Seattle Seahawks vs San Francisco 49ers: Which NFL Team Has Better Quarterback?
The Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers represent one the biggest rivalries in the NFL today. The two teams have each made it to multiple NFC Championship games over the last four seasons with their elite defenses.
But, who has the better quarterback? Let's compare the two starting quarterbacks and vote on the superior one.
Why Russell Wilson Is Better
Seahawks fans are just fine with their quarterback. With Wilson at the helm, the Seahawks have posted a 36-12 record over the last three seasons. Wilson is mobile, accurate, and he is one clutch quarterback. Wilson has put together 15 game-winning drives in his three year career, five in each season. Wilson's clutch play doesn't end in the regular season, either.
In the playoffs, Wilson has 12 touchdowns, six interceptions and a 97.8 passer rating. Wilson has a 6-2 playoff record including a Super Bowl victory against the Denver Broncos. Only once has Wilson played poorly in a playoff game, and that was against the Green Bay Packers last year. However, he made up for it by connecting on a 35-yard pass to Jermaine Kearse in overtime in the NFC title game.
Compared to Kaepernick, Wilson has a higher passer rating, completion percentage, and he averages more passing yards per game. Wilson also hasn't had as good of a wide receiver unit as Kaepernick has. Kaepernick has had notable targets to throw to such as Anquan Boldin, Michael Crabtree, Vernon Davis and Randy Moss
Why Colin Kaepernick is Better
It was a tough year for the 49ers, but we can't blame Kaepernick for everything. Kaepernick previously led the 49ers to consecutive NFC Championship games, but last season went just 8-8. Kaepernick had just 10 interceptions last season, and his career interception percentage is actually slightly lower than Wilson's.
Handing the ball off to Frank Gore has been nice, but not as much of a gift as giving it to Marshawn "beast mode" Lynch. Kaepernick is asked to do more because he doesn't play alongside the best running back in the league, and he doesn't benefit from having the No. 1 ranked defense behind him. This Seahawks defense is arguably one of the best squads in NFL history.
Super Bowl 49 ended with Wilson throwing an interception at the one yard line in the final seconds.
Kaepernick also holds an edge in size, as we have seen Wilson struggle to see over the line of scrimmage at times. Kaepernick has shown off his talents in the postseason many times before. Against the Packers in 2013, he ran for an incredible 181 rushing yards, the most ever by a quarterback in a postseason game. Kaepernick isn't more consistent than Wilson, but when he's on his game, he's a very dangerous quarterback.
Conclusion
In the end, both quarterbacks are very skilled, mobile and have won in the postseason. They have each benefited from playing on teams with good defenses as well. Wilson has played with a better running back whereas Kaepernick has had superior targets to throw to.
Feel free to vote in our fan poll below