Does Russell Wilson give the Steelers a Super Bowl-caliber offense?
Through two games, Steelers QB Russell Wilson is 36-of-57 for 542 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He has a rushing touchdown on top of that, but also has one fumble as a runner. In each game, the Steelers have scored at least 26 points and gained over 400 yards.
While the Steelers are still dealing with slow starts, part of that is Russell Wilson knocking off rust. He missed the first six games (dressing as the backup for the sixth) due to a calf injury, so he has missed a lot of valuable in-game reps.
Even for a 13th-year veteran, the live fire is important, especially on a new team in a new offense. And trying to do that in the middle of the season only makes it even harder. It is reasonable to assume we could see even greater play-to-play consistency from Wilson after the bye.
But the question at the end of the day: does Russell Wilson give the Steelers a Super Bowl-caliber offense? That is why they pursued him this offseason, believing he can get them over the hump. The Steelers believe they have a championship-level defense, and the special teams isn’t far behind. It has been the offensive component holding them back.
Even irrespective of Russell Wilson, the Steelers are still scoring 27.2 points per game over their last five. They rank 16th in yards per game, and that number is on the ascent. In terms of efficiency, they fare better as a possession offense. The Steelers rank fifth in time of possession per drive and seventh in plays per drive. That allows them to keep their defense fresh, which is pretty important.
If the Steelers’ offense continues on an upward trajectory with Wilson, I do think this is a championship-level unit. Wilson is capable of making all the throws, and his playmakers are making plays for him. The offensive line is rounding into form and will get Zach Frazier back soon. Najee Harris is on a roll right now, to the point that it’s limiting Jaylen Warren’s contributions. It’s nice to be optimistic about the Steelers’ offense for a change of pace.
The Steelers’ 2024 season is underway, following another disappointing year ending in a first-round playoff loss. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January. There are positive signs, but things could jump off the rails any moment.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Will Russell Wilson regain his job when he is healthy, or is Justin Fields stealing it? How will the team continue to address the depth chart, which is surprisingly still in flux?
The regular season is here, following weeks of camp and preseason games. The Steelers made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Some they managed to fill, others not so much. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
