Prisco On Russell Wilson: Not That Good
BOSTON (CBS) - Very little time has been spent this past week analyzing the x's and o's, and the matchups that will make Super Bowl XLIX a "game for the ages."
But on Monday afternoon, Mike Felger and Tony Massarotti started to do just that.
After chatting with Mike Westhoff, Jeff Howe and Ben Volin earlier in the show, 98.5 The Sports Hub's Felger & Massarotti program were joined by Pete Prisco of CBS Sports.
Prisco stopped by the Sports Hub booth and was pleased to announce that Patriots fans no longer hate him as much, and it's another fan base that gives him the most grief these days.
You guessed it -- "the 12's."
"[Patriots fans] are better. The Seahawks fans hate me now, but that's okay," Prisco told Felger & Mazz. "It's because I kill Russell Wilson. I don't think he's that good. I think he's just OK."
This got the attention of Tony Massarotti, who is as big a Wilson fan as Felger is an Andrew Luck fan.
Wilson is a tremendous playmaker, there's no doubt about that, but Prisco sees a lot of flaws in his game.
"First off I think he's good, and people are gonna race him up the great tree. I don't think he's great. I think he's far from great. He plays with a lead; he plays with arguably one of the greatest defenses of all time.
Benoit: Seahawks Defense More Talented Than 2000 Ravens
"I'll give you a stat: the last two years playing with a lead he has 20 touchdowns and three interceptions. Playing without the lead? 17 [touchdowns] and 13 [interceptions]. So that tells you what he benefits from."
Based off that stat, it would be beneficial for the Patriots to get a lead early and force Seattle to throw more.
In fact, both teams rank in the top five in terms of turnover differential, so an early interception or fumble could mean the difference in the game.
Volin On Russell Wilson: 'Schoolyard Quarterback'
Prisco's assessment continued...
"[Russell Wilson] is not good in the pocket -- in fact he's downright awful in the pocket. He feels pressure that's not there, he gets out [of the pocket] because he can't see [the field]. He doesn't make a lot of reads. He's fantastic outside the pocket, I'll give you that. I just don't think he's that good."
Tony Massarotti has provided his most interesting matchups for the game, and he believes the key to a Patriots victory starts with stopping Russell Wilson.
Prisco disagrees, and thinks stopping Marshawn Lynch is most imperative for the Patriots.
Listen below for Felger & Mazz's full conversation with Pete Prisco of CBS Sports:
Tune in to Super Bowl XLIX on 98.5 The Sports Hub -- the flagship station of the New England Patriots. It's the only place to hear Bob Socci & Scott Zolak's local call of the game!
