The Steelers were 4-2 with Justin Fields as their starting quarterback, so there was some risk in the team’s decision to move on to Russell Wilson before their Week 7 game against the Jets.
After two games, it’s hard to imagine anyone questioning head coach Mike Tomlin’s choice. The Steelers recorded a season-high 409 yards in beating the Jets in Wilson’s first start and they bested him with 426 yards in Monday night’s 26-18 win over the Giants. The team completed nine passes of 20-plus yards in the two wins and scored 63 points after averaging 20.7 points per game through the first six weeks.
Wilson went 20 of 28 for 278 yards against the Giants and the Steelers posted 167 yards rushing as the improved passing game made life more difficult for defenses at all levels. After the win, Tomlin said he thought Wilson seemed far removed from his long layoff to start the season.
“I just thought he I didn’t need to reheat up to the task,” Tomlin said during his press conference. “A little less rusty than the week before, but I’m not surprised by his abilities.”
Wilson’s two seasons in Denver created doubts about his abilities, but his first two games in Pittsburgh were much more promising.
