Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson had a chance to set a new NFL record in his team's Week 17 game against the San Francisco 49ers, but he came up about an inch short.
Wilson entered Sunday night's matchup with 86 career wins, which was tied with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady for the most by a QB in his first eight seasons. In fairness to Brady, he didn't start a game in his rookie season, so his 86 wins actually came over seven years (2001 through 2007).
It appeared Wilson was going pass Brady and set a new mark with 87 victories, but his fourth-down pass late in the fourth quarter to tight end Jacob Hollister was one inch short of the goal line, thus turning the ball over on downs and giving the 49ers a 26-21 win that clinched the NFC West title and No. 1 playoff seed for San Francisco.
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It's sometimes easy to forget how well Wilson has played in his career.
He rarely gets the credit he deserves for the Seahawks' success. Wilson was drafted in 2012 and started as a rookie, leading the Seahawks to an 11-5 record that season. He won the Super Bowl during his sophomore campaign and nearly earned another title the year after. Wilson has won 10 or more games in seven of his eight seasons with Seattle, and he's improved quite a bit as a passer. The 31-year-old veteran has thrown 66 touchdown passes with just 12 interceptions over the last two seasons (including 2019).
New England Patriots
Both Brady and Wilson face tough roads to Super Bowl LIV, but given their previous playoff history, it's still hard to bet against them in high-pressure moments.