Russell Wilson feels "in the zone" after backing up his bullish comments about being the NFL's best quarterback by throwing five touchdowns in the Seattle Seahawks' 35-30 win over the New England Patriots.
Wilson tied a career-high by tossing five scores — to five different receivers — before the Seahawks defense stuffed Patriots QB Cam Newton from the one-yard line with three seconds remaining to go 2-0 to start the season.
It was another electric display from Wilson, who unleashed deep touchdown bombs to DK Metcalf and David Moore, as he lived up to his pre-game assertion that he was the league's best QB.
Ninth-year quarterback Wilson has never received an MVP vote but once again showed he deserves to be in the conversation with Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and others for the game's leading signal caller.
"I don't come to play this game to be second place," Wilson told reporters when asked about the comments he made on The Dan Patrick Show on Friday. "I think that if I'm not thinking that way, I'm crazy to, because if you want to be great you have to believe in who you are and what you have and all the things that you do.
"I put tons of work in this game and I want to be the best in the world, but I can't do it alone."
.@DangeRussWilson shines in primetime. #GoHawks x #NEvsSEA pic.twitter.com/33dRveYsV7
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) September 21, 2020
Wilson revealed he has been itching to get back on the field since the Seahawks' playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers in January.
He has thrown nine touchdowns through Week 2 - only the fourth player in NFL history to throw at least four in each of his team's first two games.
Asked if it felt like he had found "another gear" at the start of this season, Wilson added: "Definitely in the zone. Locked in. Focused. Dialed in. My team-mates are too.
"It's a great group of men. I've been ready to play since the last time we had our last game in Green Bay. Every day it's my mindset, just my performance, team and everything else, just everything that we put into it is just getting ready and trying to be great."