There is finally a clear direction for the Pittsburgh Steelers to begin the season. Even though it seemed obvious, Russell Wilson has been named the starting quarterback. Wilson may not be the same quarterback he once was, but he’s still better than what the Steelers had last year. However, even with Wilson at quarterback, CBS Sports analyst Pete Prisco thinks the Steelers will be terrible this season.
Appearing on CBS Sports HQ, Prisco gave his opinion on the Steelers.
“They’ll be feisty, they’ll be tough, but they’re the fourth team in the division,” Prisco said. “Russell Wilson starting at quarterback, is he better than what they had? Barely. Russell Wilson, as we know him, isn’t the same guy. When he was with Seattle, and they were going to Super Bowls, they had the number one-ranked scoring defense in the league for four straight years.
“They weren’t going to the Super Bowls because of Russell Wilson. He was always a tad overrated, now he’s not nearly as good. Everybody looks at his name, and they say, ‘Oh, Russell Wilson, now with the Steelers? Put them in as a division favorite.’ No, they’re the worst team in the division.”
There’s a lot to unpack there from Prisco, and none of it is good. Saying Wilson is barely better than what the Steelers had at quarterback last year makes it seem like Prisco didn’t watch the Steelers last year. They had three different quarterbacks start, and none of them were good. Mason Rudolph was the best of the bunch, and he’s a backup quarterback on another team now.
Wilson isn’t the same quarterback he was with the Seahawks, but he’s still significantly better than every Steelers quarterback last year. Wilson does hold on to the ball too long and takes sacks as a result, but there are elements to his game that still make him a viable starting quarterback. His deep ball still seems sharp, his processing is quick, and he limits turnovers. None of the Steelers quarterbacks last year had those skills.
Prisco also claims the Steelers are the worst team in the AFC North, implying that they’ll finish last. The last season the Steelers finished last was 1988. The AFC North didn’t even exist at that point. If they finished last this year, it would be unprecedented. They didn’t do it last year, and they didn’t do it the year Ben Roethlisberger missed almost every game. What makes this year worse?
No one is seriously calling the Steelers a division favorite, either. They have a chance to win the division, just like every other team has a chance before the season starts. No one believes they’re a favorite, though, not with the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals as good as they are. Could they finish in second place? Yes. If another team gets unlucky with injuries, the door could open for the Steelers.
This seems like just a hot take from Prisco. There isn’t much actual evidence to back up his point. The Steelers improved their offensive line, got a better playcaller, added to their defense, and overhauled their quarterback room. Maybe something goes wrong, and Prisco ends up being right, but it’s more likely that the Steelers prove the doubters wrong again.
