Every player is due for a bad game from time to time, but you just hope it doesn’t come at the most critical moment. Unfortunately for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Russell Wilson chose their biggest game of the season to have his worst game.
Statistically it wasn’t his worst outing – that was probably last week against the Philadelphia Eagles. He actually looked pretty good for the most part against the Baltimore Ravens, but his mistakes were a large part of why the outcome was lopsided.
“I put that game on me,” Wilson said via the Steelers’ YouTube channel after the 34-17 blowout loss. “There was two great opportunities there.”
Wilson went on to explain his fumble, which was arguably the turning point of the game in the first half. The Steelers had an opportunity to take control of the game, but instead, Wilson fumbled near the goal line. He also explained his pick-six to Marlon Humphrey after Minkah Fitzpatrick’s interception. Both plays took wind out of the Steelers’ sails.
On both occasions Wilson had a hot ember of momentum to work with, and instead of fanning the ember into a full flame, he snuffed it out with mistakes that fell squarely on his shoulders.
He is a veteran leader, and he’s certainly had some big mistakes throughout his 13-year career. Like the veteran leader he is, Wilson did a good job owning up to it and maintaining a positive message that the team still controls their own destiny.
Last year, the Steelers were already halfway through a full news cycle meltdown when they were two games into their three-game loss streak in December. The leadership definitely feels different this time around, and they are built to absorb the negativity a little better. It helps that they have already clinched their spot in the playoffs as opposed to last year.
Despite the two big mistakes, Wilson played the best that he has while George Pickens has been out of the lineup. He managed to throw for 217 yards and two touchdowns while completing two thirds of his passing attempts. They actually managed to spread the ball around and operate the passing game a little better than the prior two weeks without Pickens. That is a positive trend for when their WR1 is able to return from his hamstring injury.
