Like everyone else, Jon Gruden is sharing his thoughts on Russell Wilson’s debut with the Pittsburgh Steelers. And like most everyone else – except perhaps Cam Newton – was impressed by what he did. Gruden broke down Wilson’s performance in a blowout win over the New York Jets.
“He managed the game,” Gruden said on his YouTube channel. “He did an excellent job with big plays passing down the field. He protected the football. And when there was time to make plays, it seemed like Russell Wilson had a knack for making them. That’s what he brings to this Steeler offense. He throws the ball better than Justin Fields. Hands down, that’s just the facts. Not that Justin Fields isn’t a good player. Wilson just throws it better.”
Wilson brought the best of both worlds that the Steelers are looking for-playing smart, mistake-free football that allows them to win the turnover battle. Wilson didn’t throw a pick, took only one sack, and threw the ball away when in trouble to avoid making a bad play worse.
Still, he didn’t play conservatively. He opened up the offense with downfield throws that led to chunk plays, even if his receivers had to make impressive catches on the other end. With reps, his timing and accuracy on his deep ball will improve as he flashed during his handful of training camp practices. Wilson threw a pair of touchdown passes and 264 yards, a box score Steelers fans have rarely seen since Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement.
The threat of those vertical throws helped open up the run game.
“They’re gonna say, holy cow, get that safety out of the box and get ’em back there,” Gruden said of Russell Wilson’s presence. “So we got two safeties to stop these down-the-field bombs they’re throwing; it’s gonna help the offense.”
Analytically, RB Najee Harris faced a light box in this game. However, it will take more than a one-game sample size to make a more accurate determination. The Jets were playing on Plan C and D in the secondary, likely one reason why they were careful about giving up big pass plays.
On his third team and looking to revive his career, Gruden compared Wilson to Rich Gannon and Brad Johnson. Gannon signed with the Raiders at age 34 in 1999, putting up his first Pro Bowl season and winning a Super Bowl. Johnson did the same, signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2001, making the Pro Bowl, and hoisting a Lombardi the following year. Wilson has his sights set on the same.
