Russell's Arm Strength

Loaf has it completely correct. I don't remember what game it was, but Wilson had one pass that flew like 17-20 yards and never went above head-level; it was a bullet in every sense of the word. It blew me away. Anybody know what game it was in so I can try to find it again?

RolandDeschain":1vqnc7fv said:

Loaf has it completely correct. I don't remember what game it was, but Wilson had one pass that flew like 17-20 yards and never went above head-level; it was a bullet in every sense of the word. It blew me away. Anybody know what game it was in so I can try to find it again?

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I don't know if it's the pass you're talking about, but the first time his arm strength jumped out to me was the GB game on the final drive. He threw a bullet over the middle to Sidney Rice.

Kip said it nicely. Great arm strength when needed, but also great touch on the ball.

Russ Willstrong":1sj7l05y said:

Also a sign of his strong arm and wrist is the ability to throw hundreds of balls in practice as if they were game throws. IIRC last year Flynn injured his throwing arm during the preseason while in competition with RW AND the year before that his UW Badger competitor did the same and bowed out to have surgery. Arm of gold and balls of steel IMO.

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Arm of gold, balls of steel, establishing a legacy of bronze.

SE174":1bcqxpea said:

Russ Willstrong":1bcqxpea said:

Also a sign of his strong arm and wrist is the ability to throw hundreds of balls in practice as if they were game throws. IIRC last year Flynn injured his throwing arm during the preseason while in competition with RW AND the year before that his UW Badger competitor did the same and bowed out to have surgery. Arm of gold and balls of steel IMO.

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Arm of gold, balls of steel, establishing a legacy of bronze.

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He'll probably always be in contention for that trophy for about the next 10 years. Just a matter of whether they want to spread the love around.

When I was a kid I had Steve Largent to look up to, and I did. I am so glad that Wilson came along for my boys to be able to follow his career.

RolandDeschain":1354cfg2 said:

Loaf has it completely correct. I don't remember what game it was, but Wilson had one pass that flew like 17-20 yards and never went above head-level; it was a bullet in every sense of the word. It blew me away. Anybody know what game it was in so I can try to find it again?

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Sounds like the Cowboys game when he hit Tate along the sideline. The one he threw in the Skins game to Chop Chop? Wonder if the hour long video highlight Flying Greg linked might have the play?

The three things that stand out the most about Wilsons throws

One He can make every throw

Two Ball placement is incredible, those throws are placed only where the receiver can catch the ball

Three He is one of the best that I have ever seen throwing on the run

In the Miami game he made a throw that cemented his arm talent for me.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/0ap2000000100454/Week-12-Russell-Wilson-highlights

It's the first play on the highlights.

It wasn't a bullet or really that long of a pass, but it's just such a pretty throw. Hit a sideline out, from 30 yards rolling to his left. Ridiculous. It kind of encapsulates what Russell can do.

To me it's just not about the arm strength, it's having the balls to make tight throws into tight spots. One of the most impressive throws IMO can in the Patriots game (1st drive IIRC), Russell threw a ball to Miller up the SEAM, he put it up high and with velocity and Miller came down with it.

This was a throw that T-Jack, Whitehurst (maybe even Flynn) wouldn't have attempted because it was risky.

Even in his HS highlights, there's at least one throw that hits the bullseye after 40 yards in the air. This kid is solid gold. I think of RW, with all his skills and leadership, with his arm and legs, in a Seahawks uniform for the next 10-15 years and I get weepy. So not ashamed of that, either.

Another thing I've noticed is how effortless it looks when he runs (my avatar is a perfect example). Looks like he's out for a leisurely stroll, not even near breaking a sweat, almost like how Superman looks surrounded by mere mortals.

there was a video on .com a few days ago and you could see Wilson throwing some 15-20 yard absolute lasers into the receivers arms.
yeah it's not game situation but i have no question about his arm strength, it's comfortably among the top tier in the league

warden":19mouybr said:

The three things that stand out the most about Wilsons throws

One He can make every throw

Two Ball placement is incredible, those throws are placed only where the receiver can catch the ball

Three He is one of the best that I have ever seen throwing on the run

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I wonder how much his time as a second basemen helped with that. It seems like he can make pinpoint throws from all angles (across his body, rolling to the left and throwing to the right, etc.) Just like a fielder has to. Dual-sport QBs are usually pitchers, so he's pretty unique in this regard.

Last summer Brock Huard jumped on the Russell Wilson band wagon early in the competition. one of the reasons he sited was that Russell really had a cannon when it was needed.

That said one of my good friends nephews was Russell Wilson's TE at NC State for three seasons. While playing with Russell, George Bryan was all conference and broke all school and some league records for his position, rated as high as #2 TE in the draft and was a pre season all american pick as a senior. His senior season Russell was replaced by the more powerful arm of Mike Glennon. Mike can throw a football through a brick wall but George and the other receivers struggled that year. George's numbers dropped so far that he went undrafted. I asked him about it last year ( and to be clear he didn't blame anyone but himself for the fall off. ) but he told me that Russell just had a way of making the catches easy. You didn't have to look for the ball you just put your hands out and the ball just stuck.

Those of you that played baseball or were in positions to catch the ball in football will understand this more, there are some guys that throw what is called a heavy ball, the trajectory isn't any different but when it gets to you it seems to be heavy and hard. Then there are others that when the ball gets to you it seems as if someone just tossed it almost underhanded, hardly any impact at all. The light ball is easy to one hand and pull out of the air, the heavy ball takes everything you can do to catch it. With a baseball it was like someone adding lead to it, it would hit my mitt and carry through to having my wrist flex. As a shortstop or second basemen it was a lot harder to turn plays because the ball would be harder to control and dig out to throw when turning a double play. In football any thing that isn't in a position to get a secure body behind the ball and to help with the catch with your hand can be a lot more difficult, almost a double clutch to verify you have it.

Wilson throws a easy ball to catch from what I have seen, it's not the heavy ball and it seems to me the receivers have a easy time handleing it, it's not blowing thru their hands and they seem to have a easy time reaching out to pull it in, this would make them confident in the ability to catch it and also able to get RAC's since they don'y have to put their body behind the ball to help them catch it. It is also the type of ball that doesn't get picked off a lot since the ricochet effect of a hard or heavy ball bouncing off their hands is much less.

I don't know if I confused anyone with what I was trying to say, but those that have played and been on the receiving end of both sports know what I am saying, it's a big difference.

loafoftatupu":1kdbhz84 said:

Too many people confuse arm strength with trajectory. Wilson has a very, very strong arm. The thing is, the guy knows better than to just gun passes into receivers. The dude is just playing beyond his age and experience. He has actually zipped the ball on only a few occasions, he is mostly looking to protect it and allow only his receiver to catch it. First Tate grab in the GB game, the NE toss x3, the SF game he hit Baldy for another 50+ yards in the air.

If you really want to see the zip, check the Vikings TD's, there are two of them, even on the run the guy can wing a ball. Love seeing those tosses that fly 50+ yards, he makes it look easy. RW.. You are insane.

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His deep ball has a high trajectory but it gets where it needs to be. I think a part of his deep ball trajectory is his height. RG3 is one of the few guys who throws lasers on his deep passes.

I don't remember him throwing many passes last year where I said "That needed more zip"

He really knows his receivers too. McCoy isn't one to catch bullets so he would drop a lot of TJack passes. I think Russ knows McCoy does best with softer throws, compared to a guy like Rice who can take a bullet pass and catch it away from his body.

chris98251":2olnlzth said:

Those of you that played baseball or were in positions to catch the ball in football will understand this more, there are some guys that throw what is called a heavy ball, the trajectory isn't any different but when it gets to you it seems to be heavy and hard. Then there are others that when the ball gets to you it seems as if someone just tossed it almost underhanded, hardly any impact at all.

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The physics of this is somewhat nonsensical. Trajectory is dependent on initial velocity.

Chris98251 and west coast steve what you wrote echos what I heard from the NC State receivers.

Oh he's got an arm alright. One of our new WRs was asked about his first impression of playing with RW during OTAs, and the first thing out of his mouth was arm strength. I'd bet he can throw it on a rope anywhere he wants too, but that's not always what is called for.