SEATTLE -- Warren Moon has seen Russell Wilson make a lot of throws he might consider perfect.
But that one? The dime dropped into Jermaine Kearse's hands in stride that went for a 63-yard touchdown?
"That ball, that was some of the best touch you will ever see," Moon, a current radio analyst for Seahawks games, said in the team's locker room Saturday night.
From a short distance, the Hall of Famer has helped mentor Seattle's rising star and is put in a unique position to track Wilson's progress. He gets paid for it. He takes notes on it.
He had to scan his memory when asked about the bigger picture after a 31-17 win over Carolina, but this could very well have been his finest game to date.
"Yeah, just looking at the way he's played today, this had to be one of his best. He lives for this."
The reason was that Carolina dared Seattle to pass. The fact that they made themselves so readily vulnerable in coverage set the stage for a 15-of-22 performance, which yielded 268 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He was as close to perfection on decisive third downs as a quarterback can get.
"They sold out to stop the run today," Moon said. "They really did. Russell was the difference in the passing game. You can't stop it all and they're so good at running the ball, that all of a sudden you're allowing free access on the outside to wide receivers and the chance to make plays."
This isn't surprising and makes the news that Wilson is set to become the league's highest paid quarterback a little easier to digest. He is this good and he is only 26.
Moon can't wait to see what happens next.
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