Is Russell Wilson A Game Manager?

Russell Wilson is many things: 3^rd round draft pick, multi-sport athlete, and Super Bowl champion.  Being just a two-star recruit from a preparatory school in Richmond, Virginia, Russell Wilson was always doubted.  Wilson originally attended North Carolina State University -- his main focus was baseball -- he declared that he would attend spring training with the Colorado Rockies in January 2011. 

After transferring to Wisconsin, Wilson shifted his focus to back to football and this resulted him being awarded first team all Big-10, Griese-Brees Big Ten Quarterback of the Year award, and winning the Big-10 championship.  After being drafted in the 3^rd round by the Seahawks, Wilson wasted no time in demonstrating his ability on his way to winning the 2012 Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year award – in 2013 he followed this achievement by being selected as a Pro-Bowl alternate (filling in for Matt Ryan).  While his measurable skills continue to be doubted, one thing can be said with confidence about Wilson – winning is in his DNA.

 So what is a game manager? For the purposes of this article, a game manager is a quarterback that limits turnovers and makes conservative decisions – ultimate relying on his defense, rushing attack, and special teams to win games.  So does Russell Wilson fit the bill?  

The biggest game manager today would be Alex Smith, whose ultra-conservative short passing game complemented the Chiefs’ top 10 rushing attack and defense in 2013 – or historical game managers like Trent Dilfer (Super Bowl XXXV champion) or Chad Pennington (all-time completion percentage leader). 

Back to Wilson, disregard his lackluster stats and watch the guy play; his poise in the pocket, his accuracy on shorts throws, his ability to sell the play-action (or more accurately ‘run-action), his supreme field awareness (1st down markers), his lightning-quick release, his footwork, his cautious yet effective scrambles that severely differ from self-inflicting piñatas like Robert Griffin III and Michael Vick. 

The reason Wilson is stamped with the game manager label is because of his low volume in passing attempts – if he was asked to do this I am sure he would be fairly proficient – he just does what it takes for his team to win.  So if he isn’t a game manager, what is he?  For my two cents, his leadership coupled with his superb mobility and ability to throw on the run graduates him from game manger to playmaker. 

Just in case you needed another scoop of ice cream on top of that ‘playmaker sundae,’ would you believe Russell Wilson is second to only the great Dan Marino in touchdown passes over his first two NFL seasons?  Frankly, that statistic surprised me too, especially regarding a guy whose passing volume is on the low side. 

The reality is that statistics are immaterial, a fact that Pete Carroll has repeatedly stated.  Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks are only interested in one thing – winning games.  Russell Wilson is a guy you feel confident with in the huddle, the guy who you want beside you as you march into battle, the guy who rises to the occasion when others shrink.