On the road against the Cincinnati Bengals for an AFC North matchup in what many expected to be a shootout, Pittsburgh Steelers QB Russell Wilson did something he’s never done before in his career.
Wilson completed 21-of-27 passes in the first half for 257 yards, marking the most yards he’s thrown for in a half in his career, which spans 194 games.
The Steelers had 310 yards of total offense in the first half as they took a 27-21 lead into the break against the Bengals.
Things started off rough for Wilson, who threw a pick-six on the fifth play of the game though that occurred on a play in which there probably should have been a flag thrown on Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt.
After that pick-six, Wilson was outstanding, dinking and dunking against the Bengals, hitting on a bunch of throws underneath, leaning heavily on running backs Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren and Cordarrelle Patterson.
Wilson also made some plays down the field with the likes of George Pickens and Calvin Austin III, hitting Austin for a 23-yard touchdown on a play similar to the one Austin scored on in Week 12 against the Browns. He also found Pickens on a 17-yard touchdown on WR screen.
Wilson wasn’t asked to do much as far as throwing the ball down the field, but he was sharp and efficient taking what was there, racking up the yardage in the process. Thanks to the big second half, Wilson is on pace for a 400-yard passing game, which comes at a great time in the AFC North matchup.
After a frustrating loss against the Cleveland Browns in Week 12, Wilson and the Steelers’ offense have bounced back in a major way in Cincinnati.
