When the Pittsburgh Steelers face the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, a lot of eyes will be on Ravens QB Lamar Jackson. After all, he’s leading the league with 24 passing touchdowns and is the favorite for MVP. But it’s Steelers QB Russell Wilson who could make a huge difference in the game.
“This is a Russ putting points up on the board-type of game…” said Palazzolo on Check The Mic’s Week 11 preview show on Thursday. “I think it’s going to come down to Russell Wilson, keep chucking down the field. He was 3-of-8 on 20+ yard throws last week. Keep chucking down the field, create the big plays. Gonna have to keep pace with Baltimore’s offense.”
Wilson’s moonball has been a major part of the Steelers’ offensive success during his three games as the starter. Now, sometimes that doesn’t mean a great completion percentage. We saw that in Sunday’s game against the Washington Commanders. Wilson only completed 50 percent of his passes. But he threw three touchdowns, including the game-winning touchdown to new WR Mike Williams.
And Wilson has been throwing the ball deep to his wide receivers whenever he gets a chance. He says his thought process is putting the ball where his receivers can make a play on it. He showed that in his first game with the Steelers when targeting WR George Pickens. And it’s how the Steelers beat the Commanders.
Palazzolo believes that’s how the Steelers will beat the Ravens on Sunday, too. (Spoiler: He does predict the Steelers will win). The Ravens have been terrible defending the pass. They’ve given up 47 passing plays of 20+ yards this season, the worst in the league. That’s five more than the second-worst team, the Jacksonville Jaguars. They’ve also given up 22 passing touchdowns, which is again the worst in the league.
The Steelers will have chances to make big plays in the passing game. That’s good, because the Ravens’ rushing defense has only given up 730 yards, the best in the league. The Steelers will have to rely on Russell Wilson to take down their divisional rival on Sunday.
And the stakes are high. Whoever wins this game will cement their status as the top team in the AFC North, at least for now. That will make the path to playing a home playoff game much easier than losing. No pressure, Russell Wilson.
