Russell Wilson has given the Pittsburgh Steelers an upgrade at quarterback this season. That doesn’t mean he’s been perfect. Lately, Wilson has had some serious issues, with turnovers arguably being the at the top of that list. Over his first few starts, Wilson protected the ball well, but during this losing streak, he’s had some costly turnovers in the red zone. Arthur Smith has some good advice for Wilson to try to eliminate that issue.
“I used a blackjack analogy,” Smith said Wednesday via the team’s transcripts. “If you lose a hand, you don’t need to start splitting bad cards or doubling down when you shouldn’t or whatever it is and try to win it all back the next play.
“If the opportunity is there, sure, take it. But sometimes I think it’s human nature. You get a negative play, like you get the touchdown off the board and now you’re second-and-long.”
That’s a good perspective to have. The Steelers have struggled in the red zone this season, especially with Wilson starting. Trying to overcompensate for negative plays isn’t always the right thing to do. Just like with gambling, trying to chase your losses is usually going to end up hurting you more.
That play Smith brings up is a perfect example. Against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Steelers scored a touchdown late in the first quarter to fight back into the game, but a holding call negated it. On the next play, Wilson threw an interception while trying to get that touchdown back. That ended up putting the Steelers in a hole they couldn’t climb out of.
You could argue that Wilson’s fumble in the red zone against the Ravens is another good example. Wilson wanted to win big when he should’ve just decided to live to fight another day.
Smith isn’t taking a shot at Wilson here. He understands what Wilson is thinking during those plays. The Steelers’ offense has been sputtering, and as the quarterback, Wilson likely feels like it’s on him to get that unit going.
“There is a fine line,” Smith said. “You don’t want to take somebody’s initiative away, but you get in these tight games against good defenses, they are not going to hand you things. There’s an art to not forcing things when they are not there. It’s not being conservative. It’s trying to play smart football.”
Wilson is a Super Bowl champion, and he used to be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. He’s used to being a superhero. However, he isn’t that same caliber of quarterback anymore. He also shouldn’t have to bear the burden completely on his shoulders. The entire Steelers’ offense needs to perform better.
Smith’s blackjack analogy is a good one. If the Steelers don’t score on first down, there’s no need to allow pressure to affect them on second down. Wilson has been good this year, and he did have the offense rolling for a good stretch of the year. If the Steelers can get back to that, they should look like a competitive team again.
