But I thought… well you thought wrong: Russell Wilson named Seahawks starting-quarterback

After Pete Carroll announced that he would be starting his rookie quarterback, Russell Wilson, over Matt Flynn, some are beginning to wonder if Carroll and his staff really know what direction they’re headed and, most importantly, know what they’re doing.

By Kevin Ko

On Sunday night, Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll announced that Russell Wilson, a rookie quarterback from Wisconsin that Seattle selected in the third-round of this year’s draft, will be the starting quarterback in their first regular season game against the Arizona Cardinals. Wilson will also start in the Seahawks final preseason match-up against the Oakland Raiders.

This may come as a surprise to a number of fans, who witnessed the Seahawks sign former Green Bay Packers quarterback Matt Flynn to a three-year deal, worth $26 million. When given the opportunity to step in for Aaron Rodgers, Flynn has shown that he has what it takes to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. In the single game he started (Green Bay’s final game of the regular season against the Detroit Lions), Flynn threw for 480 years and six touchdowns. In March, Flynn was signed with the expectation that he would be the Seahawks starting quarterback, and possibly follow in the footsteps of Matt Hasselback, a back-up to Brett Farve in Green Bay before he came to Seattle, to eventually become their next franchise quarterback.

Matt Flynn (left) might be wishing he was back in Green Bay after Carroll’s decision to start Russell Wilson. At least Flynn knew what his role was with the Packers (via Getty Images)

That is, until, Russell Wilson gave Seattle a reason to think otherwise.

Wilson showed some serious preseason potential against the Tennessee Titans in the Seahawks first preseason game, taking over for Flynn in the second half. He completed 12-16 passes for 124 yards, threw one touchdown, got picked off once, and had three rushing attempts for 59 yards and a touchdown. Wilson also played well in Seattle’s second preseason game against Denver, completing 10-17 passes for 155 yards, throwing two touchdowns, and running five times for 33 yards. But both these games were against second-string defenses and football fans, and most likely Carroll himself, wanted to see the high-potential quarterback against a legitimate, NFL defense.

Russell Wilson and his wife, Ashton Meem, were this excited when he got drafted in the 3rd-round of the 2012 NFL Draft; imagine their faces after Wilson was awarded the starting job (via ESPN)

Russell Wilson was named the starter for Seattle’s third preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs, one that Flynn would not even play in due to an elbow injury. To Flynn’s dismay, Wilson shined: 13-19 passing for 185 yards and two touchdowns, along with two rushing attempts for 58 yards. This stellar preseason performance, along with the combination of a great preseason as a whole, contributed to Carroll ultimately naming Wilson his starter, a decision nobody expected heading into training camp.

Hell, make that a decision nobody expected heading into the third game of the preseason.

This is just another case of Carroll going in a direction that he never expected to venture towards. Yes, it does take guts to steer into a direction you didn’t plan for, but more often than not, the most respected coaches and most renowned organizations so commonly seem to adhere to a strict plan and guideline that they build around to succeed. Some keep their philosophies for their entire tenures (Rex Ryan’s “ground and pound”*) and some change according to their circumstances (Bill Belichek, who was so commonly known for his 3-4 defense, switched to a 4-3 defense in 2011) . However, none those changes were ever made in the later parts of the preseason. All of those were well-calculated, planned changes that were decided upon heading into training camp, done so in order to give the entire franchise an opportunity to properly adjust and prepare to the best of their abilities.

*While many have portrayed the Jets to be a disappointing franchise, it is only so because of the expectations of “Super Bowl championships” that Ryan has bestowed upon himself and his team. In the past three years, the Jets have been to two AFC Championship games, a point that some head coaches don’t ever reach in careers.

The fact of the matter is, it doesn’t matter how well Russell Wilson performs this season (repeat with best imitation of ‘The Rock’). Pete Carroll has already gone back and forth on so many topics that his credibility has already been shot. First there was the controversial drafting (and to some, reaching) of Bruce Irvin with the 15^th overall pick, which was controversial in a sense that Irvin is regarded to only be a pass-rush specialist. Then there was the headline-stealing signing of veteran Terrell Owens, who ended up being cut from the roster not too long ago. And now comes the inevitable “strike-three”, signing a quarterback to a contract worth $26 million with the intention of him being your starter, to just end up benching just before the final preseason game is set to start.

Maybe Wilson does give the Seahawks a better chance to win then Flynn. While only time will tell us how smart of a decision Carroll has made, we need no time to conclude that Carroll’s decision-making has been erratic and unpredictable. And while some football decisions, such as dealing with sudden injuries and challenging plays, may have to be made on the spot, certain things have to be planned out. If not, you’ll end up giving your fans false hope when you sign big names with small game, pay your backup-quarterbacks starter money (and vice-versa), give media outlets a chance to completely criticize your knowledge of your actions, and ultimately, give everyone reasons to question whether or not you really know what you’re doing.

The Bottom Line: Pete Carroll’s indecisive nature and erratic decision-making is a habit, and possible philosophy, that should be altered, replaced, or given up all-together.