Pats D will its hands full with Wilson

Russell Wilson is a force.

The Seattle Seahawks quarterback is a 5-foot-11, 215-pound playmaker. Over the last nine seasons, Wilson has been a challenge for opposing defenses and coaches. He has the ability to air it out as one of the best pocket passers in the league. But he’s more than that. He’s athletic. If a team’s pass-rushers overcommit, he’ll escape the pocket and hurt you with his feet.

Bill Belichick thinks everyone is overlooking Wilson. [...]

Russell Wilson is a force.

The Seattle Seahawks quarterback is a 5-foot-11, 215-pound playmaker. Over the last nine seasons, Wilson has been a challenge for opposing defenses and coaches. He has the ability to air it out as one of the best pocket passers in the league. But he’s more than that. He’s athletic. If a team’s pass-rushers overcommit, he’ll escape the pocket and hurt you with his feet.

Bill Belichick thinks everyone is overlooking Wilson. The 31-year-old quarterback is a seven-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion and the Patriots coach sees him as someone who’s playing the quarterback position better than anyone in the NFL. It’ll be up to Belichick’s defense to stop Wilson on Sunday night.

"I mean, this guy's a tremendous player. Honestly, I think he's in a way maybe underrated by the media or the fans, I don't know, but I mean I don't really see anybody better than this player," Belichick said. "He can do everything. He's got obviously great leadership, playmaking skills. He plays very well in the most critical situations in the game — his decision-making, running, passing. His passing numbers are extraordinary. You could put him up against anybody since he's been in the league, literally anybody, in any category, really. His winning percentage is impressive."

Last weekend, Wilson completed 31-of-35 passes for 322 yards and four touchdowns against the Atlanta Falcons. In his career, he’s done It all. He enters this game with more 30,000 passing yards and over 4,000 career rushing yards. In 2017, he led the NFL in passing touchdowns with 34. He’s also scored 19 rushing touchdowns.

Wilson’s ability as an athlete puts stress on every team’s front seven. For the Patriots, their edge rushers and linebackers have to keep a delicate balance between containing him and over-committing. If you rush, you need to get to him or he’ll extend the play with his feet and either gain yardage on the ground or give his receivers enough time to get open.

"I think he's slippery. He finds ways to make you miss," said linebacker Brandon Copeland. "Very slippery. And the hardest thing about tackling a guy like Russ is every time you have to tackle him, you're in space. Like, usually it's just you and him and, you know, a lot of space and he also has, like, a gift of instincts in the pocket. So you might feel like you're coming clean and then he might spin or, or you know, he might let you think that you have him."

There’s also the matter of Wilson’s offensive weapons. The Seahawks are loaded. At receiver, the quarterback is throwing to Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf. He has former Pro Bowler Greg Olsen at tight end. He also has two running backs who have rushed for over 1,000 yards in Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde.

As much as Wilson puts pressure on an opposing pass rush, his deep ball ability keeps an entire secondary on their heels.

"He's elite," said cornerback Jason McCourty. "His deep ball is the best in the league. If there's somebody, they're just as good. I don't think you can say anybody's better at throwing that deep ball than him. He's an elite quarterback in our league. He has been for some time. He's just a guy that's tough to prepare for. … Just his ability not only to throw the ball but to kind of create and buy time. He's a special player."

Of course, the Patriots have seen it all before. The last time the Pats faced Wilson, he lit them up. In 2016, the quarterback threw for 348 yards to go with three touchdowns in the Seahawks’ 31-24 victory at Gillette Stadium.

It’ll be up to this year’s group to slow him down.

"I’ve played him four times and every time’s been stressful," said safety Devin McCourty. "Starting back at college when we played him at N.C. State, but it has to bring the best out of you. I was just talking to (offensive coordinator) Josh McDaniels about that. Every time we play Seattle, it’s always been a back and forth game. In 2012, They’re up, we’re up, and then they come back, 2-minute drive and beat us. In the Super Bowl, it’s a back and forth game. Then in 2016, it comes down to two plays from our offense from the 1-yard line. When we play them, it’s a will of two teams that won’t give up. We’re going to battle all the way until the end of the game."