PHOENIX -- There are a lot of graphics out there comparing the first three years as starters for both Russell Wilson and Tom Brady, the two Super Bowl quarterbacks.
Their numbers are eerily similar for those years, which would make some conclude they are close to the same in terms of playing the position. Are they?
"They're so different," San Francisco 49ers safety Antoine Bethea said.
"Nothing alike," San Diego Chargers safety Eric Weddle said.
The numbers spinsters, the guys who try and make you think something based on numbers -- wait, they call that analytics, right? -- would lead you to believe that these two are both great quarterbacks.
The reality is that one is great, and one is simply good.
Brady, who has three rings as quarterback of the New England Patriots and is going for No. 4, is great.
Wilson, like I've been saying for two years, even after he won his first ring last season for the Seattle Seahawks, is good. But he's not close to being one of the league's best quarterbacks, no matter how many times some in the media want to stand up and scream it.
We love to rush quarterbacks up the greatness tree, and Wilson has done some amazing things this season and last, but his game is far too limited to be considered one of the best.
"But he is special," Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr., said. "He just has that special way of making plays."
That can't be argued. Brady does, too, but in a different way. Brady is the old-school prototype, the stand-in-the-pocket gunslinger that beats you with his mind as much as his arm.
Wilson is the new-wave quarterback -- they've been proclaiming guys like him that for years -- a player who can make throws in the pocket, but is clearly better outside of it and when given the chance to use his legs.
Brady goes through his progressions; Wilson goes running through defenses.
Brady is a wizard in the pocket, subtle slides away from pressure being his calling card, while Wilson leaves too many good ones.
Yet they both get the job done. And they are both a win away from another ring, which is why Wilson is even in the argument as one of the top-10 in the league in the first place.
We define quarterbacks by Super Bowl rings, even if it's not fair. I hate it.
There is no way Trent Dilfer or Brad Johnson and their Super Bowl rings should be mentioned in the same sentence with Dan Marino. And if Wilson wins another, giving him two in his first three seasons, great will be put next to his name by most. I don't see it.
He's good, not great.
Wilson and his two rings wouldn't be in the same zip code as Marino with none. There goes the rings argument.
The Seahawks win with a defense and a running game and Wilson's propensity to make big plays in big moments -- mostly outside the pocket or on one-read throws. Consider this: Playing with the lead the past two seasons, he has 20 touchdown passes and three interceptions. From behind, it's 17 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. That's a telling stat about his defense.
Playing quarterback with the top-ranked defense the past two years, and arguably one of the best to ever play the game, can really make things easier on a quarterback.
"You know how many quarterbacks would love to play with that defense?" one AFC Pro Bowl player said. "All of them.
With a win, Brady would have four rings. That would put him into the argument about the best quarterback to ever play the game. It's not just because of the rings either. He's rolled up big numbers. He's come up big in big games, and this will be his sixth Super Bowl, a record for quarterbacks. Not bad for a guy who some insisted was washed up in early October.
These are the two Super Bowl quarterbacks, the two guys who will go a long way in deciding who wins this game. Bethea has played against Brady a bunch when he was with the Colts and he played Wilson twice this season.
I asked him the difference.
"In Russell, you have dual threat," Bethea said. "He runs that read option so well. He prolongs plays with his legs. That's what makes him so tough. Against Tom, he's been in the league so long that he's seen everything. There are not many things you can do to trick him."
Film study on Wilson
Wilson sees a lot of man coverage against his receivers, in part because teams don't respect the Seattle receivers' ability to win, and because teams think stopping Marshawn Lynch requires and eighth man down in the box. That leads to a lot of one-read throws for Wilson on switch routes and other pick plays that make it easy to make throws.
I will say this about Wilson: When he throws to a receiver, the ball placement is deadly accurate, like his game-winning throw in the NFC Championship game to Jermaine Kearse. That ball was perfect.
He's also really good at keeping his head up when outside the pocket. Here's a look at a play against Carolina in the divisional round. It was a 33-yard completion to Kearse. On the stat sheet, it's a plus play. On the grading sheet, it's probably a plus play. By quarterback standards, it's a minus play -- three times in fact.
Play: Third-and-10 at the Seattle 36 with 6:16 left in the first quarter vs. Carolina
Offense: Kings (4WR, 1TE), empty shotgun
Defense: Nickel -- Cover-2, four-man zone under
Wilson opens to his left and locks on to the three-receiver side. But nothing is open. Even so, he stays on that side, never coming off of it. If he did, he could see Ricardo Lockette open on a shallow cross. He never does. Instead, Wilson leaves a clean pocket. You can see that there is no pressure at all, which I've come to see as a flaw in his game. In the end, though, Wilson makes the play. He gets outside the pocket and hits Kearse for the 33-yard gain.
"The biggest thing with Russ is that he is that never-say-die guy," Weddle said. "He's going to fight and make plays outside the pocket, more so than inside. Look at all his plays. When he does gun, three-step, five-step or straight drop, five-step, seven-step, he's not that good. That's just reality. I can back it up by the film. He runs around for five seconds and makes a huge play. He's such a great downfield thrower outside the pocket."
Weddle continued: "When he has the ball for seven, eight, nine seconds, it makes it hard to cover. If he drops back in his read progressions, he goes to one read, maybe two. And then he looks for a lane to run. Case in point. Look at our film this year. He would look at one, and if it wasn't open he would spin out right away. The pocket was fine. Just stay there. But he's special outside of it. That's just what he is." Weddle brought up a play from their game to show how the San Diego defense got the better of Wilson. He did throw two touchdown passes that day, both simple dump-offs to the backs, and finished with 202 yards. But the Chargers kept him in the pocket for the most part.
The play Weddle mentioned came in the second quarter. Here's a look from two angles:
Play: Second and 19 at the Seattle 22 with 11:22 left in the second quarter
Offense: Posse (3WR, 1TE, 1RB) Shotgun
Defense: Single safety, man-under, Weddle as a spy on Wilson.
This play is a sack, but Weddle said there was a reason for it. I will let him describe it.
"They had an over route. I came down. He didn't know if I am going to cut that route. I am really just spying him. But he doesn't know that. He held onto the ball and we get a sack and a forced fumble. He looked right at me the whole time. I don’t think he knew what I was doing."
And yet there are times when Wilson gets it from the pocket, like his 63-yard touchdown strike to Kearse against Carolina. He read it, stayed there, and fired a perfect past to Kearse who won in man coverage. Here's a look from two angles:
The Wilson supporters will argue that his pocket stats are better than the perception of his game in there. The tape says otherwise, and to hear players like Weddle back that up, it's hard to argue. It's Wilson's ability to move and sneak outside to make plays, both on the ground and through that air, that make him so special.
"You have to plaster your receiver," Packers corner Sam Shields said. "And those receivers are good at getting uncovered when he's on the move."
In other words, it's sandlot time. It works. But for how long? Until Wilson's legs won't carry him anymore or until he learns to be better from the pocket, which is entirely possible considering he's a film junkie. As for a tutorial, he might want to watch Brady in this game. He is great in the pocket. Of course, since he moves like you and me he has to be.
Film study on Brady
Earlier this year, it appeared Brady's pocket mojo was gone. He was making big-time mistakes and had the legions of doubters saying he was done. Against Kansas City in Week 4, it looked that way. He threw two bad interceptions and lost two fumbles. It was a horror show.
It wasn't all because of him. The line play was horrible. The receivers were struggling.
Here's a look at one of his picks from that game.
Play: Second and 5 at the New England 25 with 7:15 left in the third quarter.
Offense: Ace (2WR, 2TE, 1RB)
Defense: Base -- Cover-3, Four-man under.
The Patriots, so concerned with their pass rush, sent only two players into the route. They kept in both tight ends -- one was an extra lineman -- as well as the back to block. That's telling. But the miscommunication on the route was telling as well. Julian Edelman stopped his route, which it appeared he should have based on the coverage. Brady threw it anyway. It was an easy pick. If you look, Brady had Brandon LaFell open inside, and he missed him. It's no wonder some were calling for his head.
Fast forward to Week 14 against the Chargers. Brady was a much more confident quarterback. The line was playing better, which helped. Here's a look at a touchdown throw to Edelman, which came just over the outstretched arm of Weddle.
Play: First and 10 at the NE 31 with 8:53 left in the fourth quarter
Offense: Ace (2WR, 2TE, 1RB)
Defense: Base, eight-man box, man-under, single-high safety.
F
Brady play-faked to LaGarrette Blount, which held the linebackers and Weddle, who was down in the box and had Rob Gronkowski in man coverage. That allowed room for Brady to fire a shot just over Weddle's arms to Edelman, who took it 69 yards for a touchdown.
The timing and the rhythm of that play is what we've come to expect from Brady and his passing game. That's what I expect to see this week against Seattle.
Like last year's Super Bowl, this one is a game of quarterbacks with divergent styles. Can old school beat the new-wave quarterback? Or is it time to just realize that playing winning quarterback can come in so many different flavors, something some of us, especially me, have been unable to grasp with players like Wilson?
