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Russell Wilson is having a tough time with the Denver Broncos this season. However, he does have happier memories of them when he was with the Seattle Seahawks. After all, this was the team he defeated to win the Super Bowl in February 2014.
Much was made of his promise at the time and he was expected to lead a dynasty for years to come. Especially with the fearsome Legion of Boom anchoring the Seattle defense. Although they made it to the next Super Bowl too, the Seahawks and Wilson could not make it to back-to-back wins. Instead they lost in dramatic, last-gasp fashion to the New England Patriots.
Russell Wilson was only 25 when he led the Seattle Seahawks to victory in Super Bowl XLVIII. That made him the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl not named Ben Roethlisberger or Tom Brady in the modern era. They achieved the feat at 23 and 24 years of age respectively. Patrick Mahomes has since also done so at the young age of 24 with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Eight years removed from that high, Russell Wilson doesn't look close to returning to the Super Bowl. The Denver Broncos were supposed to give him a chance to achieve that. They have a great defense and much like when he was with the Seahawks, he was supposed to lead them to the promised land.
However, Wilson and the offense have been poor considering what was expected of them and the $245 million 5-year contract the Broncos gave the quarterback. Russell Wilson seems to recognize that fact and is working to improve.
Quite clearly, it has not panned out as hoped. But what explains Wilson's failure to win the Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks in the intervening eight years? Let's take a look.
Russell Wilson was not the main factor in the Seahawks' Super Bowl win
Russell Wilson is a fantastic quarterback despite his current travails. He is a nine-time Pro-Bowler, missing out only in 2016 and qualifying every other season he has played in the league. He won the Super Bowl in his second season as a professional and that also shows his mental fortitude.
But for all his strengths, the reason why the Seattle Seahawks were so good at the time was their defense. It was what led them to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances. Linebacker Malcolm Smith was named the MVP in the Super Bowl win, and not Wilson.
The quarterback just needed to keep the score ticking and let the defense do the job. He also had additional help from Marshawl Lynch at running back. As that defensive unit disintegrated, Russell Wilson could not carry all the weight on his shoulders.
Wilson has a top-tier defense in Denver, however, the offense is yet to get going. They are scoring nowhere near enough points and though their defense keeps games close, they aren't taking games in the fourth quarter. This is largely on Wilson as he leads the offense.
If the Broncos are to turn their season around, they need to start scoring more points and managing games more efficiently. We will see if they can do it in the coming weeks.
