Just like fans watching from home, Pittsburgh Steelers QB Russell Wilson thought there should’ve been a flag on his pick-six that got the Cincinnati Bengals on the board first Sunday. A surprising no-call after WR George Pickens seemed to be pulled down by CB Cam Taylor-Britt, who was last-man-standing and housed the pass the other way for a touchdown.
Speaking to reporters after the Steelers’ 44-38 win, Wilson offered his perspective of the moment.
“George [ran] the slant,” Wilson said via the team’s website. “They kind of pulled him down, to be honest with you. We tried to throw it on time and in rhythm. We thought that we could have gotten a penalty there. But they did a good job of making that play.”
Like many times before, the Steelers found initial traction on their opening drive. It was aided by a pass interference call on the first play of the drive when Bengals LB Akeem Davis-Gaither was flagged for his too-early hit on WR Calvin Austin III. A short screen to RB Najee Harris got the Steelers into a manageable 3rd and 3 and Wilson looked to hit Pickens on a slant, a similar play the two connected on early in the Steelers’ Week 12 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
But Pickens stumbled as Taylor-Britt seemed to make contact with his helmet and knock him down. Pickens fell and Taylor-Britt took the ball the other way, outrunning Wilson for the score.
It was the first pick-six thrown by a Steelers quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger in 2021, which also came against the Bengals. That happened in a blowout loss. Instead, Pittsburgh immediately responded with a touchdown drive. Pickens ended it with redemption, a 17-yard screen he took to the end zone thanks to a broken tackle and good blocking out in front.
Pickens was flagged twice later in the game for postsnap antics but also finished the game with three grabs for 74 yards and a touchdown.
Wilson would go on to toss two more touchdown passes, hitting WR Calvin Austin III later in the first half while connecting with TE Pat Freiermuth near the end of the third quarter. Both played well, though Austin left the game and is being checked for a concussion.
“I just think our response was great,” Wilson said. “I thought that we did a really good job of staying confident and not letting one play faze us.”
Veteran players like Wilson are able to steady the ship despite a rough start. To keep everyone (mostly) calm and respond. It might’ve been another slow start for the Steelers, though this one forgivable, but Pittsburgh ended the night hot. And finished with a win.
