Week 7 might not have been a fluke for Russell Wilson. In two games with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Wilson has played like with a renewed sense of vigor. He’s not been perfect, but he’s elevated this offense. There are still kinks that need worked out, but he looked improved this week.
“He didn’t need to warm up to it, little less rust than the week before,” coach Mike Tomlin said after Steelers 26-18 win over the New York Giants via the team’s YouTube channel. “But I’m not surprised by his capabilities.”
Wilson is a veteran and a Super Bowl champion, but he hasn’t been the same player over the last few years. Since leaving the Seattle Seahawks, Wilson hasn’t looked like a franchise quarterback. It still wouldn’t be correct to give him that label with the Steelers, but they can win because of him.
That was the case against the Giants. The game was closer than it should’ve been, but not a lot of that was Wilson’s fault. He completed 20 of his 28 pass attempts for 278 yards and a touchdown. Wilson did lose one key fumble, but it was a great play by the defender. Not all of his passes were perfect, but he still gave his receivers chances to make plays.
He did have one absolutely gorgeous throw to George Pickens in the fourth quarter. The ball was thrown on a rope, being delivered exactly where it needed to be. It set the Steelers up in the red zone, although they couldn’t capitalize with a touchdown. However, it was still a phenomenal play by Wilson.
Many people questioned Tomlin’s decision to start Wilson after Justin Fields had the Steelers sitting at 4-2. Through two weeks, it’s looking safe to say that Tomlin knew what he was doing. Fields was fine, but Wilson’s ability to push the ball downfield and throw with touch has given the Steelers a serious boost.
With the bye week coming up, hopefully Wilson can knock off any remaining rust and lock in for the second half of the season. The Steelers have quite a few important games still lined up, and they’ll need him to continue playing like he is. Two games aren’t a huge sample size, but at the moment, it feels the Steelers’ offense is set up for success with Wilson at the helm.
