The Pittsburgh Steelers look like a completely different team, with Russell Wilson under center.
Pittsburgh began the season 4-2 with Justin Fields leading the offense while Wilson was sidelined with an injury. Fields performed admirably, but the Steelers offense has been firing on all cylinders since Wilson took over, and they are 2-0 with him starting. Wilson has thrown for 542 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for a touchdown in his two starts.
Wilson’s high level of play through his first two games with the Steelers has changed the mind of analyst and former NFL defensive lineman Chris Long, who apologized for his prior negative remarks toward Wilson.
“I know I’ve already said this, but I wanted to make sure I said it,” Long said. “This is my public apology tour on one topic, and that’s Russell Wilson. I’ve gotten a lot of things right over the last year. This is one that I didn’t get right. Justin Fields didn’t do quite enough, and he might be perfect for what they’re trying to do. He might be perfect for this coordinator. He might be perfect for taking advantage of the shots, the shot opportunities that we didn’t even know were there, the play-action.”
In the offseason, Long stated that if Wilson didn’t play well, the city would turn on him. Pittsburgh’s offense exploding for over 400 total yards in both games since Wilson’s return may have played a factor in changing his mind. The Steelers are looking to make a deep playoff run with new acquisitions at the trade deadline, like wide receiver Mike Williams.
Story continues below advertisement
More NFL: Steelers Reportedly Land Wide Receiver In Long-Awaited Trade
Featured image via Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images