Does Seattle want to give Matt Flynn back to us?

[FrankRizzo]

Flynn is not the QB of the present or future in Seattle as Badger rookie QB Russell Wilson has looked fantastic and tonight seems to have solidified the starting QB position in Seattle. Another impressive rookie QB.

How bout that.

Wilson leads Seahawks to 44-14 win over Chiefs


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Russell Wilson made the most of his first chance to start for Seattle.

The rookie quarterback threw for 185 yards and two touchdowns in a just under three quarters of work Friday night, leading the Seahawks to a 44-14 rout of the Kansas City Chiefs .

The third-round draft pick has been competing for the No. 1 job with Matt Flynn , the former Green Bay backup who signed in the offseason. Wilson had impressed in the second half of preseason wins over Tennessee and Denver, but was downright dazzling in his first NFL start.

When he wasn't hooking up with one of his wide receivers or handing off to Robert Turbin , who started in place of injured Marshawn Lynch , the savvy Wilson was gouging the Chiefs for big gains on the ground. He scrambled twice for 58 yards, both times helping to set up scores.

 

[longtimefan]

He will prove people wrong....

Some said he was/is to short...

He played behind one of the tallest (if not the tallest) o-l in the country at Wisconsin and he did mighty fine there

 

[Jules]

I feel bad for Flynn so far.

 

[AmishMafia]

I feel bad for Flynn so far.

He had an opportunity few ever get. Don't feel bad.

 

[Jules]

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[Greenbayphil]

It would have been awesome to be able to sign him long term as a back up but that would be unfair, he is a competitor and wants to start in the NFL, let the guy chase his dreams.
He might not fit in Seattle but he will start somewhere for someone.

 

[HardRightEdge]

You can't feel too bad for a guy who is guaranteed $10 million to play football.

Besides, it's a little premature to write Flynn off. Everybody gets excited about the shiny new guys who have not been tested, have not encountered adversity, have had no opportunity to fail.

 

[FrankRizzo]

A) You can't feel too bad for a guy who is guaranteed $10 million to play football.

Besides, it's a little premature to write Flynn off.
B)Everybody gets excited about the shiny new guys who have not been tested, have not encountered adversity, have had no opportunity to fail.

A) Right on about the money.
B) Well Flynn and Wilson have actually had the same opportunity there in Seattle. Both have been tested, have encountered adversity, and have had the opportunity to fail or succeed.
So far, the rookie has clearly looked & done better.

I still think Flynn belonged in Miami with Philbin. Can't figure out why that didn't work out. Maybe Philbin knew something to pass on Matty. Apparently....

 

[13 Times Champs]

Flynn is proving he is just a system QB.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Both have been tested, have encountered adversity, and have had the opportunity to fail or succeed."

I'm not sure what adversity Wilson could possibly be encountering...he's not even out of his first preseason and expectations for him were low coming in. A projected outcome from the start whereby he'd be riding the bench on the inactive list his rookie year would hardly qualify as adversity.

I was thinking more along the lines of what many rookie QBs encounter...they have some bad games, the season starts to slide away, the press and fans are calling for a benching, rumors are circulating that the front office or coaching staff is on the bubble. Maybe you have to play with some dings, maybe some knucklehead vet is questioning your leadership, maybe the talent around you is not very good. That will test your mettle.

Or in the case of Flynn, he walked the trail that Harrell is walking right now...repeated chatter over multiple years that you're not NFL material...like Chinese water torture. Wilson barely has his feet wet.

Wilson is certainly a talented guy, bright, an engaging personality, but this ain't college football. The NFL eats its young. He could end up being a fine QB...but he is entirely untested.

 

[FrankRizzo]

I'm not sure what adversity Wilson could possibly be encountering...he's not even out of his first preseason and expectations for him were low coming in. A projected outcome from the start whereby he'd be riding the bench on the inactive list his rookie year would hardly qualify as adversity.

All true I agree.

But Flynn has never really faced any pressure either, other than the one game in Detroit Rodgers banged his head. And Flynn led is to getting shut out.

He faced some pressure in the New England game... did very well, except when the pressure mounted late and he needed a score.

There was no pressure on him in week 17 last year.

But I get what you're saying about the rookie. Still, Russell wanted to earn a job here and under that pressure, he's done great....in practices and in games. Already doing better than Flynn or our Harrell, obviously.

 

[Robert Geib]

Flynn is not the QB of the present or future in Seattle as Badger rookie QB Russell Wilson has looked fantastic and tonight seems to have solidified the starting QB position in Seattle. Another impressive rookie QB.

How bout that.

Flynn looks like a system quarterback. I watch every Wis game and what Wilson did in one year was exceptional.

 

[Robert Geib]

He will prove people wrong....

Some said he was/is to short...

He played behind one of the tallest (if not the tallest) o-l in the country at Wisconsin and he did mighty fine there

I watch every Wis game and given only one season what he did was exceptional.

 

[toolkien]

I watched the highlights of Wilson, and he looks good in a scheme-free preseason. But his passes are rainbow passes with lots of air under them. The receivers have been doing a lot of jumping and catching. The question is how will this type of approach fare in the regular season when scheming kicks in. Visualize the average modern QB and think how often the high arc pass is used and why it isn't. I think Wilson's height will work against him once teams learn the limitations of his passing style. The extra quarter second the ball has to go up and come back down is huge in this modern NFL. Those passes only work on corner fade routes, not as a staple to move the ball down the field. Wilson looks to me like a great backup guy but I'll wait and see what he looks like as far as a starter.

 

[longtimefan]

I watched the highlights of Wilson, and he looks good in a scheme-free preseason. But his passes are rainbow passes with lots of air under them. The receivers have been doing a lot of jumping and catching. The question is how will this type of approach fare in the regular season when scheming kicks in. Visualize the average modern QB and think how often the high arc pass is used and why it isn't. I think Wilson's height will work against him once teams learn the limitations of his passing style. The extra quarter second the ball has to go up and come back down is huge in this modern NFL. Those passes only work on corner fade routes, not as a staple to move the ball down the field. Wilson looks to me like a great backup guy but I'll wait and see what he looks like as far as a starter.

See any full games while at Wis??

 

[toolkien]

See any full games while at Wis??

Several. He was very good. For college level play. I'd still want to see his passing style pass regular season NFL defensive thresholds.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Do you think this describes Wilson? -Cause I don't.

I most certainly do.

 

[jaybadger82]

Everybody gets excited about the shiny new guys who have not been tested, have not encountered adversity, have had no opportunity to fail.

I don't think this describes Wilson at all and it reflects a remarkable lack of perspective.

Wilson is certainly a talented guy, bright, an engaging personality, but this ain't college football. The NFL eats its young. He could end up being a fine QB...but he is entirely untested.

I recommend you review Wilson's background. You'll find that he's performed well on the big stage since his high school state championship and overcome adversity with his father's early death.

College football isn't the NFL but it is the NFL's minor league; Wilson's success, especially in passer efficiency and accuracy, suggests he will be a good pro. He's been successful at every level and at every stop in his career (except baseball, of course).

I watched the highlights of Wilson, and he looks good in a scheme-free preseason. But his passes are rainbow passes with lots of air under them. The receivers have been doing a lot of jumping and catching. The question is how will this type of approach fare in the regular season when scheming kicks in. Visualize the average modern QB and think how often the high arc pass is used and why it isn't. I think Wilson's height will work against him once teams learn the limitations of his passing style. The extra quarter second the ball has to go up and come back down is huge in this modern NFL. Those passes only work on corner fade routes, not as a staple to move the ball down the field. Wilson looks to me like a great backup guy but I'll wait and see what he looks like as far as a starter.

Terrell Owens: 6'3"
Sidney Rice: 6'4"
Ben Obamanu: 6'1"
Braylon Edwards: 6'3"
Zach Miller: 6'5"
Kellen Winslow: 6'4"
(source: ESPN.com)

Wilson would be stupid not to put some air under the ball and let his man go up and get it much of the time. This doesn't really have to do with defenses scheming for Seattle: corners tend to be short.

I suppose the criticism about Wilson's height will be parroted until he wins a super bowl or something. At Wisconsin
Wilson set the FBS single season record for passing efficiency playing behind a line that averaged 6'5" in height and included three current NFL linemen. Peter King reported that he had just four batted passes at the LOS all season long. Compare to 6'4" Ryan Tannehill who had 17. We're not seeing problems with batted balls in Wilson's three preseason games with Seattle.

We'll see what happens when the games count but one wonders how long the concerns about Wilson's height will dog him.

P.S., Wilson has exceptionally long arms for his height, which elevates the release point on his throws.

 

[HardRightEdge]

College football isn't the NFL....

Yes, that would be the point.

 

[jaybadger82]

Yes, that would be the point.

Uh, sure, but that doesn't really support your argument that Wilson has not "encountered adversity" or had the "opportunity to fail."

At Wisconsin, Wilson played in front of 80,000+ fans at Camp Randall (larger than Lambeau Field) and in several nationally televised games. Each of those games were an opportunity to fail. At the Rose Bowl, one might say that Wilson failed to deliver a win (though he played well) in front of massive television audiences. Wilson has also faced considerable personal adversity, including the death of his father and his failure as a baseball prospect, which probably help him keep everything in perspective.

I just thought your comment was entirely too dismissive of the pressures that come with playing major division 1A college football and rather ignorant concerning Wilson's personal background.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to wash my "I love Russell Wilson" t-shirts...

 

[FrankRizzo]

Russell Wilson had just 4 batted passes at the LOS all season long. Compare to 6'4" Ryan Tannehill who had 17. We're not seeing problems with batted balls in Wilson's three preseason games with Seattle.

That's much more important that simply heighth.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Uh, sure, but that doesn't really support your argument that Wilson has not "encountered adversity" or had the "opportunity to fail."

At Wisconsin, Wilson played in front of 80,000+ fans at Camp Randall (larger than Lambeau Field) and in several nationally televised games. Each of those games were an opportunity to fail. At the Rose Bowl, one might say that Wilson failed to deliver a win (though he played well) in front of massive television audiences. Wilson has also faced considerable personal adversity, including the death of his father and his failure as a baseball prospect, which probably help him keep everything in perspective.

I just thought your comment was entirely too dismissive of the pressures that come with playing major division 1A college football and rather ignorant concerning Wilson's personal background.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to wash my "I love Russell Wilson" t-shirts...

Flynn won a national championship.

Harrell holds the NCAA record for TD passes, breaking Colt Brennan's record, and stands 3rd. all-time in passing yards. The top 6 on the yardage list are Keenum, Chang, Harrell, Detmer, Kellen Moore, Brennan. Looking at those names it is not hard to conclude that college success often does not translate to the NFL. Nor does the size of the college stadium.

Flynn has spent both his college and pro careers justifying his existence, which evidently continues to this day.

While the death of Wilson's father is unfortunate, by NFL rookie standards he's lived a charmed life.

I agree that Wilson was impressive in the Rose Bowl and this last preseason game.

I wish Wilson the best in the same way I wish Tim Tebow success. Players and teams that succeed without following copycat templates make the game more interesting, though I would not necessarily be cheered by such experiments being played out in Green Bay.

I would not begrudge anybody wearing any kind of "I love [fill in the blank]" t-shirt. However, the point was and remains that while Wilson is an interesting player, he is untested. His opportunities to fail begin in Week 1, provided he gets the start.

 

[wxman2003]

Flynn is injured. Has tendonitis in his throwing arm. When Wilson actually faces game defenses, he will have a lot more issues. As is the case with most rookies qbs. They look good in preseason but have a hard time translating it to a real game. Watch Luck and RG3 look bad their first week. Flynn will and should be starter after his arm heals.

 

[jaybadger82]

Flynn won a national championship.

Harrell holds the NCAA record for TD passes, breaking Colt Brennan's record, and stands 3rd. all-time in passing yards. The top 6 on the yardage list are Keenum, Chang, Harrell, Detmer, Kellen Moore, Brennan. Looking at those names it is not hard to conclude that college success often does not translate to the NFL. Nor does the size of the college stadium.

Flynn has spent both his college and pro careers justifying his existence, which evidently continues to this day.

Flynn isn't justifying his existence; he's trying to justify $10 million guaranteed. But I would probably be debating you if you had said "Matt Flynn has never encountered adversity or had the opportunity to fail" as well. It was just a stupid, flailing remark by someone that clearly has a rooting interest in the Wilson/Flynn QB competition...

Many of the numbers you point to above are sheer volume stats, which are deceptive because they're a reflection of the system (re: spread offense) and the number of opportunities the QB had to throw the ball. A much better indicator for QB success at the next level are accuracy and efficiency stats. Demonstrated success in a pro-style offense, making three and five step drops, helps. Is Brett Favre the greatest NFL quarterback because he threw for more yards and TDs than anyone else?

While the death of Wilson's father is unfortunate, by NFL rookie standards he's lived a charmed life.

This statement is ridiculous. Please explain the "NFL rookie standard." What's the ordinary degree of hardship experienced by the average NFL rookie?

I would not begrudge anybody wearing any kind of "I love [fill in the blank] t-shirt". However, the point was and remains that while Wilson is an interesting player, he is untested.

Untested? -Please. Relatively untested in the NFL? -Sure, I could probably say the same about Flynn right now...

 

[HardRightEdge]

Flynn isn't justifying his existence; he's trying to justify $10 million guaranteed. But I would probably be debating you if you had said "Matt Flynn has never encountered adversity or had the opportunity to fail" as well. It was just a stupid, flailing remark by someone that clearly has a rooting interest in the Wilson/Flynn QB competition...

Many of the numbers you point to above are sheer volume stats, which are deceptive because they're a reflection of the system (re: spread offense) and the number of opportunities the QB had to throw the ball. A much better indicator for QB success at the next level are accuracy and efficiency stats. Demonstrated success in a pro-style offense, making three and five step drops, helps. Is Brett Favre the greatest NFL quarterback because he threw for more yards and TDs than anyone else?

This statement is ridiculous. Please explain the "NFL rookie standard." What's the ordinary degree of hardship experienced by the average NFL rookie?

Untested? -Please. Relatively untested in the NFL? -Sure, I could probably say the same about Flynn right now...

Stupid and flailing? With that, I leave you to have the last word.