Can Russell Wilson and the Steelers clean up the red-zone offense?
Russell Wilson has historically been successful in the red zone, one of the qualities that attracted the Steelers to him. In his first start with the team, he went 4-for-6 inside the 20. Last week, however, the Steelers posted an 0-for-4 number in the red zone.
Most of that had to do, quite simply, with sloppy play and things that are easily correctable. Russell Wilson threw at least two touchdown-worthy passes, one of which was actually a touchdown, negated by a facemask penalty. The Steelers also lost another touchdown when George Pickens failed to get both feet down inbounds (or a butt, or a shin, or anything other than the same damn foot twice).
Other than the actual touchdown-worthy throws, the Steelers suffered some miscues. On one play, Russell Wilson expected Van Jefferson to sit in an open zone, but he continued his route. That was another easy opportunity for a touchdown missed, and reps can address it. On the next play, Wilson had Calvin Austin III open but failed to hit him in time before a defender could swat the ball down.
The point is, the plays are actually there. These are at least three touchdowns the Steelers could have scored if they simply executed slightly better. If Broderick Jones didn’t feel the need to pull a facemask, or Pickens put his feet or knee down. If Jefferson stopped his route or Wilson struck in Austin’s direction quickly.
Some Steelers fans might want to point out that Justin Fields posted better red-zone numbers, but I will remind you that we are dealing with small sample sizes. The Steelers had a 75-percent success rate in the red zone in Russell Wilson’s first start. Now that’s down to 40 through two games. We will need at least a few more weeks, if not more, to have anything intelligible to say. Personally, I am encouraged simply because the bones are there. It’s reasonable to expect some growing pains with a new quarterback. And it’s also reasonable to expect wide receivers to understand why they work on toe-tap catches. But then again, there are still players who don’t know games can end in ties: details, baby, details.
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.
