Russell Wilson completed the best statistical season of his four-year NFL career, leaping over the 4,000-yard passing mark for the first time. The Seahawks' signal-caller became the first player in NFL history with 4,000-plus passing yards, 30-plus passing touchdowns and 500-plus rushing yards in the same season and shattered several single-season Seahawks passing records.
With Marshawn Lynch fighting injury and rookie Thomas Rawls lost for the season, the normally ground-heavy Seahawks unleashed Wilson. The quarterback was sublime down the stretch. From Week 11 through the wild-card round, Wilson led the NFL in passing touchdowns (25) and passer rating (125.3).
The Seahawks put more on Wilson's plate and the quarterback improved:
Wilson, 2012-2014: 26.1 attempts/game; 207.3 pass YPG; 24 pass TDs/season; 98.6 passer rating
Wilson, 2015: 30.2 attempts/game; 251.5pass YPG; 34 pass TDs/season; 110.1 passer rating
Pete Carroll wants to ensure the growth continues for his Pro Bowl quarterback, so will test Wilson on defense this offseason.
"Russell and I talked about this last night," Carroll said this week, via ESPN.com. "I think this is really the right time to really turn his focus and broaden his awareness of what is going on in the game overall. And so he and I will spend a lot of time this offseason introducing him to the perspective of what it's like to look at the defense from the defensive side of the ball. I want him to learn and understand what is going on schematically, rotation-wise, fits-wise even more than he knows now."
Carroll said the plan is for safety Earl Thomas to do the inverse and study offense more this offseason.
"We are going to school, and it will be a tremendous offseason for those guys," Carroll said. "And they are ready for that."
Wilson noted Monday that he needs improve the mental part of his game.
"I think the first step is the knowledge," Wilson said Monday. "You want to continue to grow intellectually and master that part of it. Continue to work on that craft. I think that when you really mentally grasp the game of football, the game really, really slows down. And that's what was able to happen this year especially."
When compared to future Hall of Famers like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, Wilson knows he can make improvements in pre-snap reads and understanding what defenses are trying to disguise.
Added Carroll: "There's a difference in looking at it for what the offense needs to know and from what the defense is doing. I want them to understand the other side in even greater depth. ... You can only take in so much. We wouldn't want to water down the process by trying to do too much, but I think it's time now."
When the Seahawks get done with their summer schooling, they could be even more dangerous, which is a petrifying thought for the rest of the NFL.
"We're still young. We're still really, really young," Wilson said. "That's a scary thing."