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Wilson makes the difficult look routine for himself, SeahawksJan 07, 2013 (Richmond Times-Dispatch - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- LANDOVER, Md. -- When the game was over and Russell Wilson again was asked where he felt he stood in comparison to the other, more-heralded rookie quarterbacks in the NFL, Wilson answered precisely as you would expect him to answer. He was modest and deflected the question by focusing on his team, not himself. "The goal is to win a lot of games, to help my football team win, to help the Seattle Seahawks go where we want to go," Wilson said. "We're not there yet." The Seahawks still have a chance to get where they want to go -- the Super Bowl -- in large part because of Wilson. Seattle beat Washington 24-14 Sunday in a first-round playoff game. Wilson and the Seahawks move to the next round in Atlanta against the Falcons. Wilson, a graduate of Collegiate School in Henrico County, completed 15 of 26 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown. He ran eight times for 67 yards. He remained calm and poised even though he was sacked five times and even as his team fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter. "I kept telling the guys we've been here before," Wilson said. "It's no different. We can be very successful. It's a great opportunity. "In the playoffs, you just have to make plays, continue to fight, continue to have that edge. We came up with some huge plays tonight to come up with a huge victory." Wilson was not supposed to be on the field for that victory. He was a third-round draft choice who was initially penciled in as a backup for Matt Flynn, the Seahawks' major offseason acquisition. But Wilson began to impress the Seahawks' coaches and players from the moment he arrived in Seattle. He hasn't stopped. Sunday was just another step in his progression. "I just try to make it like any other game," Wilson said. "There's more cameras around. There are more people watching. Coach (Pete) Carroll and I always talk right before pregame (warm-ups) that 100 yards is 100 yards, 531/3 (yards) wide, it's no different. "You've just got to get out there and go." Wilson was talking about the length and width of the field. And he went in a number of different directions on the field Sunday. He made touch passes to wide-open receivers and drilled the ball to teammates who were tightly covered. Wilson ran up the middle and around the ends. At times, he even sprinted down the field and blocked for running back Marshawn Lynch. "Marshawn always tells me, 'Russ, I've got your back.' So I try to help him out every once in a while," Wilson said. Sunday, Wilson came up against Robert Griffin III, the Redskins' quarterback and the second player taken in the draft last spring. In Baltimore, Andrew Luck, the first player taken in the 2012 draft, was at quarterback for Indianapolis. The Colts lost to the Ravens. Wilson, the 5-foot-11, third-round draft choice out of Wisconsin by way of North Carolina State, is the only rookie quarterback still playing. "People always ask me if I have a chip on my shoulder being a third-round draft pick," Wilson said. "It doesn't matter where I was taken. I'm blessed to be a Seattle Seahawk." Wilson didn't sound like someone who had just been in, and won, his first NFL playoff game. He sounded as if this were routine for him and the Seahawks. He'll never admit it, but because of Wilson, playoff wins might become routine for Seattle. [email protected] (804) 649-6444 @World_of_Woody ___ (c)2013 the Richmond Times-Dispatch (Richmond, Va.) Visit the Richmond Times-Dispatch (Richmond, Va.) at www.timesdispatch.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |