Seattle Seahawks’ Russell Wilson is the Definition of a Dual Threat

By Michael Compton @MWCompton on October 7, 2014

Attaining success is one thing, but being able to sustain it is sometimes harder. The Seattle Seahawks are dealing with success just fine. Last year’s Super Bowl champions are a force once again this season chiefly because they have placed even more of the offense in the hands of their star quarterback Russell Wilson.

A third-year pro, Wilson, known for his elusiveness, makes everyone around him better. He has a reputation of being a game manager, but he is much more than that. He owns a deceptively strong arm, is efficient and he takes care of the ball. His scrambling ability and knack for extending plays is difficult to defense.

With weapons like Marshawn Lynch and Percy Harvin, Wilson is especially dangerous in play-action situations where he often breaks containment and exploits holes in the defense, resulting in big gains on the ground.

Armed with great vision of the field, Wilson is also a threat through the air, tossing 52 touchdown passes in his first two years. Only two quarterbacks have thrown for more touchdowns in their initial two NFL seasons: Peyton Manning and Dan Marino.

In a 27-17 victory over the Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football, Wilson once again dazzled. In a stellar performance, Wilson set the tone early and was a SportsCenter highlight reel all on his own. He threw for 201 yards, going 18-of-24 with two touchdowns and rushed for 122 yards, adding an additional score on the ground.

Racking up those impressive numbers in a single game, Wilson joined two other quarterbacks as the only signal-callers in NFL history to throw for more than 200 yards and rush for more than 120 yards: Michael Vick did it in 2010 with the Philadelphia Eagles (242 yards passing, 130 rushing) and fellow Eagle Randall Cunningham accomplished the feat in 1990 (240, 124).

Wilson’s 127.3 passer rating against the Redskins suggests that he has taken forward steps as a quarterback and is now much more than a “game manager.” Very rarely are young quarterbacks handed as much responsibility as Wilson shoulders or given the amount of latitude that he has to create on the fly.

Wilson is an ideal fit in Pete Carroll’s fairly basic offense, which emphasizes protecting the ball and limiting turnovers. Moving pockets and bootlegs are a big part of what makes the offense click, and Wilson’s skill set is a perfect complement to the Seahawks’ offensive scheme.

Quarterbacks are measured in many different ways, but the ultimate goal is always the same: winning. Wilson is a proven winner, and behind his leadership the Seahawks are flying high.

Michael Compton is a Jacksonville Jaguars writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter at @MWCompton and connect with him on Google.