Originally posted on 01/30/2014:

I have been a lurker for quite some time, and couldn't wait to activate my account to post on this thread. So, Hi all.

I am not going to sit here and say that Russell Wilson will be on Peyton Manning or Tom Brady's level after a win at the Superbowl, but could it not be possible that it may be his first step in that direction?

I believe there is something that a lot of the "Russell Wilson is no more than a game manager" folks have either ignored or have never looked a little deeper to notice. The fact is that in the two years that he has been in the league, there have only been a handful of times where he has even had the opportunity to be more than a game manager! He has not been asked to do anything more than hand the ball off a bunch of times (a lot of times because they have the lead already) and make the majority of his passes on 3rd and long. It is very hard to get in a rhythm or stand out and be able to throw for 300+ yards and 3+ TDs when Pete Carroll doesn't open up the offense and Marshawn Lynch is carrying the ball 30 times per game.

That being said, in the games that Wilson has been actually let loose to play his game and sling it around, he has more than answered the call with poise, smart decision making, and strong, accurate throws. Think back to last years playoffs when the Seahawks fell behind 20-0 going into halftime. They had no choice but to turn him loose, and that should have been the game where Russell earned his stripes and turned into a household name, except the defense couldn't stop the Falcons from scoring a FG in the final seconds of the game. He almost singlehandedly brought the team back in the 2nd half of that game. Other games that he has had the same opportunity, he has shown that he may already be a top 10 QB in this league. If you don't think so, maybe it's time to take a closer look... Other games off the top of my head where he has been let loose are last year vs. SF (until HT in the blowout), this year vs. Atl and New Orleans (during reg season). I also think of the perfectly thrown 4th and 7 touchdown pass vs. SF during NFC championship game a couple weeks back when they needed him to make a play, and the momentum of the game completely shifted. That pass could not be made by a "game manager".

At least this is what I have seen in the games that I have watched. I believe that he can go up against Peyton Manning in a shootout if it turns into that. Does that mean they come out on top? No. And he does not have the weapons that Peyton has either. But I think he's more than capable of keeping his team in the game if it comes to that. I also believe that Sunday maybe be his chance to take that step into the upper echelon of QBs in the public eye. He is going to have to throw the ball, and I believe that he will and he will do it well. I think he surprises a lot of people on Sunday.

Prediction: Russell Wilson leads the Seahawks to a 28-24 victory and wins his first Superbowl.