PITTSBURGH (AP) — Squint your eyes a little bit, and it could have been 2014, not 2024.
Russell Wilson drifting to his right. The Cincinnati pass rush closing in. Time running out. Then a quick flick of the wrist to an open teammate that instantly turned chaos into celebration.
Turns out, Russ can still cook. Even at 36. Even a year removed from a humiliating end to two turbulent seasons in Denver, which paid tens of millions for the nine-time Pro Bowler to go away. Even after a lingering calf injury that popped up over the summer and lingered into the fall and carried all the hallmarks of a superstar in decline.
Amid it all, Wilson maintained his own brand of positivity, confident there was more gas left in the tank.
It certainly looks that way. Wilson’s “look right, throw left” touchdown to Pat Freiermuth in the third quarter of a 44-38 win over the Bengals on Sunday was the highlight of a 414-yard masterpiece that was vintage Wilson. He shook off an early pick-6 to win for the fifth time in six starts as the Steelers bounced back from a shaky loss in Cleveland by effectively ending any slim chance the Bengals had of being a factor in 2024.
“It gives us a lot of momentum and everything else,” Wilson said. “But we have to use it for good, we’ve got to be able to respond, we’ve got to be better next week.”
While Wilson has made it a point to stay in the moment, his play is making a compelling — and perhaps surprising given the way his tenure here started — argument that he should stay in Pittsburgh in the long(ish) term.
Over the last half-dozen games, Wilson has revived his career and given the Steelers the kind of difference-maker at quarterback they’ve lacked since the back end of Ben Roethlisberger’s prime.
Though he likely won’t come cheap — remember, the Falcons dropped $180 million for four years of late-30s Kirk Cousins in March — Wilson seems to be getting better and more comfortable each week.
Within the last month, Wilson has drawn up a game winner in Washington, outplayed Lamar Jackson, thrived in the snow in Cleveland and picked apart one of the NFL’s worst defenses with an ease that’s hard to duplicate during a Saturday morning walkthrough let alone a divisional game on the first day of December.
Wilson’s 29 completions went to 10 different players — a surefire way to build goodwill in the huddle — and every time the Bengals took the lead during a back-and-forth first half, Wilson and the Steelers answered emphatically, much the same way Wilson has silenced all the doubters who felt he was cooked.
Hardly. And a season that began with somewhat measured expectations (externally anyway) is edging toward something far more substantial.
What’s working
Scouting linebackers. In the span of 18 months, the Steelers have added Elandon Roberts, Patrick Queen, Nick Herbig and Payton Wilson to a group that already included T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.
Roberts and Queen arrived in free agency. Herbig and Wilson came in the draft, somehow lasting until the middle rounds despite resumes that included the Butkus Award given to the top collegiate linebacker (Wilson) and the Big Ten leader in sacks (Herbig).
All four played significant roles in Cincinnati, with Herbig and Wilson teaming up for a decisive scoop-and-score that put the game out of reach.
What needs help
Joey Porter Jr.’s aggressiveness. The second-year cornerback has the size, skillset and — perhaps most importantly — the comportment necessary to excel at one of the most demanding positions in sports.
What Porter is lacking, at least at the moment, is the understanding of when — and when not to — mix it up while in coverage. He drew four flags in Cincinnati and is among the most penalized defensive backs in the league. Considering the teams with elite quarterbacks the Steelers face down the stretch and likely will see in the postseason, Porter needs to start ending up on the right side of the law more often.
Stock up
Three months ago, the clock on Dan Moore Jr.’s tenure as Pittsburgh’s left tackle seemed to be ticking toward zero. The Steelers drafted Troy Fautanu in the first round and expected to put him at right tackle, freeing up 2023 first-round pick Broderick Jones to move over to the left.
Instead, Fautanu’s rookie year ended in September and Jones has spent much of the season racking up penalty after penalty. All the while, Moore has been solid and occasionally even better than that, keeping NFL sack leader Trey Hendrickson in check while freeing up Wilson to do his thing.
Stock down
George Pickens is one of the most talented wide receivers in the league. He also is perhaps the most volatile. Pickens drew a pair of unsportsmanlike-conduct penalties for avoidable and immature displays following two of his catches and declined to take responsibility afterward.
Coach Mike Tomlin suggested it’s time for the 23-year-old Pickens to “grow up in a hurry,” but it’s fair to start wondering as Pickens nears the end of his third season if he’s interested in doing so anytime soon.
Injuries
Highsmith (ankle) seems likely to return this week after missing a month. WR Calvin Austin III’s status could be more uncertain after entering the concussion protocol on Sunday.
Key number
21 — The number of consecutive non-losing seasons by the Steelers, the last 18 under Tomlin. The 21 straight years of .500 or better matches the longest such streak in NFL history, joining the Dallas Cowboys from 1965-85.
Next steps
Try to avoid another pratfall against the Browns when Cleveland visits Acrisure Stadium on Sunday.
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