The Pittsburgh Steelers have gotten elevated play out of their quarterback room with Russell Wilson taking over for Justin Fields as the team’s starter ahead of Week 7, and Wilson has looked the way he did when he was considered one of the better quarterbacks in the league with the Seattle Seahawks. His performance over the last two games, both Steelers wins, has been universally praised, even by his harshest critics. Rich Eisen also praised him today, invoking the 2010 film “Hot Tub Time Machine” to make his point that Wilson looks like he’s playing like his old self.
“I’m just wondering if you can go look at Acrisure Stadium and see if it is in fact turned into a hot tub. Just want to know. Because Russ is in a time machine,” Eisen said. “Russ is slinging it. Russ is moving very well in the pocket for a guy in his mid-30s. Russ is absolutely on point with the deep ball as he always has been.”
While the decision to start Wilson over Fields was met with some trepidation, the nine-time Pro Bowler has taken Pittsburgh’s offense to another level. He’s thrown the ball well, and that’s led to lighter boxes for Najee Harris, who’s really taken off over the last three games. Wilson’s deep ball also provides instant offense for the Steelers, and the whole receiver room is getting involved. Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin III combined for seven receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown last night in the Steelers’ 26-18 win over the New York Giants.
The whole offense has taken a leap with Wilson under center, and any concerns about him due to his stint with the Denver Broncos that went awry seem to have gone away. With the Steelers at 6-2 heading into their bye week, Wilson looks to be playing his best football in years, and there’s a lot of hope that he can lead the Steelers to some playoff success.
Two games are still a fairly small sample size, but it’s hard not to be impressed by what Wilson has put on tape for the Steelers. My biggest concern was his lack of mobility, especially coming off a calf injury, but Wilson was a mobile quarterback early in his career and he’s still moved well for the Steelers, even if he isn’t a rushing threat in the way that Fields is.
Wilson’s play has been a really positive development for Pittsburgh, and hopefully he can carry his level of play over into the second half when the Steelers play their entire divisional slate.
