Russell Wilson’s late-career renaissance as the Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterback has left one former NFL star eating his words after a scathing assessment
Ex-Super Bowl champ Chris Long has been forced to swallow his words following Russell Wilson’s stellar performance as the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Since taking over from Justin Fields, Wilson has been instrumental in achieving victories over both the New York Jets and the New York Giants, posting impressive stats with 36-of-57 passes for 542 yards and three touchdowns.
The 35 year old veteran seems to have found his groove, especially connecting on play-action deep throws with top receiver George Pickens, which has significantly enhanced the Steelers’ offensive game.
Ironically, while under the lead of Fields, the team held a solid 4-2 NFL record, yet Fields’ own statistics were not as eye-catching, garnering only 1,106 yards, securing five touchdowns, and a single interception in passing, alongside 231 rushing yards and an additional five touchdowns with his legs. However, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin chose to bank on experience, and Wilson has risen to the occasion, proving his worth.
Wilson’s career path has been tumultuous since parting ways with the Denver Broncos, particularly following his tenure with the Seattle Seahawks where he faced harsh criticism. During the offseason, Long didn’t hold back in expressing his skepticism.
He commented: “Russell Wilson is seeing how the other half lives,” adding further, “He’s not only feeling the unfairness of the NFL, but he’s also feeling the pressure because he’s never had a guy backing him up like this. The minute he doesn’t play well, that stadium, that city’s gonna turn on him,” reports the Mirror.
Commentator Long has candidly come forward to admit he got it wrong about Russell Wilson’s impact on the Steelers, dominating the AFC North nine weeks in. He stated, “I know I’ve already said this, but I wanted to make sure I said it: 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 [Wilson] 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.”
After a Week 9 bye, the extra preparation time is something Wilson is hoping to leverage as he continues to excel at the helm for the Steelers.
Despite a pre-season calf injury which led to him missing some early games, including the opener against Atlanta Falcons, Wilson is set to steer his team into the next challenge against the 7-2 Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium on Sunday, November 10.