Wisconsin Badgers legend Russell Wilson keeps finding different ways to win for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
A week after piloting a 44-38 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, Wilson completed 15 throws for 158 passing yards and two passing touchdowns to notch a 27-14 win over the Cleveland Browns. The UW alumnus also rushed six times for 17 yards and recorded a passer rating over 100.0 for the fifth time this season.
Unlike a bulk of his previous performances this season, Wilson did most of his damage on quick-throw sequences. According to Pro Football Focus, Wilson completed 13 of 18 quick throws for 137 yards and two touchdowns. Virtually all of his production arrived during those situations.
Wilson, who is notorious for his capacity to throw the deep ball, still showcased his arm strength several times against the lowly Browns. On his second touchdown pass of the afternoon, Wilson tossed a dart between two Cleveland defenders to tight end Pat Freiermuth for a 20-yard score.
.@DangeRussWilson fired a dime to Freiermuth to extend the Steelers lead! 🎯 #NFLBadgers x #HereWeGo
(🎥 via NFL) pic.twitter.com/2l70A1mVht
— NFL Badgers (@NFLBadgers) December 8, 2024
Through seven games as the Steelers’ starter, Wilson is 6-1. He’s thrown for 1,784 yards and 12 touchdowns over that time. At 10-3, the Steelers control their own destiny in the 2024 playoff picture.
Wilson is slated to square off against a quarterback gauntlet to close the 2024 slate. Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles (Dec. 15), Lamar Jackson’s Baltimore Ravens (Dec. 21), Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs (Dec. 25) and Joe Burrow’s Cincinnati Bengals (Jan. 5) are the four remaining teams on Pittsburgh’s schedule.
Those contests will serve as an excellent stretch for Pittsburgh to evaluate its strengths and weaknesses before the playoffs begin. Wilson’s sole loss came in a blizzard against Cleveland on Nov. 21.