TERRY MOSHER
TOP OF THE TOWN – Colin Cowherd had an interesting observation the other day on his TV sports talk show. Some people feel Russell Wilson should have insisted to rookie Denver coach Nathaniel Hackett the Broncos should go for it on 4th and five with 20 seconds left and the ball on the Seattle 45 instead of kicking a field goal of 64 years that missed. Wilson in his 10 years with the Seahawks worked plenty of magic to pull victory from the jaws of defeat in the waning seconds. This looked just like his cup of tea. But Hackett went for the field goal and was ripped for not letting Wilson win it. A day later, Hackett admitted he made a mistake. But here is what is interesting from Cowherd’s perspective. He doesn’t fault Wilson. Cowherd says a veteran quarterback like Payton Manning played in systems that allowed him to be the deciding voice in such situations, and that he would have made the call on what to do, which probably would have been to go for the first down and move the ball closer for a more legitimate field goal attempt. Wilson, Cowherd insists, was under the thumb of coach Pete Carroll all those years and wasn’t used to having the final say. He was more a manager of games, and was conditioned not to jump in and argue with Hackett. Wilson, in the aftermath of the loss, defended Hackett’s decision, as Cowherd expected he would. Bottom line, though, is why pay a guy $245 million and then not use him to do what he was good at doing? I feel the same way as Cowherd. Wilson showed often over the years picking up five yards and a first down was very doable and I would have told him to go for it. I’m pretty sure the Broncos would then have won the game on a field goal their kicker Brandon McManus would almost certainly made. There were a lot of 12s at Lumen Field that were as shocked as I was when McManus ran out on field to kick the ball. No way. No, no way. But he did, and the Seahawks are the better for it. … I expect a real struggle Saturday at Husky Stadium when the Huskies host Michigan State. The Spartans are not Kent State or Portland State, teams the Huskies easily beat. I’m guessing here, but I think 27-23 in favor of the Spartans looks about right. That’s it for today. Stay safe.
Be well pal.
Be careful out there.
Have a great day.
You are loved.
