work out with him and just kind of be around him.”

Asked where he would play if he was still a soccer player, Wilson gave an odd answer: “I’d either be a forward or a goalie. Two extremes, I know. One of the two.”

A look at Russell Wilson’s first half numbers

129 for 210 (61.4 percent), 1,466 yards, 10 TD, 8 INT, 82.4 passer rating

Those are by no means terrible numbers for a rookie, particularly when the team has made an effort to keep the lid on the offense. And the good news for the Seahawks is that Wilson’s play has been getting better, with two of his best games coming in the past three week. A look at Wilson’s numbers in the first four games and most recent four games:

First four games

60 for 100 (60.0), 594 yards, 4 TD, 4 INT, 73.5 rating

Last four games

69 for 110 (62.7 percent), 872 yards, 6 TD, 2 INT, 90.4 rating

And finally, just for fun, let’s look at how Wilson’s numbers compare to the other four rookie starting QBs halfway this season:

Wilson

129 for 210 (61.4 percent), 1,466 yards, 10 TD, 8 INT, 82.4 passer rating

Andrew Luck, Indianapolis

160 for 288 (55.6), 1,971 yards, 8 TD, 8 INT, 74.6

Robert Griffin III

149 for 223 (66.8), 1,778 yards, 8 TD, 3 INT, 97.3

Ryan Tannehill, Miami (7 games)