The Pittsburgh Steelers surrendered a season-high five sacks in their 29-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, and while the offensive line is to blame for allowing pressure, Russell Wilson also held onto the football too long at times and allowed the defense to get to him. Emmanuel Acho sees it as Wilson not recognizing his physical limitations and thinking he can be the player he was when he was younger.
“It’s like his mind is willing but his flesh is weak. Russ, you no longer the ability to escape the pocket like you once did,” Acho said on FS1’s The Facility today. “Russ, you no longer have the athleticism to spin out, rush and pick up those yards. Old Russ, you tuck that, you run that, you either draw the defender, you dump it off to a receiver for a big game or the defender stays on his coverage and you run for plus 15. New Russ, 36-year-old Russ, that turns into a sack. So I no longer trust Russ to do what I thought he could do.”
Russell Wilson has been able to find some gaps for big gains on the ground, and he ran six times for 55 yards against the Chiefs yesterday. But his success has come when he hasn’t had to evade pass rushers, and he’s had space to run. When he tries to outrun or escape pressure, it usually leads to a sack or a throwaway.
It’s tough for a quarterback who used to have the mobility and athleticism to escape the pocket and make plays with his legs to no longer be able to consisently do so, as instincts can kick in and Wilson will try to make a play that he just can’t make anymore. He’s not to blame for all five sacks, but Wilson has to do a better job recognizing that he just isn’t the same player athletically that he once was. Even though he’s found success with scrambles at times, it’s not something that he should rely on. When pressure comes, he has to get rid of the ball quicker, even if it’ll be an incompletion.
Pittsburgh’s line has to do a better job holding up for him too, and I think yesterday we saw some fatigue from that group from having to play three games in 11 days against very good defensive lines. It’s something that can’t continue to be a problem, and if it is, Wilson needs to not hold onto the football as long and just look to get rid of it to avoid putting the Steelers in unfavorable situations and allowing them to stay on schedule.
