NFL teams
Jeffri Chadiha, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Bobby Wagner keyed Seattle surge

NFL, Seattle Seahawks

PHOENIX -- Just over three months ago, as the Seattle Seahawks struggled to find answers to mounting frustrations, middle linebacker Bobby Wagner roamed through the locker room with glum eyes and slumped shoulders. He rode on a device known as a knee scooter, with his right foot stuck in a black walking boot and his left leg wheeling him past a collection of cushy chairs.

The Seahawks already had enough concerns on that mid-October day, including an assortment of other injured players and one malcontent, wide receiver Percy Harvin, who would be traded to the New York Jets later that week. The last thing they needed to hear was that their starting middle linebacker had torn a ligament in his right big toe and fractured the sesamoid bone in that foot.

At that time it seemed highly improbable that Wagner would be sitting where he was on Tuesday afternoon, overlooking a crowd of reporters who had gathered around his podium on Super Bowl XLIX media day. But Wagner didn't see any reason to be surprised by how quickly his fortunes changed.

"Whenever you're on the field, you want to make an impact," Wagner said. "When I came back from injury, I wanted to make sure my presence was felt and make sure people did see a difference."

For all the compelling storylines surrounding Seattle's upcoming matchup with New England -- and those range from Bill Belichick vs. Pete Carroll to Tom Brady vs. Russell Wilson to Richard Sherman vs. Darrelle Revis -- the one that might be easiest to miss involves a defender who has been playing better than anybody else on that side of the ball over the past two months.

The Seahawks' impressive eight-game run of defensive dominance has everything to do with Wagner's return in Week 12 after being sidelined for five weeks. Seattle has allowed only 78 points during that stretch. Wagner has led the team with 73 tackles while providing ample evidence as to why he was nominated to his first Pro Bowl despite missing so much time.

On a defense known for its combination of speed, intelligence and toughness, the 6-foot, 241-pound Wagner embodies all those qualities at the center of Seattle's scheme.

As Sherman said, "You've seen a culmination of the last two years [in] that he's played phenomenal football. I think he should have been an All-Pro and Pro Bowler last year based on his statistics and the high level of play. He was able to get those awards this year despite missing games, and I think that's admirable."

"You can see the impact that [Wagner's return] had once he came back," added Seahawks linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr. "We were somewhere in the middle [of the pack] -- not very dominant, not able to put teams away. And then once he shows up in the middle, the run defense is solid, the pass defense is solid."

Wagner will be just as crucial to the Seahawks' strategy when they meet New England on Sunday. As the man who makes all the defensive calls, he's responsible for making sure all 11 defenders are on the same page. That's a much tougher task when facing a team that runs an offense that is as fast-paced as the one the Patriots operate. Throw in some matchup nightmares like Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski, a future Hall of Fame quarterback in Brady and a coaching staff that suddenly loves to use unbalanced lines, and the job only gets that much harder.

The last time these two teams played -- during Wagner's rookie season in 2012 -- the Seahawks sent a message to the football world by proving they could beat a perennial championship contender.

This time, Wagner said, "We'll be ready for the wrinkles that they throw and the [trick] plays that they run. ... At the end of the day, the game is pretty simple. They're going to run the ball or pass it. We don't know how much they are going to do of each because [in New England's divisional playoff win over Baltimore] they passed a lot, and the last game they had [an AFC title game win over Indianapolis] they ran the ball a lot. It's up to them to pick their poison, and we're going to be ready for it."

As the Seahawks will tell you, the swagger in Wagner's tone reveals how quickly he has grown up in only three NFL seasons. He went from being an unheralded high school prospect (his only Division I offer came from Utah State) to being the Western Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year as a senior to being the Seahawks' second-round pick in the 2012 draft. Even though Wagner was far from a known commodity, he was dropped right into the starting lineup of a team that was trying to create its own identity. It wasn't the easiest of transitions.

Wagner's anxiety showed when he called the defensive signals in the huddle. His low-key nature at times seemed to be a bad fit for a unit that was filled with both established veterans and younger players hungry to make their own names.

"He was coming into a position where you have to be very vocal and you have to call the plays every play, and he was kind of nervous in that regard," Sherman said. "You're stepping into a team full of older guys who have played this game at a high level, and you have to tell them what to do. For a second, it was tough on him."

Wagner admitted that he wouldn't have thrived without the support of Carroll.

"He had a belief in me," Wagner said. "I was like the young new guy, trying to be in a role that required a lot. He kind of instilled that confidence in me that I can do this and that I was the player for that spot."

Wagner became so productive in that first season -- he tallied 140 tackles, two sacks and three interceptions -- that many were surprised when he didn't win league Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. He followed that effort with 120 tackles, five sacks and two interceptions in helping Seattle to a Super Bowl victory.

This year Wagner managed 104 tackles, but what's most noticeable is what his absence meant to the Seahawks' run defense. Including a 30-23 home loss to Dallas on Oct. 12 (when Wagner sustained his injury), Seattle lost three games and gave up big rushing performances to the Cowboys' DeMarco Murray (115 yards), St. Louis' Tre Mason (85) and Kansas City's Jamaal Charles (159 yards).

The Seahawks expect to avoid numbers like those now that their star linebacker is back in the middle and eager to see the Patriots again.

"It's always a fun matchup when you go against an offense like that," Wagner said. "We always [take] pride [in] ourselves. Last year we went against the No. 1 offense and I feel like this is the top of the business. To be the best in the business, you have to take down the top of the business."

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