With a win over the Baltimore Ravens, the Pittsburgh Steelers have cemented themselves on top of the AFC North for the time being. Many analysts didn’t trust that the Steelers were actually as good as their record would indicate, but a win over the Ravens should change that. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case for everyone. Former NFL wide receiver Greg Jennings thinks Russell Wilson is still holding the Steelers back.
“They’re a good team,” Jennings said Monday on FS1’s Breakfast Ball. “They’re a really great defense that have a lot of great talent on that side of the ball. They’re very well coached, but you can’t trust the quarterback. When we saw the Buffalo Bills and Josh Allen, do we believe that Russell Wilson can do those types of things? You will have to.”
It’s true that this past week was not Wilson’s best game with the Steelers. He had a tough time getting the ball out of his hands and making plays. His worst play of the day came on an ugly interception in the end zone. Overall, he completed 23 of his 36 passes for 205 yards, no touchdowns and that lone interception.
That’s an ugly stat line, especially against the Ravens’ defense. According to FOX Sports, they had the worst pass defense in the NFL going into that game. Wilson couldn’t really get anything going against them, though.
They looked their worst in the red zone, too. The Steelers didn’t score a single touchdown, only coming up with field goals. Part of that is on Wilson. Credit to the Ravens for stepping up, but Wilson had opportunities to make plays and failed to execute.
However, all that to say one bad game shouldn’t erase everything else Wilson has done with the Steelers. Before the Ravens game, he had their offense averaging around 30 points per game. That came across a three-game span. Wilson has elevated the Steelers’ offense, using his incredible deep ball to attack defenses.
It is fair to say that Wilson isn’t Allen or Patrick Mahomes, but he doesn’t need to be. That’s not who the Steelers want him to be, either. They want him to play smart football and take shots when needed. He struggled to do that against the Ravens, but he wasn’t the only one.
Would it be fair to say those same things about Lamar Jackson? He had his team in position to tie the game up late, but ultimately failed. That wasn’t his best game, so is he untrustworthy too? The answer is no. Sometimes, quarterbacks have bad games.
This was a huge rivalry game with a lot of intense emotions surrounding it. Allowing it to define Wilson would be foolish. At the end of the day, he made enough plays to help the Steelers win. They didn’t win because of him, but they also didn’t win in spite of him. Yes, he could have played better, but the Steelers won, and that’s what matters.
