The Pittsburgh Steelers have turned the ball over four times in Russell Wilson’s four starts, three by Wilson himself. They only turned the ball over four times during a six-game span with Justin Fields, for which Fields took responsibility for half.
Since taking over, Russell Wilson has thrown two interceptions and lost a fumble. The fumble came on an attempt to scramble. His first interception was the equivalent of an “arm punt” on 3rd and long. But his second interception was rather more unfortunate.
Facing 3rd and goal at the 5-yard line in the middle of the fourth quarter, Russell Wilson threw the ball up to an empty spot while under pressure. He had hoped that Steelers TE Darnell Washington would try to adjust and make a play on the ball. Instead, Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey did, taking the ball and the Steelers’ shot at three points.
“Anytime you get down there, we want to score points. Obviously, we were trying to get a touchdown there. I tried to lob one up to the big man [Darnell Washington], but they made a play”, Russell Wilson told Steelers reporters yesterday, via the team’s website. “That one in particular, just throw it away, make it an eight-point game, and then we get the ball back again and can score again”.
While former Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger defended Wilson’s decision on the play, asking why Washington didn’t jump, he also ultimately agreed that it should have been a throwaway. I can’t help but wonder if Wilson didn’t get tired of throwing the ball away in the end zone, though. By that point in the game, he had already done so three or four times.
At that point in the game, the Steelers held a 15-10 lead. Wilson wanted to go up by two possessions, which a field goal wouldn’t have taken care of. However, had the Steelers lived to see another down, they could have assured the Ravens couldn’t take the lead on their next possession.
Fortunately, they didn’t manage to do so, anyway, thanks to Payton Wilson. Two plays into the Ravens’ subsequent drive, the rookie linebacker made an exceptional play to rob Justice Hill of a deep completion, instead recording an interception. Russell Wilson and the Steelers took advantage by recording a field goal off the turnover, but it still wasn’t quite enough.
The Ravens responded with a touchdown, just a two-point conversion away from tying the game. Fortunately for Russell Wilson and the Steelers, the defense stopped them. HC Mike Tomlin called a timeout just before they ran a play, forcing them to go to another play. That second play looked lost from the start, and Joey Porter Jr. and Nick Herbig blew it up.
