It was a decision that many seemingly didn’t agree with, and it had Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin going “long ranger” on.
The move to veteran quarterback Russell Wilson entering Week 7 against the New York Jets was a rather surprising one as the Steelers were 4-2 with Justin Fields under center. But in the end, it worked out well as Wilson had a franchise record-setting night in the Steelers’ 37-15 win.
Wilson threw for the most yards in a debut with the Steelers and led the team to the most points scored in a first start in the Black and Gold, proving Tomlin right in the process.
Now, entering Week 8 against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football, Wilson finds himself inside the top 20 of the NFL.com QB Index. He landed at No. 18 after he seemingly “rediscovered some of his powers.”
“It took him nearly a full half of football last Sunday night, but Wilson rediscovered some of his powers in his first start as a Steeler. Namely, it was his finesse on touch passes, which Wilson used to give big-play artist George Pickens multiple chances to make a difference,” NFL.com’s Nick Shook writes. “Pickens delivered, creating a few highlights and catching Wilson’s first touchdown pass with Pittsburgh. Wilson kept the good vibes going in the second half, lofting another perfect touch pass to Pat Freiermuth, who made a one-handed grab to help the Steelers move toward another eventual touchdown.
“Wilson capped the 31-point run with one more touchdown pass to Van Jefferson, taking what started as an uneasy night and turning it into a romp that justified Mike Tomlin’s decision to insert him into the lineup.”
Wilson’s performance certainly justified Tomlin going “lone ranger” to make the change. But it wasn’t without some hiccups first.
The Steelers went down and kicked a field goal on Wilson’s first drive of the game, but on the next three series, the offense was a mess and Wilson looked rough. That led to some boos raining down from the crowd, which drew the ire of Steelers team captain Cameron Heyward after the fact.
But after the boos, Wilson heated up, connecting on a moon ball to George Pickens to spark the offense. After that, everything was a breeze.
He looked like late-Seattle Russell Wilson, thriving off play-action and pushing the ball down the field consistently. It was a great sign for not only Wilson, but the Steelers moving forward. If he rediscovered some of his powers in that win over the Jets, look out.
The Steelers could be in for quite the ride with Wilson.
