Sunday's matchup between the 6-2 Seattle Seahawks and 2-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers will include a former NFC West rivalry: coach Bruce Arians vs. the Seahawks. Arians, who coached the Arizona Cardinals between 2013 and 2017, is all too familiar with the man quarterbacking Seattle, Russell Wilson.

Wilson, who is an MVP candidate, has the respect of Arians. Considering Arians is dubbed to be the quarterback whisperer, that's not half bad.

“Russell Wilson is a guy I probably respect as much as any quarterback in this league,” Arians said on Wednesday, via Patrick Olde Loohuis and Liz Matthews of the Seahawks Wire. “As far as taking a broken play and making something fantastic out it, I’ve played him so many times and watched him do it. A lot of guys can scramble. A lot of guys can run. But not many guys can throw the ball downfield across the field and know where your guys are when you break the pocket.”

Wilson's passing numbers are some of the best in the NFL. Through eight weeks, the dynamic quarterback has thrown for 2,172 yards, a league-leading 17 touchdowns and one interception on a 68.4% completion rate. He, as Arians says, is also one of the NFL's best dual-threats. He has 182 yards and three touchdowns on the ground in 2019.

“He looks healthy again, he’s running a lot this year,” Arians continued. “He’s as good a dual-threat as there is. And he can beat you from the pocket, so it will be a hell of a challenge.”

Though Arians praises Wilson, he has his number in Seattle. The now-Buccaneers head coach has four of the last five games he's coached against the Seahawks in Seattle.