Stephen A. Smith ‘Not Sure’ Russell Wilson Should Start For Steelers In Week 1

It wasn’t a great showing for Russell Wilson or the Pittsburgh Steelers offense on Saturday night.

The Steelers fell to the Buffalo Bills by a score of 9-3, as the offense was only to muster a field goal despite Wilson and Justin Fields taking all the snaps at quarterback.

This was Wilson’s first preseason action, as he finished 8-for-10 with 47 yards through the air. Fields finished ahead of him, going 11-for-17 for 92 passing yards, and added 42 rushing yards on the ground. Both quarterbacks dealt with issues from the offensive line as Wilson was sacked three times and Fields was sacked once. The offense has to figure things out with the starting quarterback for Week 1 being the most important decision right now.

Stephen A. Smith shared his thoughts on the situation on Monday’s edition of “First Take” on ESPN, saying that he’s “not sure” Wilson should be getting the starting nod in Week 1 after how he looked on Saturday night.

“The Steelers looked awful offensively,” Smith said on “First Take.” “They looked absolutely awful. I’m very, very disgusted with what I saw, let’s get that out the way first. Secondly, I get where (Shannon Sharpe) is coming from in terms of starting Russell Wilson. That was certainly my thought process. I’m not sure how sold I am on that right now. I understand he’s had the calf injury and stuff like that — I get that reality. But here’s what really resonates with me. I’m thinking about the fact you took those three sacks, you’re still holding on to the ball a little bit too long. Why are those things relevant? Because that’s why Sean Payton couldn’t stand him. That’s why Sean Payton ran him out of Denver. That’s why Denver didn’t hesitate to push him out of the Mile High City even though they owe him $37.8 million.”

Head coach Mike Tomlin has yet to name a starter for Week 1, but the belief throughout the offseason and preseason has been Wilson getting the first crack.

The final preseason game for the Steelers looks to be an important one on Saturday afternoon, as they take on the Detroit Lions at 1 p.m. EST. Wilson and Fields should both get time in the game to make their case.

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