Russell Wilson: Analyzing How the Seahawks Rookie Earned a Preseason Start

The Seattle Seahawks quarterback competition is far from being decided. 

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll announced Tuesday that third-round rookie Russell Wilson will start the ever-important third preseason game for Seattle on Friday night in Kansas City.

Matt Flynn, who signed a three-year, $19.5 million deal with Seattle this offseason, had started the team's first two preseason games. Flynn hasn't played poorly, but he certainly never nailed the coffin shut on Wilson winning the job. 

While the third preseason game is widely viewed as a dress rehearsal for Week 1—with quarterbacks starting the third week almost always being the starters to begin the regular season—Carroll had little choice but to start Wilson against a first-team defense.

Wilson has simply played too well against second- and third-stringers for Carroll to not see what the youngster has against a No. 1 NFL defense. Making a decision on a quarterback without that knowledge wouldn't be doing the competition justice. 

Through two preseason games, Wilson has completed 22-of-33 passes for 279 yards and three touchdowns. He has just one interception. Flynn is 17-of-26 for 102 yards and one interception. 

Below, we attempt to break down what Wilson has done this preseason to necessitate Carroll's decision to start him Friday. 

Ability to Extend Plays

Wilson's ability to use his legs and buy more time has been his most impressive attribute. There have probably been five or more occasions this preseason when Wilson broke contain of the pocket and found a receiver who was either finishing off his route or freelancing to get open down field.

He was especially effective extending plays in Denver, stepping up in the pocket to avoid outside rushers and finding the appropriate passing lanes. Wilson rarely ducked out of the pocket too soon, waiting until the last second to rely on his impressive athletic ability to extend a play. 

That kind of extension awareness at the quarterback position frequently allows for big plays downfield. It has also allowed Wilson to rush for 92 yards and a score in two games. 

Of course, scrambling around against second- and third-team defenses is much different than what Wilson will see Friday night. Teams game-plan extensively for the third preseason game, treating it much like a regular season contest. That means Wilson will see his share of blitz packages and coverage looks from the Chiefs on Friday. 

Wilson will need to continue using his eyes and legs to make plays and win this job outright. The Chiefs won't make it easy on the rookie.

Scoring Points

The Seahawks have scored 38 second-half points through two preseason games, with Wilson playing the entire second half in each contest. On 11 total drives with Wilson at the helm, the Seahawks have scored five touchdowns and one field goal. 

The ultimate goal of any offense is to score points, so Wilson has done his job there. In comparison, the Seahawks have scored 19 points on 10 drives led by Flynn. 

Again, it is worth noting that Flynn has faced first-team defenses and Wilson backups. But scoring points is scoring points, and Wilson's effectiveness in getting the ball into the end zone is just one reason why Carroll needs to give him a look against a No. 1 defense Friday night. 

Converting Third Downs

Such an underrated aspect of playing quarterback in the NFL is how you perform on third downs, and Wilson has been impressive so far. With Wilson in the game, Seattle has converted 54 percent of its third downs this preseason. 

Wilson's athletic ability has been a big reason why. Both the Titans and Broncos brought pressure on Wilson during third downs, but he was able to beat the blitzes using his quick feet and extending the pocket. When you can sidestep or run away from pressure, there's likely to be players either wide open down field or facing a one-on-one situation. 

Credit Wilson for keeping his poise in the face of continual pressure and making the necessary decisions to extend drives on the most important down in football.