Russell Wilson was making a great play. Until he wasn’t. Turning nothing into something, Wilson turned back the clock and showed his wheels on a first-half scramble nearing the Baltimore Ravens’ goal line. By play’s end, all he had done was turn the ball over.
Deciding to cut back and try to score instead of diving down or sliding, Wilson lost control of the ball as he was tackled by Ravens DB Ar’Darius Washington. Baltimore recovered, costing the Steelers a near guarantee to take the lead in a 7-7 game.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Wilson explained his thought process.
“I just thought, had a chance to go to the end zone,” Wilson said via the team website. “Try to cut back and just got hit. And I think right before I hit the ground, the ball came out. It’s unacceptable. It can’t happen.”
Here’s a look at the play.
Running right into open grass, a slide by Wilson would’ve put the ball down around the Ravens’ 5-yard-line. Instead, Baltimore took over and took the lead, going on an eight-play, 96-yard drive to go up 14-7. Pittsburgh tied the game up in the second half but never held the lead in the game.
It was one of two critical turnovers by Wilson. His second came in the second half following FS Minkah Fitzpatrick’s first interception in nearly two calendar years. With the Steelers trailing 24-17, he threw a pick-six to Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey that essentially iced the game. Baltimore went on to win 34-17.
Coming out with an aggressive approach, Wilson said his mentality was the same in the moment.
“I didn’t wanna slide there either,” Wilson said. “Didn’t wanna slide there. I felt like we could get in the end zone. Trying to get a touchdown and go for it…I was going for it. I’m not going to fear going for it.”
Perhaps Wilson calculated sliding could open himself up to a hard hit similar to what knocked QB Justin Fields out of the Steelers’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday. But even a dive or roll to better shield Wilson from the hit could’ve avoided the fumble. Instead, Wilson took a massive shot to his hip and coughed up the football.
Though Wilson made several positive plays in this game, the negatives far outweighed them. Already injured and heavy underdogs on a short week and on the road, Pittsburgh had little margin for error and could not lose the turnover battle. The fumbles they created didn’t bounce their way while Wilson’s mistakes were clear turning points of the game.
