The Pittsburgh Steelers secured an ugly victory over their biggest rival on Sunday. They moved to 8-2 after beating the Baltimore Ravens by a score of 18-16 to take a commanding lead in the AFC North. This win was critical for Pittsburgh as the team continues to take on this gauntlet of a schedule in the second half of the season. This extends Pittsburgh's winning streak to five games, including four straight victories since Russell Wilson took over as the starting quarterback.
Wilson was on fire during his first three starts with the Steelers. In Week 10 against the Washington Commanders, he was a little off, but he still threw for three touchdowns. Against the Ravens however, the quarterback had a clear regression. Pittsburgh still found a way to win, but the team is going to need better play out of Wilson as the season moves along. Wilson threw his second interception of the season against Baltimore when he was looking for Darnell Washington in the end zone. Head Coach Mike Tomlin was asked about the play during his press conference on Monday.
"I just wish Russ hadn't of thrown it," Tomlin said.
This play came with just over nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Pittsburgh had a five-point lead, and it was third down and Wilson was trying to make a play to put points on the board. It probably would have been smart to just throw it away so Pittsburgh could at least get a field goal and take an eight-point lead, but Wilson tried to force a pass, which ended up being picked off by Marlon Humphrey.
Although the ball was picked off, it seemed like Washington had a good chance to come down with the ball for a score. The tight end didn't even jump to try and make a play on the ball, even though it seemed catchable. At the very least, Washington could have attempted to knock the ball away from the defense. Washington is 6'7" and the ball was thrown high, and it seemed like a good opportunity for a touchdown. Tomlin clearly didn't agree and chose to blame his quarterback, rather than the second-year tight end.
Wilson did a good job breaking the pocket and extending the play, but ultimately took an unnecessary risk. He also threw an interception against the Commanders in Week 10, but that came on a third down play and the interception was essentially an arm-punt. The concerning part is that on that play, it also seemed like George Pickens could have made a play on the ball. Over the last two weeks, it seems like Wilson's targets didn't make an attempt to play the ball on what would end up being interceptions.
Steelers' Mike Tomlin Seems To Be Comfortable Criticizing His New Quarterback
Wilson's career seemed like it was spiraling after a pair of brutal seasons with the Denver Broncos. Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton wasn't a fan of Wilson when he took the job in Denver in 2023, and eventually benched him towards the end of the season. Former teammates of Wilson have spoken out about how Payton diminished the confidence of the quarterback in Denver, and Tomlin took the opposite approach in Pittsburgh.
While Justin Fields led the Steelers to a 4-2 record to begin the 2024 season, Tomlin continuously told Wilson that the team was his, despite the success of Fields. He never abandoned the quarterback, but he is now comfortable enough with Wilson to criticize him publicly. The veteran quarterback will look to bounce back against the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football in Week 12.
