Why the veteran QB can lead the Steelers to the playoffs

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It’s been a hectic couple of years for Russell Wilson.

After the Denver Broncos acquired the star quarterback ahead of the 2022 season, things went downhill quickly. Denver’s offense never got into gear, Wilson struggled, and first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett was fired before the season was complete, joining the likes of Urban Meyer and Bobby Petrino as first-time NFL head coaches to not even complete one full season as a head coach.

2023 was better on the field for Wilson, but not behind the scenes. Denver benched Wilson late in the year to insure that that the $37 million they owed him didn’t become guaranteed if he didn’t pass a physical elsewhere after being released. Wilson himself said that the Broncos told him to either agree to adjust his salary or he would be benched- he didn’t comply with their demands, so they played Jarrett Stidham instead.

However, even while clashing with Sean Payton and Broncos higher-ups, Wilson threw 26 touchdown passes (8th in the NFL) to just eight interceptions. He was also No. 8 in the NFL in passer rating and had four game-winning drives.

Not only that, the Super Bowl champion did that in an offense that didn’t necessarily match his style of play. Now, he is going into an offense that fits what he very does well- deep-ball passing. Wilson was fourth in the NFL last season in competitions of 25 or more air yards, per Sports Info Solutions. He was also third in yards and fourth in touchdowns on such passes.

The Steelers will be running a lot of play action passing under Arthur Smith, which also bodes well for Wilson and the long ball. The Falcons’ offense actually did well on play action deep balls last season. Desmond Ridder was third in the NFL in completions of 20+ air yards off play action. Wilson was seventh in passing yards on passes of the same kind, and was seventh in passer rating amongst all quarterbacks with at least 10 pass attempts in a deep ball off play action scenario. Wilson also led all quarterbacks in average depth of throw at 36.4 yards. What this means is that he was still incredibly efficient throwing deep despite launching balls further than anyone in the league on a consistent basis.

Another factor that will really benefit Wilson is throwing while his feet are planted rather than trying to run around and try too much. When he threw on planted feet in 2023, he had the fourth highest catchable pass percentage in the NFL of all quarterbacks with at least 100 attempts. His passer rating while throwing on planted feet was also fourth in the league. The Steelers’ offensive line is going to keep Wilson clean and give him the time to let it fly. In an offense that will play to his strengths, Wilson won’t only stay afloat, he can thrive and make things happen.

Now, this isn’t me saying that Russ is going to turn the clock back to 2020 and throw 40 touchdowns. However, I am saying that in this offense, he can be exactly what the Steelers need him to be- a competent quarterback. Last year, the Steelers were driven off course by awful quarterback play and had to rely on Fast and Furious type of luck to even get into the playoffs. Wilson is more than capable of keeping them on the road and maybe, just maybe, helping them end the long playoff win drought.