The player who was too short and too slow and too deliberate to lead all the predraft shows, and walk in a tie across the stage at Radio City Music Hall was the one walking to a bus Sunday night with his season still alive. Perhaps now the rest of the country will finally realize just how good the quarterback in Seattle has become.
All three of the great rookie quarterbacks were playing on Sunday. They were all in the same state, in stadiums less than 50 miles apart. By early evening there was no doubt as to the best one in the playoffs.
Wilson jogged silently into the Seahawks' locker room wearing the same cold, serious look that never seems to leave his face. He didn't wave to cameras or wave a No. 1 finger or run up to a knot of reporters as his receiver Doug Baldwin did and screamed: "Why y'all here? No words need to be said!"
He simply did what he has done 11 other times in this improbable rookie year. He won.
When the Seahawks fell behind 14-0 and looked like they were going to be blown out, Wilson was calm. He told his teammates they were fine. He told them they could still win the game. In his mind, he kept saying it didn't matter who won the first quarter, it was the end of the game that was important.
