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Seahawks' Russell Wilson makes case as hottest NFL player

By Curtis Crabtree, The Sports Xchange
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) unloads pass before getting tacked by Pittsburgh Steelers linebackers James Harrison (92) and Bud Dupree (48) at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Washington on November 29, 2015. The Seahawks beat the Steelers 39-30. Photo by Jim Bryant/UPI
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) unloads pass before getting tacked by Pittsburgh Steelers linebackers James Harrison (92) and Bud Dupree (48) at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Washington on November 29, 2015. The Seahawks beat the Steelers 39-30. Photo by Jim Bryant/UPI | License Photo

RENTON, Wash. -- A case can be made that no player in the NFL has played better in the last three weeks than Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.

Wilson passed for 274 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions in Sunday's 38-7 win over the Minnesota Vikings. He completed 21-of-27 passes (78 percent) and finished with a passer rating of 146.0.

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Over the last three games, Wilson completed 66-of-86 passes (77 percent) for 879 yards (293 per game) with 11 touchdowns and no interceptions. That's 11 touchdowns to just 20 incompletions.

Wilson threw three touchdown passes in each of the last three games. The only other Seattle quarterback to accomplish that feat was Dave Krieg in 1983.

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"He's doing whatever we ask him to do," head coach Pete Carroll said. "He's preparing beautifully and he is really dialed in. His connection with his guys and the receivers is really on."

Wilson also rushed nine times for 51 yards and a touchdown and had a 53-yard touchdown run called back due to penalty. No problem. He hit Doug Baldwin for a touchdown on the very next play anyway.

Wilson has been making throws from the pocket with consistency. After throwing five touchdown passes from the pocket last week against Pittsburgh, Wilson added two more touchdown throws to Baldwin from the pocket.

He beat zone coverage with a 20-yard touchdown to Baldwin late in the first half, then hit Baldwin for a 53-yard touchdown in man-to-man coverage against a heavy blitz from the Vikings.

Wilson also hit Fred Jackson for a 5-yard touchdown pass on a rollout as well.

"I'm not surprised to see him being effective in the pocket. He's shown that and I've been talking about it all year long," Carroll said. "You can see it happening. He's very comfortable. That's just growth.

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"He's a fourth-year player and he's doing remarkably well. He's on his way to having a great career."

Wilson has been superb. It's a big reason why Seattle has averaged 34.5 points per game over the last month.

REPORT CARD VS. VIKINGS

--PASSING OFFENSE: A. Russell Wilson is playing lights out. The line allowed Wilson to be sacked just once on the day as Wilson passed for 274 yards and three touchdowns. Doug Baldwin scored two touchdowns. He has five TDs in the last two games.

--RUSHING OFFENSE: A minus. The Seahawks rushed for 173 total yards and two touchdowns against the Vikings. Thomas Rawls posted his fourth 100-yard game of the season in six starts. He rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. Russell Wilson added 51 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. Rawls lost fumble is the only downgrade.

--RUSHING DEFENSE: A. Adrian Peterson, the league's leading rushing, was held to 18 yards on eight carries. The Vikings totaled just 31 rushing yards on 16 carries. Keeping Peterson in check paved the was to a defensive shutout for Seattle.

--PASSING DEFENSE: A. After allowing 480 passing yards to Pittsburgh last week, the Seahawks defense clamped down on a limited Minnesota passing attack. Teddy Bridgewater managed just 118 yards and an interception with a paltry 4.2 yards per attempt. Bridgewater was sacked four times, fumbled once and was hit seven times.

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--SPECIAL TEAMS: B. The only points allowed to Minnesota came on special teams on Cordarrelle Patterson's 101-yard kickoff return touchdown late in the third quarter. With a 35-0 lead already in hand, the impact was minimal. Seattle also blocked a Vikings punt on the final play of the first half.

--COACHING: A. The Seahawks knew they had to stop Adrian Peterson and did so. Darrell Bevell has opened up the offense for Russell Wilson in recent weeks, and Wilson is thriving. Seattle completely dismantled a likely playoff team on the road in the Seahawks' most complete performance of the season.

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