Their offense hasn’t looked better than last year in the preseason so far, but the Pittsburgh Steelers still have Super Bowl aspirations. Russell Wilson believes the Steelers have more than 17 games to play this season, but if he wants that to be a reality, he’s going to have tap into the version of himself that was in Seattle. It seems like he already has a good plan for how this team can win a championship though.
Appearing on Cam Heyward’s podcast Not Just Football, Wilson was asked what he feels like the Steelers need to do to win a Super Bowl.
“I think we have to be really efficient on offense,” Wilson said. “Just to be really honest and blunt, I think that we have a great defense, but I think if we can just be efficient on offense. When we get in the red zone, light it up, you know what I mean? Let’s score every time. Not literally, but that mentality that they fear us when we get in the red zone every time. I think that that’s a really key thing.”
Efficiency and volume are two areas that the Steelers’ offense has been lacking in recently, so improving there should be a focus for them. Wilson should help with both those things. Last year, he protected the football well while also scoring at a high rate. The Steelers don’t need to reinvent the wheel. With how good their defense is, they just need to be competent offensively.
Arthur Smith’s scheme should help with that too, especially when it comes to efficiency. Smith’s philosophy is based on running the ball and utilizing play-action. Therefore, the Steelers should be able to control the clock if they have a lead while also being able to take shots down the field when needed.
In that same podcast, Wilson explained what he thinks the Steelers offense is going to look like this year.
“I think we’re gonna move the ball well, I think we’re gonna run it well,” he said. “I think we’re gonna make our shots and we think we’re gonna hit our layups and all that, but when it’s time to get in that red zone and score, we gotta be efficient as ever because we get up with our defense and you guys rushing the passer. It’s not a good feeling for a quarterback if we get up early and often.”
That’s exactly the identity the Steelers have wanted to have on offense since Ben Roethlisberger retired. It’s easy to win shootouts with a gunslinger like Roethlisberger at quarterback, but those guys don’t grow on trees. You’re better off trying to put out a fire with gasoline than trying to win a shootout against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Wilson’s vision for the offense sounds like a winning formula for the Steelers. Their defense is going to get stops and make splash plays. The offense just needs to be able to sustain drives. Every drive doesn’t need to end in points, but they can’t go three and out as much as they have in the past.
Forcing other teams to be one-dimensional and throw the ball to get back into games will create more opportunities for the defense as well. Maybe the Steelers aren’t a Super Bowl contender, but don’t tell the players that. If Wilson and the offense can execute efficiently, then they should at least be a threat in the playoffs.
They need to actually show some of that ability in a game though. Wilson said the starting offense is going to play in the final preseason game, and if the starters look as bad as they have in the previous two games, then the Super Bowl should be the least of their concerns. It’s a long season and taking it one step at a time is important. You can’t run if you don’t know how to walk.
