Russell Wilson, Justin Smith praise eachother ahead of this week’s game
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) looks to pass against the New Orleans Saints during the first quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
This week’s rivalry game between the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers will hopefully be more fun to watch than the last two contests, which have resulted in blowout losses for the 49ers. The Seahawks are the best team in the league right now, and it was incredible to watch them dominate the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football in a 34-7 victory. But nobody should be sleeping on the 49ers, since they are plenty deep and are finally starting to hit their stride. With star receiver Michael Crabtree back in the fold, the 49ers could make another deep playoff run. At this point, it would be unwise not to name the Seahawks the favorites, but I still have hope that the 49ers will at least make this week’s battle a close one.
Star defensive end Justin Smith has been one of the most dominant players in the league over the past few years, and he’s finally looking to be back to his old self after suffering a severe triceps injury. Smith will look to put star Seahawks QB Russell Wilson on the ground a few times on Sunday, but it’s definitely not easy to sack the elusive QB.
Wilson knows just how good Smith is and has plenty of respect for the veteran 3-4 DE. Here’s what he had to say about Smith, via the San Jose Mercury News’s Cam Inman, “Justin is so strong and so physical. He’s been doing it for a long time. He’s a smart football player. You can tell his intelligence out there and his physicality really shows up on every play.”
Justin Smith kicked the praise back to Wilson, who is having an outstanding 2013 season, “He’s not just one dimensional, where he just runs it and just chuck it a little bit. He can throw the ball with great accuracy. He knows the route trees really well. If his options aren’t there, he knows where to go with it. It’s an all-around challenge. He’s one of the bigger reasons he’s sitting where they are.”
I love this quote from Smith, because it is right on point. Wilson does just about everything well at the quarterback position: he makes good decisions, he’s very accurate, he has more than enough arm strength, his vision is extraordinary, and he has plenty of speed to burn. Even in just his second year in the league, Wilson has already asserted himself as one of the smartest quarterbacks around.