The National Football League may be associated with gambling in a sports-betting sense. But NFL coaches stereotypically are risk-avoidant types. So it certainly made headlines when Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin went with QB Russell Wilson as his starter ahead of the Week 7 matchup against the New York Jets. After all, QB Justin Fields was 4-2 as the Steelers’ starter.
But fast-forward to the end of Week 8, and Tomlin looks like he should consider playing the lottery. The Steelers are 2-0 with Wilson under center, and the offense looks much more dangerous through the air.
So what is Russell Wilson doing that is making the Steelers offense a problem for opponents?
“You gotta give these guys a chance,” said former NFL WR Andrew Hawkins on Tuesday’s episode of ESPN NFL Live. “And you fast forward to last night when Russell Wilson is out there. You’re seeing production from Calvin Austin. You’re seeing production from Van Jefferson, and this is Russ putting it up in the air and giving his guys an ability to make the play. Russ is playing with great anticipation because he’s seeing the field better than he has since he was in Seattle. And the wide receivers and pass catchers, they are also playing with anticipation. That if I get open, if I do what I’m supposed to do and I run with the intensity that this play calls for, I am going to get the ball. And Russ has been rewarding them with that.”
.@Hawk on Russell Wilson opening up more opportunities for the Steelers’ wide receivers 👀 pic.twitter.com/D66eptpH45
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) October 29, 2024
Wilson hasn’t been perfect in his two starts for the Steelers. But what he has done is exactly what Hawkins described. He’s giving wide receivers like Calvin Austin III and Van Jefferson chances to make plays. He’s definitely done that with WR George Pickens and tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington. We saw Wilson trusting Pickens to make big plays in his first start against the Jets.
And then we saw Wilson giving Austin a shot to make a big play on Monday night against the New York Giants.
Russell Wilson drops it in a 🪣 for Calvin Austin III’s second TD of the night!
📺: #NYGvsPIT on ESPN/ABC/ESPN2
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/KWAglgI9WV— NFL (@NFL) October 29, 2024
Wilson lofted his patented moon ball to the front corner of the end zone in a spot that allowed only Austin to adjust to the flight of the ball. This wasn’t a dime of a throw. This was Wilson rearing back and giving his wide receiver a chance to make a play.
And that’s exactly what Russell Wilson is doing. He’s seeing the field, identifying advantageous spots for his targets, and putting the ball out there. And the receivers are responding, just like Hawkins said. It’s not anecdotal, either. Steeler Depot’s Ross McCorkle took a look at how the wide receivers and tight ends are statistically performing with Russell Wilson. As Hawkins said, Wilson is rewarding them.
If Russell Wilson can keep finding those opportunities, the Steelers are a lot more dangerous than everyone expected. How well they fare against the second half of their schedule remains to be seen. But for now, Wilson is making good decisions, and his receivers are benefiting from them.
