Pittsburgh Steelers QB Russell Wilson had two costly turnovers in the team’s 34-17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 16, but Mike Tomlin doesn’t expect the veteran to dwell on it. During his weekly press conference ahead of the team’s Week 17 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day, Tomlin said he expects Wilson to “respond” and that his approach won’t be an issue ahead of Wednesday.
“He’s been doing this a long time and he’s tough on himself because he’s got a desire to be great. He wants to lead us to victory, and he owns that. But I don’t expect it to be an issue in terms of the trajectory of his approach and readiness this week,” Tomlin said Sunday via the team’s YouTube channel.
Wilson’s two turnovers came in key moments, with a fumble inside the Baltimore 5-yard line after trying to score a touchdown and an interception that turned into a pick-six down with the Steelers down 24-17 after just intercepted Lamar Jackson. With the Steelers shorthanded, down George Pickens on offense and four defensive starters after CB Joey Porter Jr. left the game with an injury, Wilson tried to make a play by scoring instead of sliding down inside the 5. He got popped by S Ar’Darius Washington, and that turnover changed the momentum of the entire game.
But for someone who’s been in the league a long time and has had worse performances than the one he had against the Ravens, Wilson is used to turning his attention to the next game. He admitted that the turnovers changed the game, and while he might not be happy with himself, he knows that with the Chiefs due up, he has to move on from it and get ready to go against the AFC’s top team.
The Steelers still control their own destiny when it comes to winning the AFC North, and Wilson is still optimistic about the team’s chances. A win on Wednesday would go a long way toward helping the Steelers win the division. While losing to the Ravens and then having to turn around on a short week isn’t ideal, having a veteran quarterback like Wilson is important in these situations and Tomlin has no doubt that he’ll be ready to go and have his guys ready to go.
While there won’t be much time or work to get in during practice, Wilson’s mental ability to move on will be key, and hopefully, he’ll have George Pickens back. That would help the Steelers’ offense and not make Wilson feel he has to do it all himself.
