The Wolfpacker

November 2017

The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports

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136 ■ THE WOLFPACKER ■ PACK PROS A Quartet Of NFL Starters Make NC State The Undisputed 'Quarterback U' BY RYAN TICE I t didn't last the whole season, but NC State did boast a quartet of starting NFL quarterbacks for three weeks, making it one of just four schools to ever produce a foursome of NFL starters in the same season (according to the excellent research compiled by The Wolfpacker contributor Tim Peeler). When all four were in the starting lineup for their teams' week two tilts, it was just the second time one school had that many alums starting under center in the same NFL week (USC in 2009 was the other; this research was done by The Raleigh News & Observer). The Seattle Seahawks' Russell Wilson continues to be the standard for former Wolfpack signal-callers. The sixth-year professional is already a Super Bowl cham- pion and three-time Pro Bowl selection, and he's once again directing his team to the top of the NFC West, where the Se- ahawks were tied with the Rams at 5-2 heading into November. However, he's still young enough to be accomplishing firsts in his professional career — and he posted his first 400-yard passing game in a 41-38 win over the Tex- ans Oct. 29. His 452-yard, four-touchdown passing line is even more impressive when the fact that his top two running backs combined for 12 rushes that gained minus- one yard is taken into account. "If there was ever any doubts about what Russell can do, there is no limit," head coach Pete Carroll said after the game, ac- cording to TheMMQB.com. In early October, Pro Football Focus ranked the Seahawks' offensive line 30th out of 32 teams for pass blocking, but Wil- son has elevated the offense despite the shoddy front. It marked the 23rd time in his 99 starts that Wilson has led Seattle on a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime; that's the most of any field gen- eral since Wilson's rookie season in 2012. "In a crowded field led by Philadelphia quarterback Carson Wentz, Wilson's an MVP candidate for getting Seattle to 5-2 while playing several Sundays in survival mode for getting hit so much," TheMMQB.com's Peter King noted. The Los Angeles Chargers' Philip Rivers is the veteran mainstay of the Pack Pros under center. Through eight starts, he has completed 60.5 percent of his passes for 2,028 yards with 13 touchdowns and six in- terceptions for the 3-5 Chargers. His yard- age total ranked fifth in the NFL, while his passing touchdowns were tied for seventh. The two newcomers to the starting club have had mixed results. After two years of backing up No. 1 overall pick Jameis Win- ston in Tampa Bay, Mike Glennon signed as a free agent with the Chicago Bears. The fifth-year veteran started the first four games of the year before being benched for No. 2 overall pick Mitch Trubisky. During his time on the field, he completed 66.4 percent of his passes for 833 yards with four touchdowns and five picks during his squad's 1-3 start. Meanwhile, second-year pro Jacoby Brissett is still in the lineup while the Colts' franchise quarterback, Andrew Luck, works his way back from shoulder surgery. FOX Sports' Jay Glazer reported in late October it was "not progressing as expected," which may mean more time on the field for Brissett. He stepped into the starting role week two and has completed 60.4 percent of his passes for 1,642 yards with five touchdowns and four intercep- tions. He also added 135 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, while the Colts were 2-5 in his starts. Russell Wilson has been the most successful of the four former NC State quarterbacks in the NFL this year. He was ranked fifth in the league for touchdown throws (15), was sixth in passing yards (2,008) and was eighth in passer rating (100.4) among quarterbacks with at least 100 attempts through week eight. PHOTO BY MAURICE LABRECQUE/COURTESY SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

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