This season did not begin how Russell Wilson wanted it to, but after starting two games, it’s likely he doesn’t have any complaints. People had some serious questions when Mike Tomlin benched Justin Fields for Wilson, and for good reason. It’s a small sample size, but for now, Wilson has proved his doubters wrong. However, that doesn’t mean everyone is a believer.
“We’ve seen them match up against two not great New York teams and I think when they match up against some other teams, we might see a worse version of Russ [Wilson],” former NFL cornerback Domonique Foxworth said Tuesday on ESPN’s SportsCenter. “But we could also continue to see him play like this. There’s no team in the AFC that I think they can’t beat, but winning three games in a row in the playoffs is gonna be hard.”
Based on how Wilson has looked over the past few years, that’s fair to say. Two games shouldn’t erase how poorly he’s played since leaving the Seattle Seahawks. However, he has seemed to turn back the clock with the Steelers. Some balls have been underthrown, but for the most part, he’s been exactly what the Steelers want him to be.
It’s also true that the New York Jets and New York Giants are not among the NFL’s best. The Steelers do have a handful of stronger teams lined up after their bye week, so it’s possible that he plays worse. However, it’s not like those two defenses are terrible. The Jets have some serious talent on defense, and the Giants have menacing players along their defensive line.
According to FOX Sports, the Jets have the fourth-best total defense while the Giants have the 17th best. Wilson hadn’t played in a real game since last December, and yet, he came out guns blazing against both those teams.
With the second half of the season about to arrive, Wilson will need to lock in and prove Foxworth right that the Steelers can beat any AFC team. Who knows, maybe if they beat the Kansas City Chiefs late in the year, they could be the top AFC seed. In that scenario, they’d have a bye in the playoffs, meaning they’d only have to win two games to get to the Super Bowl.
Foxworth doesn’t seem to believe they can reach those heights, but if Wilson and the Steelers’ offense continue to play like they are, it could be possible. All it takes is getting into the playoffs to have a chance. The Steelers have won the Super Bowl as underdogs before.
