Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is a double-edged sword in the NFL. On one hand, he carries his offense with his scrambling abilities and refusal to give up on plays. He works magic in the second halves of games to lead his team back from major deficits, especially in the fourth quarter. However, Wilson also puts the Seahawks in a pit early in games with sloppy play and occasional turnovers. The Seahawks live and die with Wilson, and he is the most remarkably inconsistent player on the team.

This has never been so prevalent than in the 2017 NFL season. To be fair to Wilson, he is not solely to blame. He does not appear to have much help on offense. The running game has been in shambles as of late. The offensive line cannot consistently create lanes for the running backs to burst through. The backs themselves have been uninspiring and ineffective for the most part. The offensive line cannot protect Wilson himself, often forcing him to scramble to avoid sacks. Following free agency and the 2018 NFL Draft, Doug Baldwin is the only proven wide receiver on the team. Seattle may be getting a few key players back from injury, but the lack of proven talent on the roster is concerning.

The Seahawks may have overhauled their coaching staff and made some adjustments to their roster, but there is still the very real threat of Wilson's inconsistency. He was the best QB in the fourth quarter by a considerable margin during the 2017 season, seemingly transforming into Aaron Rodgers in the final 15 minutes. In addition, he broke the NFL record for touchdown passes in said quarter.

However, Wilson was also one of the worst QBs in the first half of games last year, often missing open receivers and throwing interceptions. This poor play from Wilson that often occurs within the first 30 minutes has put the Seahawks behind several times last season, and played a major factor in the team finishing with a disappointing 9-7 record.

I have encountered many Seahawks fans who praise Russell Wilson as if he was the best quarterback in the NFL. Their reasoning is the fact that he scrambles his way out of sacks and turns hot in the 4^th quarter of games. However, I feel that he would not have to turn hot in the 4^th quarter if he did not start so slow. Once again, Wilson has little to no help on offense. However, he often messes up when his teammates provide him with a window of opportunity.

Wilson has often been helped by his defense, which has been dominant in the six years he has been in the NFL. However, they suffered a massive amount of injuries to key players like Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman in 2017. Wilson was forced to put the entire team on his back as a result, but he and his offense could not do enough, often because of Wilson's slow starts.

Russell Wilson has earned much praise for his talent and abilities, but he also deserves criticism for the way he puts the Seahawks in a hole before emerging from the depths.