Two seasons ago, when Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson were rookie quarterbacks preparing to lead their teams into a playoff match-up, it was impossible not to compare them and wonder just how bright the futures were for the two young, talented, personable, and yes, very athletic quarterbacks.
Not only were the two both talented throwers and poised leaders playing like seasoned veterans, both brought an extra element to their team’s offenses because of their running ability.
But now, less than two years later with Seattle heading to Washington, something else stands out when you compare the two. For all that they have in common, Wilson seems to posses something Griffin and many other running quarterbacks don’t: a knack for self-preservation.
Wilson, despite rushing the ball a few times per game, more when the Seahawks need to keep a drive alive, such as in overtime against Denver, has not only played in every game over two-plus seasons, he has also participated in every practice without showing up on a single injury report. Griffin, meanwhile, will be on the sideline Monday, recovering from another injury.
Granted Griffin’s latest injury was a non-contact injury that happened when Griffin landed awkwardly after a leaping throw, but before this latest setback, he had already missed time and/or played when he wasn’t healthy because of avoidable injuries. Most notably, Griffin took a huge hit from Ravens All-Pro defensive lineman Haloti Ngata that caused a knee injury late in his rookie year, and after he was rushed back, almost certainly sooner than he should have been, he ended up tearing his ACL against the Seahawks in the playoffs.
Wilson certainly has been hit and hit hard at times, but most of the big hits have come when he’s in the pocket, and the vast majority of his runs end either with him going out of bounds or sliding before a linebacker or safety can deliver a blow.
“It’s really important,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said of Wilson’s ability to avoid hits. “Fortunately for us, Russell has a great feel for that. He understands and respects the position that he’s playing and he’s accepted the way we’ve approached it from the start. I think some guys have a knack. I think Russell definitely has a knack of knowing when to and when not to go for it. We really appreciate it. I know he does too. He’s not trying to prove anything. He’s just trying to stay healthy and stay as the number one quarterback so he’s got a good sense about it.”
On one hand, there’s a big benefit to having a mobile quarterback—Carroll and several of his defensive players have said on multiple occasions that they’d rather face a quarterback who stays in the pocket, giving them one less thing to worry about—but on the other hand, a quarterback who runs often eventually becomes a quarterback who gets injured.
And make no mistake about it, when a quarterback runs, defenders are looking to hit him, preferably hard. It’s not that players are looking to hurt their opponents, but if they can send a message to an opposing team that letting its star quarterback run means exposing said star quarterback to a big hit, there’s a good chance that quarterback will no longer be running.
“Of course, you try to hit a running quarterback, you want him not to be a running quarterback,” said middle linebacker Bobby Wagner. “If you hit him a couple of times—most quarterbacks are franchise quarterbacks, and you don’t want your quarterback to get hit like that. We wouldn’t want Russell getting hit like that, so you try to hit him. No player on our team goes out to hurt anybody, but you definitely try to send a message.
Added linebacker KJ Wright: “Most definitely, because quarterbacks don’t like getting hit. Once you hit him, that’ll definitely slow them down and force them to throw the ball away or take a sack.”
Yet even if Wilson knows he needs to avoid unnecessary hits, he’s also willing to fight for an extra yard when the game is on the line, something he did a couple of times in Seattle’s Week 3 win over Denver.
“When it wasn’t there, I knew that I had to fight for it,” he said following the overtime victory. “Sometimes in a game you have to pick and choose when to stay in there a little bit longer, when to throw it and when to slide, and that’s not one of those times, I don’t believe. I’m usually pretty smart on getting down and running out of bounds or whatever, but when the game’s on the line and you have Peyton Manning over there on the other side, you know you have to make some plays.”
There is overwhelming historical data that says Wilson will suffer an injury at some point that causes him to miss playing time. But so far in his young career, he has done an exceptional job of minimizing his injury risk, even while being a dynamic, dual-threat quarterback.
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