Matt Flynn Is Taking The Qb Competition In Stride And Says He Is Just Going To Be Himself

Matt Flynn Is Taking the QB Competition in Stride and Says He Is Just Going to Be Himself

After sitting behind Aaron Rodgers for the last four years, it looked like Matt Flynn was finally going to get his chance to lead his own offense after the Seattle Seahawks signed him as a free agent this offseason. Not so fast. While Flynn may still be the starting quarterback week one of the season in Seattle, he’s going to have to win the job in a surprise quarterback competition with incumbent starter Tarvaris Jackson and third round pick Russell Wilson.
While undersized, Seattle saw something that they liked in Wilson and it seems like they have been raving about him since they selected him at the end of April. No matter what happens with this competition and it looks like Flynn’s job to lose, one of the biggest issues that has been holding Seattle back is the quarterback position. Seattle aggressively went out to change that and it appears they have with the additions of Flynn and Wilson.Matt Flynn joined 710 ESPN in Seattle with Brock and Salk to talk about his transition to Seattle, what he has learned about the Seahawks from his limited time in Seattle, how much he grew as a quarterback being in Green Bay, what he has to do to become the leader of the offense and hold off Russell Wilson and what he thinks of Wilson as a QB.

On his transition to Seattle:

“It’s going well, just trying to get the terminology down with the playbook. It is a bit of a carryover from Green Bay’s offense. They’re both West Coast styles and there’s some carryover so it’s actually kind of helped the learning curve a little bit but it’s going well. I’m getting all of that done and I’m getting all the stuff down and just trying to get it to where I’m processing it faster. That’s coming along and everything is going well. Relationship with the guys, the connection out on the field, getting the timing down with the receivers which is improving daily and feeling very comfortable with the situation and everything that is happening.”

What he has learned about the Seahawks and the city of Seattle during his time there:

“Getting used to the area, getting used to just being over here getting used to everyone who is working in the facility whether it be the coaches, equipment staff, trainers and just kind of getting familiarity with all these guys and that’s all part of it. It’s a good situation. The facilities are great up here, they do things the right way here and they’ve made it very comfortable for me. On top of that the people around the city, around the town and everywhere have been very supportive. Everyone says how big of fans they are and just seems like there is a big support system here.”

How much he has grown as a QB thanks to being in Green Bay:

“In college you definitely don’t get the in depth detail on footwork mechanics, throwing mechanics, or at least I didn’t but in Green Bay, with kind of the quarterback school and the different things that we do and we did with Coach Tom Clements in the offseason and during the season, we break everything down from all your footwork in your drops, where you’re holding the ball on your drops, where you’re holding the ball pre-throw, where the ball is coming out, where your release point is, how much body are you getting into it and everything like that. There’s a lot that goes into it that doesn’t include your arm. It’s a lot of things that really kind of opened my mind and helped me out and the more time I spent in Green Bay the better I felt I was getting physically. Throwing the ball better, throwing the ball more accurate and things like that. I just feel like I’m a completely different quarterback than I was four years ago when I was a rookie.”

What he feels like he has to do to become the leader of the Seahawks offense and hold off Russell Wilson in the QB competition:

“I don’t think there’s any secret or any blueprint to doing that. I think the main thing is you just have to be yourself. You can’t try to be fake or try to be something you’re not. You just have to be yourself and in the competition aspect, I’ve been in a lot of competitions in my career and the thing that I have learned is that you’re never going to be able to control what the other guy does, you can just control what you do. Don’t ever try to be something you’re not, don’t try to press and if they’re playing well or anything like that then just sit back and be you and try to better yourself every year.”

What he thinks of Wilson as a QB:

“Yeah he’s been here this week and he’s been out working with us this week, he’s been in the meetings with us and a really nice guy. He seems like he was very leveled and a very intelligent guy. He’s a good addition to the room because he’s a good person to talk to and to learn with.”