Heading in to the Seattle Seahawks first preseason game against the Tennessee Titans, all the talk surrounded the quarterback position and who would perform better between Matt Flynn and rookie Russell Wilson.
After a late comeback by the Titans, the Seahawks secured a 27-17 win with a field goal and a rushing touchdown by Wilson.
Flynn started the first half of Saturday’s game going six-of-six, for 27-yards in his first drive, but started to break down later in the half letting one snap get past him. Flynn ended his night completing 11-of-13 for 71-yards and one interception.
Wilson finished with a great performance leading his team to a victory using both his arm and his legs. The rookie quarterback hooked up with wide receiver Braylon Edwards for Seattle’s only touchdown pass, a 39-yard reception early in the second half.
Seattle’s offense adds another element to the game having Wilson under center with his ability to get out of trouble by running the ball. Wilson ran for 59-yards on three attempts including a 32-yard touchdown run to seal the win, he finished his Seahawks debut throwing 12-of-16 for 124-yards with a touchdown and one interception.
Despite the quarterback controversy, the big story of the first half was the Seahawks secondary which recorded two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown on the first drive of the game by cornerback Brandon Browner to take an early lead.
Seattle also saw great promise from their rookie running back, Robert Turbin, who can add to their powerful run game with Marshawn Lynch and Leon Washington leading the way. Turbin can provide relief late in games for the Seahawks during the year with his ability to fight for yards between the tackles.
The biggest weakness the Seahawks had against the Titans was in their offensive line which allowed two sacks along with eight tackles for a loss. With young quarterbacks like Flynn and Wilson, the offensive line has to be prominent every night to give the Seahawks a chance to get in a rhythm and finish games with a win.
After the Seahawks preseason opener, the defense and running game lived up to their potential but the race for the starting quarterback isn’t any closer to being decided.
Saturday’s performance has to go to Wilson but in the end, it will be Flynn’s fundamentals that will override Wilson’s athleticism to decide who will lead this team against the division rival Arizona Cardinals to start the regular season.
