Sage Rosenfels is a former 12-year NFL quarterback who writes, does radio, and podcasts about the NFL and college football.

I sat down to watch this week’s matchup on Sunday Night Football with the intention of studying Cam Newton and dissecting his struggles this season. The reigning NFL MVP has not had a season which in any way resembles his phenomenal 2015 campaign. The Carolina Panthers were 4-7 and on the brink of being eliminated from the playoffs. Before Carolina exited the national spotlight like many Super Bowl losers before them, I wanted to find answers to their inconsistency. On the very first play of the game, this story wrote itself.

Because he didn’t follow a team rule, Newton was benched for the first series and Derek Anderson started the game for the Panthers. Having played in multiple organizations and for a plethora of head coaches, I promise you that this isn’t an isolated incident.

NO head coach benches a player for a minimal first time offense.

It’s not worth the headache for him and sets up reporters to ask questions that don’t relate to football for the foreseeable future. Coaches avoid distractions such as this like the plague and Ron Rivera obviously felt benching his franchise quarterback was necessary to send a message to him and the rest of the team. The result was a disaster performance by the entire squad. Though Newton’s benching was the story of the game, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the quarterback on the other side of the ball.

Russell Wilson is elite.

This is not a shocking assertion, but I wanted to compare why he is elite and why Newton isn’t. I don’t like making grand proclamations based off a few games, one season, or even a couple seasons. Cam had an unprecedented season a year ago but his QBR is 80.6 this year, which is less than my career rating of 81.5. Let that sink in.

The reigning MVP, with his star receiver Kelvin Benjamin back in the lineup after missing last year, is statistically playing worse than a career journeyman backup.

Elite quarterbacks have to be consistently good week after week and season after season. Wilson has all the attributes of an elite quarterback and I’m here to break down the reasons.

First, one of my favorite NFL quotes is from Hall of Fame Minnesota Vikings head coach Bud Grant. "Your best ability is your availability."

Despite being hurt with an ugly ankle injury in week 3 versus the 49ers, Wilson has continued to compete and play at a high level. He hasn’t been as dangerous with his legs as he was in past seasons, but he is good enough with the other aspects of his game that it hasn’t significantly hurt his team. At this point in the NFL season, almost everyone has a nagging injury. The more tools you have in your game, the better chance you have to succeed.

Speaking of tools, what doesn’t get talked about enough is Wilson’s accuracy.

For a number of years, the most accurate quarterbacks in the league were Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Drew Brees. In my mind, the Seattle Seahawks QB is now in that select group of accurate passers (and future Hall of Famers).

Most analysts/scouts/coaches point to completion percentage as a sign of accuracy. While this is an easy and fairly accurate tool, I prefer the eye test.

Brady, Rodgers, Brees, and now Wilson, put the ball exactly where it needs to be for optimal run after catch possibilities. My former QB coach, Jason Garrett, used to point out how the greatest throwers don’t allow their receivers to drop the ball by "sticking" the ball on the chest of their targets. When I watch Wilson connect with his receivers, most of his balls land directly in the middle of the numbers on his teammates’ jerseys. His accuracy is precise at every level. In 2015, his short and mid-range passes rarely missed as he led the league by completing 75 percent of these throws. What is more impressive is his accuracy down the field. Wilson had the second highest completion percentage in the NFL in 2015 with throws over 15 yards. His ability to throw an accurate deep ball sets him apart from the pack.

This skill of accuracy takes natural talent, but the number one reason for accuracy is a quarterback’s mechanics and footwork.

Wilson, in and out of the pocket, is almost always in perfect balance to throw. Most athletic quarterbacks struggle with footwork because it didn’t need to be relied on to be successful in high school and college. Wilson has worked tirelessly with coaches Darrell Bevell and Carl Smith to perfect his footwork. Any good QB coach will tell you that a thrower’s accuracy is directly related to his feet. Wilson’s are as good as there is in the league.

On the other hand, Newton may have the worst footwork in the NFL. Despite his unparalleled physical talent, Cam’s feet are a mess.

At only 5-foot-10, Wilson is not a traditional pocket passer. If he were less mobile, Wilson would still be a Pro Bowler based off his abilities within the pocket. What sets him apart is the magic he creates when plays break down. Most QBs who scramble have the ability to create positive plays, but occasionally make mistakes. When a quarterback gets out of the pocket, chaos takes place in the secondary. Every quarterback makes mistakes when this happens. It’s impossible to see every defender and occasionally someone who seems open actually has an opponent waiting in the weeds, and a throw gets intercepted. This rarely happens with Wilson. Out of the pocket, he creates explosive plays for the Seahawks and avoids the costly mistakes.

To add to the mobility equation, Wilson hurts defenses with scramble runs as well as on an occasional zone read play. OC Darrell Bevell is smart enough to limit these runs to protect his quarterback, but does make use of Wilson’s legs in the red zone. Seattle’s run game is tough to stop and their quarterback is as dangerous as their running backs when they get close to the end zone. Cam Newton is so big that unless he uses his size to run over defenders, he isn’t as effective. The issue is that this opens him to abuse and injuries, which won’t allow him to play at a consistent level for a long time.

Lastly, I think Wilson is elite because of his maturity. He understands the importance of his leadership.

It is nearly impossible to find fault in anything Wilson does off the field. Playing quarterback in the NFL isn’t a 16 days a year type of job.

You are responsible for setting an example for your entire organization, as well as the NFL. He is a regular at children’s hospitals all over the country. His Twitter and Instagram accounts are filled with nothing but positive messages. Every word he speaks at press conferences lifts up those around him. He takes responsibility for his mistakes and deflects praise to his teammates and coaches. Some think this type of leadership is boring or disingenuous, but Wilson understands the power of his message. He gives the opponent and the media nothing negative to use. Wilson and his team has faults, but he surely isn’t going to let anyone else see them. Wilson lives a public life of positivity and hope. Those around him are always encouraged.

In a time when our world needs leaders, Wilson is a messenger of the power of positive living.

I will let Newton’s opening drive benching and never ending drama speak for itself. The press picks on Cam because he gives them plenty of material to work with.

The Seahawks are going to be a tough "out" when the playoffs arrive. Pete Carroll has assembled a team of competitors who look forward to the fight. With only two first-round draft picks and 25 undrafted free agents on the roster, the Seahawks players are accustomed to being the underdog. The player leading them is small in stature, but has every attribute you want in an elite quarterback. Wilson is tough, smart, durable, mobile, accurate, and a leader. He is the perfect fit for Carroll’s competitive environment.

Wilson is also a perfect fit for the small and select fraternity of elite NFL quarterbacks.

Blake Bortles

Bortles and the Jacksonville Jaguars had high expectations going into the 2016 season. The team has struggled, and Bortles has gotten worse as the year has progressed. Whenever this happens, I turn my attention to the coaching staff. Players rarely regress like this. Poor offensive coaching is easy to see and this is an obvious problem in Jacksonville.

Philip Rivers

While his other 2004 fellow first-round quarterbacks were battling for playoff spots in Pittsburgh, Rivers couldn't keep his team in the hunt with another loss. Rivers, who in my view is a Hall of Famer, was the unlucky QB of the 3 to get drafted into a second rate franchise. I wonder what his career would have been like if he were picked by either the New York Giants or Pittsburgh Steelers, two of the best organizations in the NFL.

Joe Flacco

While the majority of fans gave up on the Baltimore Ravens, Flacco has led a Baltimore resurgence which puts them in the lead in the AFC North. Having won 4 of 5, the Ravens are one of those teams nobody will want to play in the playoffs. Some of this has to do with their defense, but a lot has to do with Flacco’s ability to get hot after Thanksgiving. Joe Flacco doesn’t care about who the Ravens are playing or where the game is located. This Ravens team reminds me of the 2007 and 2011 Giants. If they get into the playoffs, look out!