After Russell Wilson’s Pittsburgh Steelers debut, it seems a lot of locals are breathing a sigh of relief. That includes former Steelers QB Charlie Batch, who admitted to certain apprehensions before Sunday’s game. The Steelers ended up winning comfortably, 37-15, but it looked rough early.
“I was just a little nervous, only because [Russell Wilson] hasn’t played football since last December in a regular season game”, Batch said on the DVE Morning Show yesterday. “I thought ultimately he was gonna get off to a slow start, which he did. But I just thought they were gonna fall a little too far behind and [weren’t going to be] able to catch up. But boy was I wrong, and I’m glad I was wrong”.
A lot of Steelers fans felt that way after the game as well. Justin Fields had a tremendous amount of support after going 4-2, while Wilson carried with him certain reservations. He was not himself during his two years in Denver, or even his final season in Seattle. Why would he suddenly look like “Russ” in the Black and Gold?
He didn’t initially, completing only two of his first eight passes for 19 yards. It wasn’t until late in the first half that Wilson started to get things going. And from that point on, the Steelers scored 31 unanswered points, their largest run in the better part of a decade.
Of course, you don’t go on such scoring runs without playing complete, complementary football. Russell Wilson benefited considerably from both the defense and special teams, even if not always the officiating. And the Steelers’ offensive turnaround began after a key defensive play.
“Sometimes the other side of the ball has to complement the offense if you’re struggling a little bit”, Batch said. “It wasn’t until that Beanie Bishop [Jr.] interception that really changed the whole momentum. It got them great field position and they were able to punch it in”. Wilson connected with George Pickens for the touchdown in the waning moments of the second quarter, and they carried that momentum through to the end of the game.
Overall, the offense did better taking advantage of its opportunities. Under Justin Fields, they didn’t always capitalize on the table the defense set for them, but they did with Wilson. They also generally succeeded on possession downs, especially late, the ingredients of a blowout.
“Two turnovers led to two touchdowns, and that’s critical in those moments. It’s one thing to create the turnover, but you’ve got to be able to produce points. They were able to do it, and man, Russell Wilson led a [31-0] stretch”, Batch said. “It was a beautiful thing to watch”.
