Opinion corner: Size no biggie for Wilson

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Russell Wilson is bucking the trend.

Not the trend of a rookie quarterback’s team struggling in its first year with him at the helm.

Not the trend of the rookie quarterback himself struggling.

No, Wilson is bucking a size trend. The guy is listed at 5-foot-11, 206 pounds. Who does this guy think he is? Doug Flutie?

You really have to produce to get anywhere when you’re 5-11, 206 pounds at the quarterback position.

Pete Carroll, coach of the Seattle Seahawks, must have liked what he saw in the University of Wisconsin standout who was at North Carolina State before transferring.

Quarterbacks these days come pretty much the same way all around. Most of them are at least 6-4, 210 pounds. Anything smaller, and coaches get afraid the quarterback won’t be able to see over his gigantic linemen. Tom Brady, Eli Manning and Matt Ryan are all 6-4. Peyton Manning is 6-5.

The mold is whatever the NFL says it is.

Maybe Wilson will end up like Flutie (5-10) and have some success but eventually just be serviceable. Or maybe he’ll be more like Drew Brees (6-foot), who will likely go down as one of the best to ever play the game. Brees certainly has to be the best of the short quarterbacks to ever play.

For now, Wilson has the Seahawks 6-4 and in a playoff spot. He’s thrown for 1,827 yards with 15 touchdown passes and eight interceptions.

The picks:

Cincinnati (4-5) at Kansas City (1-8): Chiefs played a close game, but the Bengals flashed their potential against a surprisingly stagnant Giants team. Bengals 31, Chiefs 20

Jacksonville (1-8) at Houston (8-1): The Texans beat the teams they’re supposed to, and then some. They look like the most well-rounded team in the league. Texans 38, Jaguars 3

N.Y. Jets (3-6) at St. Louis (3-5-1): The Rams continue to fly under the radar, but they have a very good defense. The Jets are running off the fumes of past success. Rams 24, Jets 21

Cleveland (2-7) at Dallas (4-5): Dallas is so close to getting back in the playoff race. They’ll move to .500 with a win here. Cowboys 27, Browns 13

Tampa Bay (5-4) at Carolina (2-7): The Bucs are a very disciplined team under first-year coach Greg Schiano. The Panthers aren’t disciplined at all. Bucs 24, Panthers 17

Arizona (4-5) at Atlanta (8-1): The Falcons will rebound and deal Arizona another loss. The Cardinals started the season 4-0. Falcons 31, Cardinals 17

Green Bay (6-3) at Detroit (4-5): Detroit seemed like it had found some momentum until a tough loss to the Vikings last week. Green Bay won’t be as kind. Packers 38, Lions 17

Philadelphia (3-6) at Washington (3-6): The Eagles are a mess. Robert Griffin III enjoys tearing up teams that are a mess. Redskins 34, Eagles 13

New Orleans (4-5) at Oakland (3-6): Saints are back. They’re rolling. Saints 37, Raiders 13

San Diego (4-5) at Denver (6-3): Philip Rivers has been mistake-prone, and it’s cost the Chargers games. His counterpart Peyton Manning will be the reason Rivers suffers another loss. Broncos 21, Chargers 17.

Indianapolis (6-3) at New England (6-3): Expect the Patriots to remind the Colts that they’re far from a supreme power in the AFC. Patriots 37, Colts 23

Baltimore (7-2) at Pittsburgh (6-3): Pittsburgh was the pick until Ben separated his shoulder. Ravens 17, Steelers 13

Chicago (7-2) at San Francisco (6-2-1): Probably the game of the week, and the Bears defense has shown up when it counts. Still, the 49ers haven’t made many mistakes lately. 49ers 27, Bears 23

Last week: 6-7

Season: 78-57

Sun sportswriter Chris Aarhus can be reached at 701- 952-8462 or by email at caarhus@jamestownsun.com

Tags: sports, nfl