Former Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson diced up the Cleveland Browns defense on third and fourth down during the Pittsburgh Steelers’ narrow loss on Thursday night.
Despite falling 24-19 to the Browns, the Steelers quarterback played nearly perfectly in late-down situations during the second-half blizzard at Huntington Bank Field.
The UW alumnus completed 12 of 13 pass attempts for 203 passing yards and one touchdown in those scenarios. He also recorded a 144.4 passer rating.
Given the horrid weather in Cleveland, it’s almost hard to comprehend how Wilson pulled off such a stat line. Plus, Browns’ superstar defensive end Myles Garrett recorded three sacks, three tackles for loss and three QB hits in the effort.
For the game, Wilson completed 21 of 28 passes for 270 yards and the one touchdown to wide receiver Calvin Austin III.
Facing a 18-13 deficit, Wilson stepped back and launched a 23-yard bullet to Austin down the middle of the end zone. The touchdown lifted Pittsburgh up 19-18, but became the final score for Wilson’s crew on the evening.
Russell Wilson with an insane throw in the snow, while getting crushed, & can barely see.
Russell: 18/22 241 yards 1 TD pic.twitter.com/pbnZkB5W5P
— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) November 22, 2024
On multiple occasions, head coach Mike Tomlin opted to go with quarterback Justin Fields in read-option scenarios. Wilson, as any true professional would, addressed his coach’s decision with media after the game.
“Obviously, we have trust in Justin [Fields] too in what he can do and what he’s capable of,” Wilson told reporters in his postgame press conference. “I always want to be in there. That’s just the competitor in me. But at the same time, I think, like I said, we have great trust in Justin and our team and our coaches and everything we were doing.”
The Steelers are now 8-3 and face another division foe, the Cincinatti Bengals, on Dec. 1 at Paycor Stadium.