Matt Flynn Made Pete Carroll’s Job a Lot Easier; Russell Wilson Named Starting QB

If there is one thing that a player doesn't want to do in the preseason it is get hurt when a job is on the line. A team has no reason to keep someone that can't play. When it comes down to a person that is healthy or one that is not--well, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who will get the job in that scenario.

Friday night when Matt Flynn sat out due to a sore elbow he probably didn't imagine it would cost him the starting quarterback job with the Seahawks. After the way Russell Wilson played though, it appears that it did since Wilson has been named the starter.

Wilson was expected to the No. 3 QB in Seattle when he was drafted behind Matt Flynn and Tarvaris Jackson; Jackson ended up never factoring into the race and Wilson pushed Flynn pretty hard for the starters job all preseason.

With the way he played against the Kansas City Chiefs, the decision became pretty easy for head coach Pete Carroll. On the night Wilson was 13-19 for 185 yards and two touchdowns; he tacked on 58 yards on the ground in two runs just for good measure.

This is an extraordinary kid. He just kept knocking us out with what he brought," Caroll said. "I've watched our team respond to him and they've taken to his leadership style.

This performance is right in line with how he played in the first two preseason games. Against the Titans he was 12-16 for 124 yards with one touchdown and an interception. He added on another 59 yards and a touchdown on three carries. He proved it wasn't a fluke a week later against the Broncos when he went 10-17 for 155 yards and two touchdowns; he added another 33 yards on the ground in five carries.

Matt Flynn was expected to be the starter when he was signed to a three year deal with $10 million of his contract guaranteed, but he has not played like it so far. Against the Titans he was efficient completing 11 of 13 passes, but for only 71 yards. The following week he was only 6-13 for 31 yards.

Flynn may be following in the mold that Kevin Kolb inadvertently created. Kolb's value was largely based off of two games in the '09 season, but the Eagles were still able to get a top defensive back for him. Flynn had one game--all be it a tremendous game--and the Seahawks paid the price thinking they were getting the next superstar.

In the end they may still be getting a superstar, but his name isn't Flynn.