After his first two starts of the season, not everyone was sold on Russell Wilson. People still believed the Pittsburgh Steelers needed to defeat more quality opponents. Wilson had played well, but that was against two of the NFL’s worst teams. The Washington Commanders are one of the league’s best, though, and Wilson still played well Sunday. He led the Steelers to a 28-27 victory, and now perhaps the narrative around them will change. Former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher seems to believe in Wilson.
“I think it was a blessing in disguise to be quite honest with you,” Cowher said after the game of Wilson being injured to start the season via NFL on CBS on Twitter. “I think what Justin [Fields] gave them in those first four games was the fact that their offensive line wasn’t coming together.
“They weren’t jelling. They were trying to still feel each other out. [Fields] was buying them time. They were doing things with his legs that [Wilson] can’t do. But you just knew that there was a ceiling there with that. I think there’s no ceiling now with [Wilson].”
That’s an interesting perspective from Cowher. Once upon a time, Wilson was one of the best mobile quarterbacks in the league. He doesn’t have that same athleticism now while Fields is incredibly athletic. He’s got a different aspect to his game compared to Wilson.
That was apparent when he was the starter. Wilson was actually out for the first six games of the season. Fields’ mobility was arguably his greatest weapon during that stretch. He had five rushing touchdowns, being a fantastic weapon in the red zone.
The Steelers’ offensive line was in flux due to injuries during that time. It felt like they had a starter getting hurt every week. With so many new additions to that unit in the first place, it was tough to build cohesion. However, over the past few weeks, the starters have looked more settled in.
Wilson is the most-sacked quarterback since he entered the league in 2012. He’s not getting any younger either. Keeping him protected always needs to be a top priority for the Steelers. He’s still been sacked eight times in three games, but the Steelers have done a decent job of keeping him clean.
With Wilson steering the ship, it does seem like the Steelers’ offense has reached a new level. That isn’t to say anything Fields did was wrong, but Wilson’s deep ball and veteran presence have just given them more.
Beating the Commanders is a good step toward proving the Steelers as true contenders too. They still have all of their divisional games left, but at the moment, they’re in control of the AFC North. If they continue to battle like they did against the Commanders, they should have a chance in any game.
