PITTSBURGH — Russell Wilson rolled out of the pocket and, off of one foot, fired a crisp strike to George Pickens. The Terrible Towels twirled, and fireworks lit up the night sky, as the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrated what appeared to be an early first-quarter lead Monday night at Acrisure Stadium.
The Steelers had marched downfield with ease, with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren ripping off explosive runs and Wilson spreading the ball to three different receivers. It was nearly a flawless drive that ended with a perfectly designed and executed touchdown pass.
Just one problem: A face mask penalty on right tackle Broderick Jones nullified the would-be touchdown and forced the Steelers to settle for a field goal.
In many ways, that drive was a microcosm of Monday’s game, or at least the first half. In Wilson’s second start for the Steelers, the 13-year veteran provided a sizable spark. The offense racked up a season-high 426 total yards. Harris eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the third consecutive game with a season-best 114 yards. Wilson’s moonball was out in full force. Secondary receivers Calvin Austin III and Van Jefferson each had their best game of the season.
All that added up to a well-oiled offense that moved the ball with noticeable fluidity between the 20s. However, an 0-for-4 performance in the red zone — including 0-for-3 in the first half — allowed the New York Giants to hang around and keep the score tied at halftime. Austin eventually ripped the game open with a punt return touchdown and a receiving touchdown to help lift the Steelers to a 26-18 victory.
“I think the best part about it was that we overcame the obstacles,” Wilson said. “I think that’s the silver lining of it all tonight is to be able to overcome. We scored two touchdowns that were beautiful by George, and still overcame it all. That game would have really been broken out if we would have had those two.”
Unfortunately for Wilson and the offense, neither of those possible touchdowns stood. The second came later in the first half, as Wilson again looked like he found Pickens for a touchdown. However, replays revealed the receiver got his right foot down twice, but never his left. By rule, a receiver must get both feet down, not just two of the same.
Deonte Banks did not let George Pickens get that foot down 😳
📺: #NYGvsPIT on ESPN/ABC/ESPN2
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/GgV9rnWaTb— NFL (@NFL) October 29, 2024
“It’s almost like when you get a knee down, it counts as a touchdown,” Wilson said. “Getting two rights, maybe it should count. … It’s a game of inches sometimes.”
Although the Steelers would like to turn more red zone trips into touchdowns, one thing is becoming clear through two games with Wilson as the starting quarterback: The veteran’s insertion into the starting lineup has provided a jolt to the offense and, perhaps, pushed the 6-2 Steelers into the conversation as a playoff contender.
In ways big and small, Wilson’s presence in the huddle and behind center has been a catalyst.
The most noticeable change is an expected one. Throughout his career, Wilson has been one of the NFL’s best deep ball passers. A month from his 36th birthday, he can still sling it. Through six games with Justin Fields starting, the Steelers had nine pass plays of 20-plus yards. They have nine such plays in two games with Wilson at QB.
Sometimes, it’s the trajectory. Wilson’s high-arcing deep ball in the third quarter allowed Jefferson to make an adjustment and run under it for a 36-yard gain. Sometimes, it’s the pinpoint accuracy, like on the 43-yard completion that Wilson threaded between two defenders along the sideline to find Pickens in stride in the fourth quarter.
Russ to Pickens. What a throw. What a catch. 🎯
📺: #NYGvsPIT on ESPN/ABC/ESPN2
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/zbMQPqm3hF— NFL (@NFL) October 29, 2024
Other times, it’s the experience Wilson brings. The Steelers package plays, like every NFL offense, so it’s not as if they overhauled the process when they changed streams behind center. However, Wilson’s ability to diagnose coverages at the line of scrimmage and get the Steelers into the ideal play has shown up time and again.
That was true on Austin’s touchdown. Wilson identified that the Giants were blitzing, with no safety help to Austin’s side. The QB signaled for tight end Pat Freiermuth to motion from wide into the formation to help pick up the extra rushers. That gave Wilson just enough protection to hit Austin on time and on target over the shoulder for a 29-yard touchdown.
“He’s always talking to us,” Austin said. “Always looking for that big play, that check, that signal, that route, that look. He’s always hunting that big play.”
Russell Wilson drops it in a 🪣 for Calvin Austin III’s second TD of the night!
📺: #NYGvsPIT on ESPN/ABC/ESPN2
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/KWAglgI9WV— NFL (@NFL) October 29, 2024
The well-timed deep ball was coupled with solid accuracy. On Monday night, Wilson completed 71.4 percent of his passes. It’s obvious he has the confidence to fit the ball into tight windows. That’s allowed him to give Pickens chances on 50-50 throws. Pickens averaged 4.3 receptions for 60.5 yards through the first six games while Fields was starting. He’s boosted those numbers to 4.5 catches per game for 92.5 yards per contest in the last two, catching his first touchdown of the season last week before the two that were called back Monday night.
While Pickens has been the biggest beneficiary, Wilson’s emergence has also given Austin and Jefferson a chance to show the Steelers have better depth at receiver than many believe. Over the first six weeks, Austin had 10 catches for 167 yards and a touchdown, and Jefferson had eight grabs for 62 yards. Over the last two weeks, Austin has four catches for 90 yards and a TD, and Jefferson has six for 77 and a TD.
“Oftentimes, George (Pickens) gets a lot of attention,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “That creates opportunities for others. It’s their job to deliver.”
The ever-present threat of the pass has opened up the offense in new ways.
While Isaac Seumalo’s return from injury and Mason McCormick’s emergence have helped create holes for Harris, the fact that the Steelers can punish teams when they load the box has opened more opportunities for the rushing attack. They’ve gone from a run-heavy offense that sprinkles in the occasional deep ball to a dynamic, balanced offense that can expose a defense in a variety of ways.
The 426 yards of offense eclipsed the season high of 409 set last week against the Jets. It’s the first time since 2018 that the Steelers have eclipsed the 400-yard mark in back-to-back games, even after sluggish starts in both. So it’s no hyperbole to say this is the best this offense has looked since the pre-elbow-surgery Ben Roethlisberger days.
“He does a really good job of not letting the emotions of the game dictate how emotions show on the sideline,” Freiermuth said of Wilson. “He’s always getting us juiced up, making sure we stay steady. He does a really good job of just keeping us all engaged. He’s a hell of a leader.”
Now look, it’s not perfect. The Steelers still need to improve across the board to become the team they hope to be. Obviously, turning field goals into touchdowns will be important when the Steelers face higher-quality opponents. Penalties again pushed them back, as they were flagged four times on offense.
Wilson lost a fumble inside his own 40 while leading by eight with less than five minutes to play, leading to some nervous moments before T.J. Watt bailed him out with a strip-sack and Beanie Bishop sealed the game with his third interception in two games. And while the offense fought through hiccups Monday night, the defense has quietly had its issues, too — the run defense has suddenly become inconsistent, and the issues allowing explosive plays have returned.
Still, the Steelers enter their bye week sitting atop the AFC North. Their 6-2 start is better than expected, and the AFC doesn’t look as grueling as it once appeared. The Chiefs remain undefeated but have not dominated opponents, and the Ravens, Bills and Texans are all showing their warts.
When the Steelers resume the season in Week 10, the competition will get much tougher. Going into Monday night, the Steelers had played the sixth-easiest schedule so far and faced the seventh-toughest remaining schedule, according to FTN Fantasy’s DVOA. They’ll face arguably their biggest test to date in Week 10 when they travel to face Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders. They also have the three-games-in-10-days gauntlet against the Eagles, Ravens and Chiefs in December, the first two of those on the road.
For those reasons, the Steelers still have some boxes to check before they establish themselves as contenders capable of making noise deep in the postseason.
But with Wilson lifting the offense to heights not seen in years, the Steelers enter the bye on a three-game winning streak and with an optimistic feeling of what could be.
“We’ve got great confidence,” Wilson said. “We haven’t done anything yet. We’re obviously sitting here at 6-2, which is a great thing, but it doesn’t mean anything. … We got a surge ahead of us that we got to go get, and there’s a lot of great games ahead of us. We’re not going to shy away from it.”
(Photo: Joe Sargent / Getty Images)
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