​Healthy Russell Wilson Puts the NFL on Notice

From the pocket, off play-action, on the bootleg, and on the run, Russell Wilson beat the New England Patriots' vaunted defense every way a defense can be beaten on Sunday night.

After an early injury led to a stretch of stiff-legged, ineffectual play that caused plenty of consternation around these parts, Wilson's not just back to his old self; he's better—and the rest of the NFL is officially on notice.

The Seahawks' 31-24 win was more than just a gutsy road triumph over the league's best team. It was Wilson not only reaching but surpassing his previous level of play: he threw 37 times in a head-to-head passer's duel against Tom Brady, and completed 67.8 percent of those passes for an average of 9.4 yards per attempt, three touchdowns, and no picks.

Patriots defensive wunderkind Matt Patricia routinely dropped seven, eight, even nine defenders into coverage against Wilson, daring him to find holes in a zone stuffed by practically every Patriot on the field. And down after down, Wilson did—especially on a masterful seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive he squeezed into the final 1:05 of the first half.

Getting just enough from C.J. Prosise and Christine Michael in the running game (they split 22 carries at exactly four yards per carry), Wilson was able to take advantage of the opportunities his defense gave him; when Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman tag-teamed the ball away from Julian Edelman in the fourth quarter, Wilson turned it into the game-winning score:

FUMBLEEEE strips @Edelman11.@RSherman_25 recovers. #SEAvsNE https://t.co/DA0sxw9hue
— NFL (@NFL) November 14, 2016

There's no need to worry about the Patriots, they'll be just fine. The only way they get knocked out of the No. 1 seed in the AFC is if the Miami Dolphins run the table, beating them twice in the process.

On the other side of the bracket, though, the Seahawks are 6-2-1, sitting pretty on top of the NFC West. After averaging just 18.5 points per game over their first six games, the Seahawks are putting up 27 points per game. Meanwhile, their scoring defense is still ranked second best in the NFL, allowing just 17.6 points per average game.

Even better, Seattle's remaining regular-season opponents boast a collective record of 25-37-1. It's hard to see anybody slowing down Wilson and the revitalized Seahawks on their way to a playoff bye of their own and, from there, a Super Bowl rematch with these Patriots.