Russell Wilson: Rookie QB's Confidence Will Benefit Seattle Seahawks in 2012

Russell Wilson may seem cocky, but that's what the Seattle Seahawks need.

They definitely can't afford another season with a tentative quarterback who's afraid to assert himself.

The last four seasons have been miserable for Seattle. The Seahawks have finished below .500 ever since making the playoffs at 10-6 in 2007—frequently, far below .500—and they've shuffled among four different starting quarterbacks. They may have reached the playoffs in 2010 with a 7-9 record, but that regular-season mark is nothing to be proud of. 

After being named the starter after a strong preseason, Wilson told The News Tribune's John McGrath that he has no choice but to succeed:

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I refuse to be average. I refuse to be good. My goal is to be great.

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His words might rub some the wrong way, especially considering he has yet to play in a professional game—but when you think about it, what's wrong with a rookie aiming for greatness? There's no way that Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III or even Ryan Tannehill feel any differently (though Tannehill might have a tougher time proving it).

For now, Wilson is the Seahawks' only hope at consistency, and he has the right attitude to succeed. The very last thing the Seahawks need is a team leader who's afraid to assert himself. Wilson may be young, but he's willing to take on the responsibility that comes with being the starting quarterback, and that's good to see from a young player. 

And the truth is, Wilson has kind of earned the right to talk a big game during the preseason. The Seahawks are 4-0, and Wilson rightfully earned his job. In Seattle's most recent win—a 21-3 defeat of the Raiders—Wilson went 5-for-11 for 72 yards. One game earlier, in a 44-14 throttling of the Chiefs, he went 13-for-19 for 185 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Now, he's feeling confident. He's feeling good. And that is precisely what the Seahawks, who haven't felt remotely close to good in a long time, need.

There is the chance that someone aiming for excellence rather than just success is going to overshoot, or that he's going to be reckless and he's going to hurt the team in the end.

But in sports, when you think of the players who want to be better than just acceptable, you think of the great ones. And every rookie should put himself into the category of players who think like that.

It's true that, as McGrath puts it, "Average will work on this offense." Last season, the Seahawks finished 28th in the league in total offense, so anything better than terrible, at this point, will be an upgrade.

But a lack of proficiency isn't the only thing the Seahawks are missing. They're missing the confidence that comes from a team that's broken even sometime in the last four years. Right now, just as much as they need talent, the Seahawks need a spark, and Wilson stands to give them that spark.

Contrary to popular belief, confidence does more good than harm.