Entering Week 10, the Pittsburgh Steelers sit on top of the AFC North at 6-2. The second half of the season will be tough, as the Steelers have the third hardest remaining schedule in the league. They still have to face all of the AFC North teams and play teams like the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. Once Head Coach Mike Tomlin named Russell Wilson the starting quarterback in Week 7, the offense has since looked promising and Wilson has opened up the passing game for the team. However, the Steelers arguably didn’t play anyone tough during the first eight weeks of the season. Their true first test will come Sunday as go on the road to take on the Washington Commanders.
On ESPN’s First Take Friday morning, Cam Newton talked about how important Sunday’s game is for Wilson. Newton went on to say Wilson’s resurgence is the most important storyline to look at Sunday rather than the rookie phenom in Jayden Daniels.
“I think Russell Wilson is fighting a monster that not a lot of people are mentioning,” Newton said. “He’s on that Kobe win without Shaq trajectory of his career.”
Wilson didn’t have the best experience with the Denver Broncos and most thought he wouldn’t start another game as a quarterback once he got released two years into his five year contract. When the Steelers picked him up in March, Tomlin made it clear he would be the starting quarterback when the regular season came around. With a calf injury setting him back and Justin Fields taking the starting job for the first six weeks, Wilson finally made his debut Week 7 against the New York Jets. So far in his two games he’s started, Wilson has 542 passing yards and three touchdowns.
The Commanders’ defense will be a challenge for Wilson. They have given up on average 183.3 passing yards per game, which ranks fifth in the NFL. Washington did add Marshon Lattimore at the trade deadline Tuesday, which was a concern for the Steelers’ passing offense, but he was ultimately ruled out Friday afternoon. That gives one less defensive player for Wilson to worry about, but he’ll still be tested.
Newton also said on First Take that Wilson’s first two games were so he could get reps for the tough second half schedule.
“The Pittsburgh Steelers have not played [a] divisional game yet. They are about to go into a gulag or gauntlet, where it’s like, okay do we really know,” Newton said about how good the Steelers can be. “I’m looking at the Jets and the Giants from the team structure, a vet move being made by Mike Tomlin. This is our way to give Russell Wilson his reps.”
Wilson can prove himself to the NFL world Sunday with a win and showcase why the Steelers should be considered one of the top teams in the AFC. The Steelers traded for Mike Williams Tuesday at the trade deadline, so he’ll join George Pickens as a deep threat for Wilson, who has one of the best moon balls in the league.
Steelers’ Defense Faces A Tough Commanders Rushing Game
Not only will the Steelers’ offense be tested Sunday, but Pittsburgh’s rushing defense as well. The Commanders currently have the second highest total rush yards in the NFL at 1,475 yards. Washington’s backfield is led by Brian Robinson Jr. who leads the team with 461 rushing yards. Daniels, a dual-threat quarterback, is just behind Robinson Jr. with 459 rushing yards.
