One of the biggest reasons why Mike Tomlin likely decided to start QB Russell Wilson over Justin Fields is his arm talent, and specifically Wilson’s deep ball. Tight end Pat Freiermuth was the beneficiary of a well-thrown, downfield shot from Wilson, as he made an impressive grab on a throw from Wilson to help set up a field goal drive to give the Steelers the lead against the New York Jets.
Freiermuth said that Wilson told him on the sideline he saw Jets S Jalen Mills grab his arm on his route, which alerted Wilson that he had to put a little more air on the ball to give Freiermuth a chance at it.
“He even told me on the sideline, he saw 35 grab my arm, so he knew to put a little more, and that little stuff, it’s crazy. It’s a whole different thing,” Freiermuth said on the NBC postgame show after Pittsburgh’s 37-15 win over the Jets.
Watching the play, you can see Mills grab Freiermuth’s arm when he goes right to try and get around him. Wilson recognized that and knew he’d have to put a little more air under the ball to give Freiermuth time to adjust.
A veteran like Wilson just understands the game and can see things better than a lot of quarterbacks in the league, and his attention to detail and experience came into play in this situation. Freiermuth deserves credit for making a heck of a catch, but Wilson had the right amount of touch on the ball. That allowed Freiermuth the chance to run under it a little bit after Mills grabbed him toward the start of his route. If Wilson had thrown the ball sooner or without as much touch, it could’ve been contested and Freiermuth may not have been able to haul it in.
While Wilson and Freiermuth only connected twice, both receptions were explosive plays, as Freiermuth had a 30-yard catch and a 21-yard catch. It was nice to see him get involved in the offense and make some plays downfield, and with Wilson under center, it seems as if Pittsburgh’s passing attack will be opened up a little bit. Freiermuth is essentially the team’s No. 2 receiver right now, behind George Pickens, and continuing to allow him to make plays downfield will open things up for the rest of the offense, too.
Freiermuth’s role should expand with Wilson and his arm talent, and that should mean good things for Pittsburgh’s offense. Wilson’s arm talent was on display Sunday night after a shaky start to the game as he knocked some rust off. If he can play the way he did against the Jets over the next few weeks, the Steelers’ offense will be in good hands.
