Analysis: 4 Moments Where Russell Wilson Showed Early Signs of Greatness With Seahawks

From the moment he was handed Seattle's starting quarterback job a decade ago, it didn't take long for Russell Wilson to prove how special he is. Rishi Rastogi looks at some of Wilson's best moments from the early years of his Seahawks career.

In his 10-year tenure, Russell Wilson—the only Seahawks quarterback to win a Super Bowl—provided fans with some of the greatest moments in franchise history. 

Since he entered the league, it was clear that he had a special X-factor within him and that he would lead the franchise to success. While he won’t be suiting up in the college navy and action anymore, Wilson has still given the franchise plenty of memories to cherish. 

Here are a few that stand out from the early days of his career. 

4. As a rookie, Wilson stuns Tom Brady and the Patriots

Known amongst fans as the game that put Russell Wilson on the map, Seahawks fans caught their first true glimpse at the potential their quarterback had when first entering the league. The Seahawks, although 3-2 at the time, entered the game as underdogs as they matched up against a much more experienced team in the Patriots. With less than eight minutes to go in the final quarter, Wilson found himself down two scores with a win probability of just 24 percent. Nevertheless, Wilson battled; and with the help of the young "Legion of Boom," he was able to lead the offense on a four-play, 57-yard game winning touchdown drive. The drive, which ended in a 46-yard bomb to Sydney Rice, was Wilson’s second career game-winning drive in only his first six starts.

3. Wilson gets a ring in Super Bowl XLVIII rout of the Broncos

This could arguably be higher on the list, though the game itself was not close from the moment it started and it was mostly dominated by an all-time defensive performance by Seattle. That said, Wilson put up a solid 205 yards and two touchdowns with a 72 percent completion rate. For many Seahawks fans, this was likely the greatest day in franchise history and there is no doubt as to why.

2. Wilson mounts an improbable comeback in his second career playoff game

When thinking about the beginning of the Seahawks' magical run in the mid 2010s, Wilson’s second career playoff game served as the first sign that the team could very well compete for a championship, despite being one of the youngest teams to do so. After the first half of its divisional-round game in Atlanta, Seattle found itself looking up at a 20-0 deficit. However, with just over 14 minutes to go in the fourth quarter and the score at 27-7, Wilson took command of the game. With the help of a couple of defensive interceptions, the rookie quarterback put together three consecutive touchdown drives and led the team with 60 rushing yards on seven carries.

Despite the eventual heartbreaking 30-28 loss, there was plenty to take away from this game at the time. For starters: only five months after being handed the starting job, it became clear that Wilson was the franchise quarterback of the future. His relentless belief in himself and his teammates took the league by notice, setting Seattle up to enter its Super Bowl window the following year. When reflecting on the immediate reaction following the game, Wilson commented: “It was a tough moment, but also a good moment because I was looking towards the future.”

1. Wilson bounces back from a four-interception day to send the Seahawks to their second consecutive Super Bowl

Throughout Wilson’s career, Seahawks fans have learned to never count the team out as Wilson’s unwavering belief, combined with Carroll’s four-quarters philosophy, has coupled for some of the most improbable comebacks in franchise history. However, without a doubt, their comeback against the Packers in the 2014 NFC championship game goes down as the wildest in Wilson’s career to date. At one point in the game, after throwing four interceptions and being down 19-7 with three minutes and nine seconds to go in the fourth quarter, the Seahawks' win probability was at 0.10 percent, according to Pro Football Reference.

Quite literally everything went wrong for the Seahawks up to that moment. Wilson, who threw all four interceptions in the game while targeting Jermaine Kearse, remained adamant on targeting him one last time for the game winning touchdown. After the game, Wilson was brought to tears and overwhelmed with emotions. The only thing that could make this moment better is if the worst moment in his career didn’t occur in the following game, but that’s a story for another day.