Russell Wilson, Doug Baldwin Become Elite Pairing During Seahawks' Playoff Push

Being elite at anything is subjective in nature. However, there is nothing subjective about what Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and wide receiver Doug Baldwin have accomplished over the past five weeks.

Since the team's Week 10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, Wilson and Baldwin have been on an absolute tear. 

The duo connected four times for 45 yards and a pair of touchdowns during Sunday's 30-13 victory over the Cleveland Browns at CenturyLink Field. 

Entering this season, their story was very different. 

Wilson has rarely received proper recognition for his contributions to the Seahawks' success since he took over as the team's starting quarterback four years ago. 

The narrative surrounding the former third-round pick became more about his ability to serve as a caretaker of the offense instead of a legitimate playmaker. Marshawn Lynch was the team's catalyst, not the Seahawks' quarterback. And the defense set the tone with historically good seasons. 

A 2-4 start this year was the result of the defense's letting the team down multiple times and Lynch's dealing with injuries. It was clear the Seahawks were no longer the same team that appeared in two straight Super Bowls.

Pete Carroll's squad is 9-5, and it's still not the same team. This is actually a very good thing.

If you're one of the few who stubbornly believe Wilson and Baldwin aren't elite at their respective positions, their recent performances put that narrative to rest. 

Since Week 11, Wilson has completed 74.5 percent of his passes for 1,420 yards, 19 touchdowns and no interceptions. 

"He's taking over," All-Pro safety Earl Thomas said after the game, per the News Tribune's Gregg Bell. "He's separating himself in this league."

Wilson's performance over the past five games reached a level no other quarterback in NFL history had previously obtained, per the NFL's Director of NFC Football Communications Randall Liu: 

Granted, Browns cornerback Tramon Williams dropped an interception in the end zone and nearly ruined the statistic, but Wilson's efficiency within the offense can't be replicated.

Outsiders usually refer to a player at his absolute best as being "in the zone."

"Yeah, for sure. Being in the zone—I always say: laser focus," Wilson told reporters.

Wilson's Sunday counterpart, Johnny Manziel, certainly holds his fellow sub-6'0" quarterback in high regard, per the Seattle Times' Ryan Divish. 

"In my opinion, I think Russell is a top-tier guy," Manziel said. "He has 20 touchdowns and no interceptions, or shoot maybe even more, over the past five games. Find another guy around the league that's doing that. There's not many of them. There's not five or 10, I know that."

Actually, there are only two: Wilson and the Carolina Panthers' Cam Newton. Wilson and Newton became the first pair of quarterbacks in NFL history to both throw for at least 18 touchdowns in the same five-week span, according to ESPN's SportsCenter.

Yet Newton is the runaway favorite for MVP, while Wilson still doesn't get the respect he deserves even leading into this weekend's contest. 

Just four days earlier, Browns head coach Mike Pettine didn't include Wilson as one of the league's elite quarterbacks when asked, per Pat McManamon of ESPN.com. Pettine pegged the New England Patriots' Tom Brady, New Orleans Saints' Drew Brees, Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers and Pittsburgh Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger as the top guys. 

What truly separates the game's best quarterbacks from their contemporaries is an ability to elevate the play of those around them. 

Baldwin became the biggest beneficiary of Wilson's stellar play. The wide receiver also deserves plenty of credit for his continued development into a legitimate No. 1 target within the Seahawks offense. 

The Stanford product actually led the Seahawks last year with 825 receiving yards, but he wasn't supposed to be the team's primary offensive threat in the passing game this season. 

After all, the team traded away a first-round pick and starting center Max Unger to acquire All-Pro tight end Jimmy Graham. Graham never established any kind of rhythm in the offense before he suffered a torn patellar tendon on Nov. 29 in a contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

It's not coincidence Baldwin's production took off without Graham in the lineup. Starting with his performance against the Steelers until Sunday, Baldwin has caught 21 passes for 366 yards and 10 touchdowns. 

His production during the aforementioned span placed the Seahawks receiver in very rare company, according to Liu: 

With his two touchdown receptions against the Browns, Baldwin did something even the great Steve Largent never achieved. Baldwin tied a franchise record with 13 receiving touchdowns. Largent never scored more than 12 receiving touchdowns during his Hall of Fame career.

To add further perspective to how well Baldwin has played in recent weeks, his touchdown production is something to behold when compared to at least one other franchise. The Seattle receiver has more touchdowns in the past month than all of the Kansas City Chiefs receivers combined in the past two seasons. 

Baldwin isn't the biggest or most talented wide receiver on the field, but his determination to hone his craft made him into one of the league's premier red-zone threats. His route-running ranks among the league's best, which makes it difficult for anyone to cover the 5'10", 189-pound target. 

Otherwise, the biggest difference in the receiver this season is his approach. Baldwin said two weeks ago, per ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia, his role isn't as important to him as it used to be:

"

The only difference is I care less. Not in a bad sense. I've just stopped worrying about what the game plan looks like, how many targets I'm going to have in a game, all the stuff that would distract me from just having fun out there on the football field. It's allowed me to be less stressed and enjoy my teammates more. Just go out there with a loose mentality and have more fun.

"

Baldwin once again leads Seattle in receiving with 905 yards. He's putting together a Pro Bowl-caliber season, and he should be the first Seahawks wide receiver to make the trip to Hawaii since Brian Blades in 1989.

Right now, Seattle is the one NFC team no one wants to face in the first round of the playoffs, all because the team adapted to its developing strengths during the season.  

Where most once thought of Beast Mode and the Legion of Boom secondary as the root of the Seahawks' success, an elite quarterback and wide receiver tandem are now the team's driving force. 

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL and NFL draft for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @brentsobleski.