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Nathaniel Hackett May Have Been Protecting Russell Wilson

Photo: Steph Chambers

Jason Smith: "How much of Nathaniel Hackett's choice to not go for it on 4th and 5 has to do with Hackett saying 'as Russell Wilson goes, I go. I'm here as long as things go well and Wilson likes me. If I put him out there on 4th and 5 and he doesn't make it. And not only do we lose in his return, he fails on the final play. Who know what that does to him and our relationship. So I'm going to take it out of his hands just to not give him something that could define him in his first game, and I'm going to try for the field goal.' What percentage chance do you think that is the case? He may want to protect Russell Wilson from failure, because he's hoping that he is going to have a long time with him in Denver."
Mike Harmon: "If that's what we're worried about in Game 1 of the season, I think we should just give up and go home now."


Jason Smith and Mike Harmon attempt to make sense of Nathaniel Hackett's decision to try for a long field goal instead of give Russell Wilson a chance to convert a 4th and 5. Jason explains why he believes Hackett may have been looking at his long-term relationship with his new quarterback and possibly wanted to protect Wilson from an embarrassing failure.