On-the-run Russell Wilson 'not going to play scared'

Operating behind a patchwork and porous line, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has spent this season on the run.

Only the Chiefs have allowed more sacks than Seattle's 18. It won't get any simpler on Sunday, either, against Geno Atkins and a revived Bengals defense that has badgered quarterbacks all season.

Wilson's escapability has been a primary weapon for this so far sluggish Seahawks attack. We watched him figure-eight and wheel into space time and again in Monday night's win over the Lions. Wilson effectively extends plays, but some of his snaps beg for a quicker release of the ball.

"There's a happy medium to it," Wilson said, per ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia. "It depends on where your hot (read) is, who's open quick and all that kind of stuff. So every play's different. ... If something breaks down, just try to make a smart decision with it and continue that. And not playing scared. That's one thing I'm not going to do. I'm not going to play scared."

Play-caller Darrell Bevell is "obviously" concerned with the hits on Wilson, saying: "We're taking sacks at an alarming rate right now. We can improve it. It's really in a lot of areas. You can't really pin it on one group, one person."

Bevell pointed to the embattled line and his own play-calling, but also to Wilson, "in terms of getting the ball out on time" and "receivers shaking open on time."

"We're not going to sit here and pick him apart and try to change the way he plays," Bevell said of Wilson. "We love the way he plays. He does a lot of great things for us. When we want the ball out, he usually gets the ball out."

The uptick of earth-shattering hits on Wilson have Seahawks fans panicked. He's on pace to be sacked 72 times this season, just four short of the NFL-record 76 takedowns of David Carr back in 2002.

Nobody does a better job on his feet, but it's fair to wonder how long Wilson will stay upright if Seattle's line continues to look like a sea of revolving doors.