No George Pickens, no problem?
That remains to be seen, but for one drive at least, the Pittsburgh Steelers had answers for the Cleveland Browns in the passing game. Quarterback Russell Wilson found wide receiver Van Jefferson for a wide-open touchdown from 10 yards out, extending the Steelers’ lead to 20-7 in the third quarter.
Following the second missed field goal of the game for Cleveland kicker Dustin Hopkins, the Steelers drove right down the field and made it a two-score game, thanks to some key throws from Wilson and some hard running from Jaylen Warren.
Facing a 3rd and 10 on the third play of the drive, Wilson stepped up in the pocket and hit Pat Freiermuth over the middle for a gain of 21 yards, sparking the offense. Then, Warren ran for 14 yards, barreling through defenders, before Wilson hit him for 14 yards on a swing route out of the backfield.
Two plays later, Wilson rolled right and found Jefferson wide open for the touchdown, capping the eight-play, 67-yard drive to make it 20-7, giving the Steelers plenty of breathing room.
Prior to the scoring drive, the Steelers’ offense had been struggling while the defense was getting somewhat lucky with Hopkins missing a pair of kicks. But when the Steelers needed it the most, Wilson led the offense down the field and punched one into the end zone. The touchdown gave the Steelers a 13-point lead midway through the third quarter on a day in which their best offensive weapon in George Pickens was out with a hamstring injury.
The touchdown was Jefferson’s first catch of the day, but it was a big one. It was also his second touchdown of the season, both of which have come with Wilson under center.
