Sheldon Richardson feels lucky he's never had to face a healthy Russell Wilson. The quarterback was reeling from a knee injury when the Seahawks played the Jets last year, and wasn't his typical elusive self.
Had Wilson been at full strength, though, Richardson thinks chasing him would have been equal parts maddening and exhausting.
"An average play is supposed to last six seconds," said Richardson, a defensive lineman the Seahawks traded for this preseason. "But 12 seconds? Fifteen seconds? And you're not even getting a long first down? Hell no."
People will tell you that the NFL's Most Valuable Player through 12 weeks will be on the field when the Eagles come to Seattle Sunday. Those people are correct.
It's just that ... most of them will be referring to Philadelphia quarterback Carson Wentz, who's led his team to a league-best 10-1 record while posting a passer rating of 104.0. They should be referring to Russell.
I don't know that Wilson is the best quarterback in the game today, but nobody means more to his team. Put Wentz, Tom Brady or Ben Roethlisberger behind that offensive line and there's no way Seattle (7-4) is above .500.
Before the Seahawks played the 49ers Sunday, former safety-turned-TV-analyst Ronde Barber called Wilson "the most indispensable player in the league," and he's right. His wheels are the reason Seattle keeps rolling.
"I was thinking last game 'it can't be that hard to tackle Russ,' but he's out there making dudes look crazy," said Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright. "It's really impressive."
It's no secret that Seattle's offensive-line woes have been glaring this season. It's the second-lowest paid O-line in the NFL, and one that's been hampered by injuries to George Fant and Luke Joeckel, among others.
This is part of the reason Seattle's ground game has disintegrated, as the Seahawks' healthy running backs have gained less than three yards per carry. It's also the reason Wilson seems to be running for his life every time he drops back. Somehow, though, he evades pass rushers like no other signal caller in the league. And he isn't just tossing the ball away on what look like broken plays _ he's completing bombs while throwing across his body.
I asked Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin how many quarterbacks could have gotten the ball to him after that double spin move in Arizona that netted 54 yards. He responded quicker than a drag racer's foot.
"One."
Did you know that Wilson has accounted for 85.8 percent of the Seahawks' yards from scrimmage, the highest for anyone in the Super Bowl era? Former Lions QB Jon Kitna holds the record at 81.8 percent, but that's about to vanish.
Wilson's 3,029 passing yards are tied for third in the NFL. His 401 rushing yards are second to Cam Newton among quarterbacks, although his 6.2 yards per carry best Newton's 5.6.
Some people liken Wilson to Houdini because of his escape artistry, but Atlas might be the better comparison. Who else in football has had this much put on his shoulders?
"I don't know how you could carry (the offense) more number-wise," said Seahawks coach Pete Carroll. "It's great to see him with good, fortunate health and all of that. We can see the difference in it and it's so obvious between this year and last year."
Fans have bemoaned Carroll and GM John Schneider's monetary neglect of the O-line lately, but Wilson almost justifies it. His ability to scramble could be the main reason the Seahawks were able to retain all of their defensive Pro Bowlers.
But that kind of stuff doesn't show up in the numbers. If the season ended today, MVP voters would probably just see that Wilson has the league's 13th-best passer rating and ninth-best total QBR. Respectable numbers, but hardly reflective of the CPR he performs on every dying play.
Again, if the NFL were to re-draft every quarterback in the league, I'm probably not taking Wilson No. 1. I doubt the Eagles would be 10-1 if he were behind center for them, nor do I think the Patriots and Steelers would be 9-2.
But I am confident Russell could get those teams to the playoffs. And I'm equally confident those teams' quarterbacks couldn't do the same for the Seahawks.
That's the definition of value, and so far, Wilson has been the most valuable of them all.
