The Steelers let Russell Wilson cook — how did it taste?
The Pittsburgh Steelers made one of the most aggressive moves of the season, shifting in Russell Wilson at quarterback for Justin Fields. While they named Wilson the starter, Fields went 4-2 in his absence. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin levied heavy criticism for this decision, but one game in, he is looking justified.
So the Steelers let Russell Wilson cook, as today’s youth might say. Interchange your preferred juvenile vernacular at will here if you prefer something else, I hasten to add. It doesn’t change the question: how did it go?
Well, we all saw that it started out rough, opening 2-for-8 with some big misses and miscommunication. But Wilson and the offense cleaned up as the game trod along, and he finished by setting a Steelers record. With 264 passing yards, he threw for more yards than any other player in their Steelers debut in history. Nifty, I’m sure, but is he the only Hall of Famer who debuted with a Hall of Fame reputation who wasn’t already destined for a wheelchair?
Nevertheless, Russell Wilson did what the Steelers brought him in to do, basically. He won, and the Steelers ended up winning handily. Particularly in the second half, he played his part in that. Sure, he got one gimme touchdown on a drive that started on the one-yard line. But they still scored 37 points while winning, evidently a rare treat here.
Lest we forget, we are only talking about one game. Russell Wilson will obviously start next week, but we don’t know how he will look. On paper, the Jets have a better defense than the Giants, and he has knocked some rust off, so one would hope he will look even better.
But with the small sample size we currently have, how do the Steelers look with Wilson as their franchise quarterback? Are they suddenly a Super Bowl contender? Will they at least make a legitimate run at the AFC North title, and a playoff push? I mean, that’s what he’s here for, isn’t it?
The Steelers’ 2024 season is underway, following another disappointing year ending in a first-round playoff loss. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January. There are positive signs, but things could jump off the rails any moment.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Will Russell Wilson regain his job when he is healthy, or is Justin Fields stealing it? How will the team continue to address the depth chart, which is surprisingly still in flux?
The regular season is here, following weeks of camp and preseason games. The Steelers made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Some they managed to fill, others not so much. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
