Super Bowl 49 features a dynamite quarterback matchup: a young Russell Wilson looking to continue building his legacy against Tom Brady trying to cement his mark in National Football League history as the best ever to play the position.
It will be a very interesting duel to watch for a number of reasons. Both guys refuse to let opponents rattle them mentally, always willing their teams on, staying positive and believing they can find a way to get the win. Wilson does it in a calm manner while Brady is more of a fiery motivator.
Despite sharing similar mindsets, though, there are many differences in how Wilson and Brady execute at the most important position in football. Some of that can be attributed to a stark contrast in their physical builds. Wilson stands a compact five-foot-eleven and checks in at 206 lb. Meanwhile Brady is listed at six-foot-four and 225 lb.—prototypical NFL size. With Wilson and Brady’s physical sizes in mind, let’s take a deeper examination into their contrasting on-field playing styles.
Wilson
No. 3 in Seahawks colours can beat you in a variety ways. Wilson can line up under centre or in shotgun and be equally comfortable. As a passer he’s proven he can progress through his reads and make throws from the pocket, roll out on designed play-action bootlegs and deliver accurate balls on the run.
And if Wilson feels like he absolutely has no open targets down the field then he will take off and beat you with his feet—numerous times in his young career we’ve seen him leave defenders grabbing for air. And he’s dangerous in the zone-read run game, too.
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There are so many impressive traits Wilson shows on the field, but two that stand out in particular.
First, it’s the ability to keep his eyes focused down the field. Whether there is intense pressure up the middle or a free rusher from the outside, Wilson hardly ever drops his eye level. And the same can be said when he’s on the run or scrambling—Wilson is a passer up until he crosses that line of scrimmage. That allows him to make more plays than the average NFL quarterback who gets unnerved or spooked in the face of a defender.
Second, Wilson always seems to find a clear passing lane when in the pocket—rarely do you see one of his pass attempts get batted down. His deft touch helps in this area, but more than that Wilson has simply shown an uncanny ability to launch the ball, drop it over defenders and into the hands of his receivers.
Brady
Watching No. 12 operate is like viewing a master class in quarterbacking. The Patriots’ franchise man uses his smarts, decision-making and ultra-quick release to carve up opposing defences. By no means is Brady fleet of foot—we’ve all seen the old, grainy video of Brady running a slow 40-yard time—but he is adept at moving around in the pocket to buy time if needed.
Brady’s quick release is his primary weapon against a fierce pass rush. It also allows passing plays to stay on rhythm and helps receivers get the ball right out of their break and in stride. In the AFC Championship game against the Colts, Brady averaged a season-low 1.8 seconds from snap to throw—that’s breakneck speed. Think about how fast 1.8 seconds is for a minute—in that period of time Brady grabs the ball, finds the laces, identifies a target and lets it rip.
Now, what allows Brady to make a post-snap decision so quickly and get the ball out of his hands is both his preparation leading into the game and his pre-snap recognition. He finds a weakness and continues to exploit it until the defence compensates. Brady also uses many dummy snap counts to entice defensive backfields to tip their coverage.
Unlike Wilson, Brady isn’t going to stray far from his spot in the pocket. But the trouble is there rarely happens to be enough time for a rush to get to him because of a quicker-than-lightning release.