Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin allowed Russell Wilson to cook on Sunday night and cook he did. He set a franchise record in his Steelers debut with the most passing yards in a player’s first game with the team, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN, besting the mark set by Earl Morrall in 1957 of 249 yards.
Wilson broke the record on his fourth-quarter pass to WR Calvin Austin III that went for 36 yards. He completed three passes of 30-plus yards on the night, accounting for three touchdowns. In addition to passing touchdowns to WRs George Pickens and Van Jefferson, he also ran one in. His predecessor, Justin Fields, recorded five passing and five rushing touchdowns through six games. Of his 10 total touchdowns, he scored four in one outing.
The Steelers signed Russell Wilson in free agency for the purpose of starting him, but a bad calf complicated things. Mike Tomlin named him the starter to open the season after being limited through most of training camp. However, he aggravated the calf injury he suffered on the first day of camp, prompting Justin Fields to start.
Since then, the Steelers have waded through a weekly quarterback drama, which Tomlin played to his advantage. He refused to name a starter, deferring the question until a more relevant time. Essentially, he took the position that they could not have a conversation until Wilson could play.
Wilson did not dress as an active player until Week 6, serving as Fields’ backup after practicing with the second-team offense during the week, his first time being a full participant. But this past week, he consistently practiced with the first-team offense. Tomlin still tried to keep his plans under wraps, but Pickens spilled the beans.
Russell Wilson struggled considerably in the early stages of Sunday’s game, but the Steelers picked things up. They ultimately scored a decisive victory, vaulting to 5-2 and sending the New York Jets to 2-5. For the second week in a row, they scored 30-plus points and produced a multiple-possession victory.
After converting on 4th and 1, Wilson closed out the game 16-of-29 for 264 yards. He averaged 9.1 yards per attempt despite his 55.2 completion percentage, with two touchdown passes and no turnovers. They didn’t quite close out the game with the ball, but only because they scored another touchdown.
In his first game with Russell Wilson, George Pickens caught five of nine targets for 111 yards and one touchdown. It marked his first touchdown of the season after weeks of controversy over his visible frustrations. TE Pat Freiermuth also caught two passes for 51 yards, and TE Darnell Washington four for 36.
The Steelers scored a season-high 37 points, beating the Jets by 22. While Wilson didn’t singlehandedly lead them to victory, we certainly saw a new level of potential for this offense. Tomlin faced heavy skepticism and criticism for his decision to turn to Wilson. While the game took time to develop, his first game under his intended offense made him look smart.
