The NFL schedule makers have to be patting themselves on the back for a job well done. Of course, they couldn’t have known how dramatic the storylines between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Jets would have been at this point in the season, but it had a funny way of working itself out for Sunday Night Football in front of the country.
The Steelers will start Russell Wilson for the first time since he joined the team in March. A calf injury held him out of the first six games, but he is ready to go and is supplanting the 4-2 Justin Fields. Many have called this move a mistake, so they will look to prove the doubters wrong.
Meanwhile, the Jets are doubling down and going all-in on a currently 2-4 team. They reunited Aaron Rodgers with Davante Adams and reworked Haason Reddick’s contract to end his holdout (though he won’t be playing tonight). The Jets desperately need to prove themselves right with these aggressive moves, and they have a road primetime game against a team with some momentum.
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Roman Wilson is inactive for the game. He got a helmet on gameday for the first time last week and logged just five snaps. He popped up on the injury report with a hamstring injury. This is a setback for a player who was just starting to get worked in.
Steelers’ Inactive Players
QB Kyle Allen (3rd QB)
C Zach Frazier
RB Cordarrelle Patterson
OLB Nick Herbig
WR Roman Wilson
S Damontae Kazee
RB Aaron Shampklin
Jets’ Inactive Players
T Carter Warren
OL Max Mitchell
RB Israel Abanikanda
EDGE Braiden McGregor
WR Malachi Corley
CB Michael Carter II
CB D.J. Reed
The Jets won the coin toss and elected to defer. Russell Wilson and the offense will take the field. For better or for worse, here we go.
START OF GAME
Steelers start at the 30 with the touchback.
1st and 10, Harris up the middle for 4 yards and Wilson making some checks at the line. 2nd and 6, Wilson complete to Darnell Washington for 15 yards on a dump-off via play-action.
1st and 10, Najee Harris making some cuts and laying the boom for an 18-yard gain.
1st and 10, Wilson scrambled and nearly escaped, but gained just a yard. 2nd and 9, Jaylen Warren off left tackle for 4 yards. They are in field goal range, so at least they have some pretty safe points. The first 3rd down of the Russ era. 3rd and 5, Wilson threw the ball away with pressure coming from Will McDonald IV. The field goal is good from 46 yards out. 3-0 Steelers.
1st and 10, Rodgers a little off target to Davante Adams incomplete. 2nd and 10, Breece Hall up the middle for 3 yards with Alex Highsmith and Patrick Queen in on the tackle. 3rd and 7, the elite defensive front of the Steelers are making their presence known early. Larry Ogunjobi in for the sack and a quick three-and-out.
The Steelers nearly blocked the punt up the middle, but it went for 47 yards to the 36. The Steelers start with plus position.
1st and 10, Wilson screen pass to Warren for 4 yards. 2nd and 5, Warren up the middle for 5 yards. 3rd and 1, Wilson’s pass dropped by Calvin Austin III. Tough break for the offense. The punt was muffed but it rolled out of bounds. They get the ball at the 18.
A huge tackle for loss on 1st and 10, but Larry Ogunjobi called for unnecessary roughness. What a horrific call.
1st and 10, Rodgers complete to Hall short for an 18-yard gain.
1st and 10, Rodgers complete to Adams for 9 yards with Joey Porter Jr. tackling the catch. 2nd and 1, DeShon Elliott into the backfield for a 3-yard loss. 3rd and 4, Rodgers complete to Allen Lazard for 3 yards. Replay assistance gave them a first down. That is goofy, but here we are in the tech era.
1st and 10, Rodgers complete to Hall for 13 yards.
1st and 10, Rodgers complete to Hall with Queen and Elliott combining for a tackle. 2nd and 8, Rodgers to Garrett Wilson for 12 yards. Donte Jackson missed the tackle.
1st and 10 in the red zone, Hall off left tackle for 13 yards and a touchdown. That drive was assisted by a dumb penalty, and a bunch of missed tackles. 7-3 Jets.
The kickoff resulted in a touchback.
1st and 10, George Pickens never got his head around and the ball flew incomplete. 2nd and 10, Harris around the right end for a loss of 2. 3rd and 12, and the pass fell incomplete to Pat Freiermuth. That was an ugly three-and-out and now the Jets have a chance to break this game open.
The boos and Justin Fields chants are already coming out. This can and will get ugly if the Jets march down the field again. Austin’s drop looms large on 3rd down a couple drives ago.
1st and 10, Donte Jackson TFL on Hall. 2nd and 11, Rodgers dialed up a deep pass for Adams, but it fell incomplete. 3rd and 11, incomplete. The punt was very nearly blocked by Miles Killebrew, no clue how he didn’t get it.
1st and 10, Harris off right tackle for 2 yards.
END OF 1ST QUARTER: 7-3 JETS
2nd and 8, incomplete to Austin. 3rd and 8, Another look to Austin and it fell incomplete. The boos are out in full force. Mike Tomlin set Wilson up for this, but ultimately it is up to him to quiet the crowd and win them over. No luck on that front so far. The punt was fair caught at the 13.
Holding wiped out a short gain for the Jets. 1st and 16, Rodgers to Hall for 5 yards. 2nd and 11, incomplete pass with Alex Highsmith nearly getting the sack and Cameron Heyward batting it down. 3rd and 11, Rodgers complete to Adams for 10 yards with Beanie Bishop on the tackle. Surely they won’t go for it this deep in their own end. The punt unit comes on.
The punt went 47 yards to the 31-yard line. Alright Russ, time to wake up. If he doesn’t the crowd will eat him alive.
1st tand 10, Harris off right tackle for 1 yard. 2nd and 9, toss right to Harris for about three yards. Holding erased the play. 2nd and 17, Wilson deep to Pickens for 44 yards on the back shoulder with Brandin Echols in coverage.
1st and 10, Warren up the middle for 3 yards. 2nd and 7, Wilson complete to Darnell Washington in the flat for 18 yards.
1st and 10, Harris off right tackle for 5 yards. 2nd and 5, Harris tackled for a 6-yard loss. 3rd and 11, Wilson had all day and he threw the ball away with nothing open downfield. The field goal is good. 7-6 Jets.
At least there was a sign of life.
The kickoff was returned to the 29.
1st and 10, Rodgers complete to Adams for 11 yards with Jackson in coverage.
1st and 10, Allen up the middle for 1 yard. 2nd and 9, Rodgers complete to Breece Hall catch and run for 57 yards.
1st and goal, Rodgers incomplete to Irvin Charles in the back of the end zone. 2nd and goal, Hall up the middle and stopped just short. 3rd and goal, the Jets dropped the challenge flag but Rodgers got the snap off before and an easy wide open touchdown to Tyler Conklin. The PAT was blocked, but a flag on the play. Minkah Fitzpatrick called for leverage, but it was just a horrible call. No controversy, just bad. The Two-point conversion then succeeded. 15-6 Jets.
The officials just spotted the Jets a field goal worth of a point swing. Unacceptable.
