Lessons from the Pittsburgh Steelers Week 7 win and Russell Wilson's first start

Russell Wilson’s first start could have been a low point for Mike Tomlin. It was a wildly unpopular decision outside the locker room to bench Fields and from all appearances, even, it was less so inside the locker room. As halftime approached, Tomlin looked like a fool and the Jets were trouncing their hapless offense. They gave viewers whiplash by doing a complete 180 and scoring the next 31 points. Wilson still has a tough schedule ahead of him after the bye week, but he silenced his critics for now and made his head coach look like even more of a genius.

Here are five lessons the Steelers dispensed during their win over the Jets.

Mike Tomlin is a superior coach to Sean Payton

Watching Russell Wilson in Denver the last two seasons was a depressing affair. Last season in particular he looked like a broken man being berated by Sean Payton on the sideline. Midway through a Sunday Night Football rematch with former Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett, the anti-Wilson lobby felt vindicated. Payton may still be the offensive guru, but Tomlin manages personalities better.  At halftime, Wilson resembled an anchor on Tomin’s reputation. And then, as halftime neared, the rust wore off and Wilson performed like a future Hall of Famer who needed a few minutes to get warmed up. 

Just before the half, Wilson led a quick drive that ended in a touchdown that was the first of 31 unanswered points. However, Wilson’s performance wouldn’t have been possible without Tomlin’s masterclass clinic on leadership this week. He stuck with his gut, telling Fox NFL Sunday’s Jay Glazer on Saturday that this was a decision he made on his own, not as part of a committee. 

"He said, 'Look, I went Lone Ranger on it.' Because TB [Terry Bradshaw], you're not the only one who was against this. There's a lot of people inside that organization who were as well. And he said, 'Look, if it doesn't work out, I'll take the heat. I'll shoulder the blame, no problem.' Tomlin told Glazer, h/t Steelers Depot. "'The reason why I did this is I knew I had two quarterbacks going into camp that are very capable, but I wanted to see both of them before I made a long-term decision. Well, I haven't seen the other one. I want to see at least what I have from him, exhaust all options and then make a decision down the stretch.' He said, 'I'm not trying to win games, I'm trying to win a world title here. I gotta see what I've got in both.'"

Even Justin Fields willingly bought in to serving as a backup before Wilson was named the official starter. Tomlin could have taken the easier route and thrown Justin Fields to the wolves, then used that as a reason to start Wilson against a soft Giants team before heading into their bye. He stared down offensive mutiny to give Wilson a chance, and it paid off with a statement win.

Beanie Bishop Jr.’s redemption

Two weeks ago, Beanie Bishop Jr. was persona non grata in Pittsburgh. Bishop was forced into starting at nickel corner following Cam Sutton's suspension and was defending in coverage like this was an annoying side gig. Bishop committed countless penalties galore and made a mistake on the goal line that allowed the game-winning catch to be made on fourth-and-goal. 

He was repeatedly picked on by Dak Prescott two weeks ago and played so poorly that yours truly opined, “Bishop could become a piece on Aaron Rodgers’ chess board.” I stand corrected.  Rodgers didn’t see this version of Bishop coming. He kickstarted the comeback by intercepting Rodgers at midfield before the half.  Just before the half, Bishop snagged a pass across the middle with his left hand that was intended for Garrett Wilson. He later picked off a second pass.

Bishops’ improvement is another testament to Tomlin and Teryl Austin’s coaching. It harkens back to something Tomlin once told Ryan Clark about his philosophy. 

“I love to hear coaches resist the responsibility of coaching. Cause they easy to beat…they talk negatively about a dude ‘he can’t learn’. Man, if everybody could learn we’d need less coaches.” Tomlin walks the walk.

Bishop was a prime example of the type of player who benefits most from coaching. He was brimming with confidence after Sunday’s win, a stark difference from two weeks earlier. The Steelers are only as good as their weakest link. Their weakness in the downfield passing attack has become a strength and the same can be said for Bishop. Next up, Daniel Jones and the Giants before Sutton’s suspension will likely be lifted after the bye. 

Russell Wilson raises the Steelers' ceiling 

Justin Fields was an IcyHot patch for the Steelers offense. He bounced between hot and cold sensations but did just enough to distract from their painfully rudimentary offense.   Wilson started slow in his debut, but once the rust wore off, he had the offense flying at a higher altitude. This should have been a tough night for Wilson. He was making his debut against an elite secondary on Sunday Night Football, his offensive cupboard was bare, the offensive line was battered and bruised and teammates sounded divided over Fields’ benching. Wilson was unphased amid all the noise and led the Steelers to a season-high 37 points. 

He showcased the maneuverability to escape the pocket, excellent touch on his throws, and didn’t flinch. More importantly, he made Rodgers look ancient. Davante Adams may have chosen poorly again. At 2-5, the Jets are rudderless, their head coach is an interim placeholder and their quarterback is withering away.

So many of Wilson’s passes had the parabolic trajectories of a Steph Curry deep three, and were thrown over defensive backs heads rather than to receivers creating separation. His 21-yard lob to Pat Freiermuth while he was draped by safety Jalen Mills was a prime example of what he offers in terms of stretching the field that Fields did not.

As expected, Wilson avoided the middle of the field like it was a handoff on the 1 and dropped dimes along the sideline instead. His favorite target on those throws was George Pickens, who was frustrated after six weeks of not being consistently targeted downfield when he felt he was open.

George Pickens should be over the moon

Nobody benefitted from those deep throws along the sideline more than George Pickens. For years, Tyler Lockett made a living by catching Wilson’s deep throws. Pickens was expected to be Wilson's new best friend on downfield passes in Pittsburgh. Instead, Pickens has been frustrated, passive-aggressive, and slumping. He was a far cry from the wideout who appeared to break out as the league leader in yards per reception en route to his first career 1,000-yard season. 

On Sunday night, Pickens returned to his 2023 form by reeling in five catches for 111 yards. That 22.2 yards per reception was the most he's averaged in a game this season by six yards a catch. In six games this season, Pickens averaged fewer than 18 yards per catch in every single game. 

On 2nd and 17 with 11 minutes remaining in the second quarter, Wilson launched a high-arching pass 30-yards downfield, which landed between Pickens’ right arm and the sideline seemed to reinvigorate the offense, although they stalled in the endzone. 

Just before the half, Wilson took a shot downfield at Pickens, who was face-covered by Sauce Gardner. The pass dropped below an unsuspecting Gardner’s waist, bouncing off of Pickens in the hands, and was dropped, but Gardner was smacked with a defensive pass interference call. Two plays later, Wilson found Pickens in the endzone over the top with a lob pass.

On their opening drive of the second half, Pickens collected an underthrown pass from Wilson that bounced off of the defensive back’s helmet. Two weeks ago, Wilson looked like he’d be a bystander for the rest of 2024 and Pickens was on the verge of imploding. That alone changes the Steelers vibe.