Tag: Russell Wilson

Ravens fall to 7-4 as offense sputters in 18-16 loss to Steelers in Week 11

Ravens fall to 7-4 as offense sputters in 18-16 loss to Steelers in Week 11

Lamar Jackson will have to wait a few weeks to get that much-needed win over the Steelers after the Ravens sputtered in neutral for most of the afternoon in an 18-16 loss to Pittsburgh at Acrisure Stadium.

The NFL’s No. 1 ranked quarterback in QBR, Jackson was 16-33 passing for 207 yards (6.3 avg), one touchdown, one interception, and a 66.1 rating, the lowest of this season.

Jackson had four carries for 46 yards, while Derrick Henry was held to 65 yards (5.0 avg) on 13 carries and one rushing touchdown, tying the single-season franchise record for touchdowns.

Zach Orr’s maligned defense held Pittsburgh to 4-16 on third downs and 303 total yards, but Pittsburgh held the football for 36:22, compared to Baltimore’s 23:38.

The Steelers held the Ravens ‘ top-ranked offense to 329 yards and just 124 yards rushing. Justin Tucker’s two missed field goals will further magnify the two-point loss. On the day, Tucker was 1-3 on field goal attempts, while Steelers kicker Chris Boswell was a perfect 6-6, including a 57-yard field goal.

Baltimore will quickly regroup before a massive Monday night matchup against Jim Harbaugh and the 6-3 Los Angeles Chargers.

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Puzzling calls/execution hampers Steelers offense early

The Steelers offense was stuck in neutral in the first quarter against the Ravens.

The Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t even gotten out of the first quarter against the Baltimore Ravens and the Steelers offense already has some questionable calls and head scratchers.

First up was the decision by quarterback Russell Wilson to take a shot deep on third and short that ended up bouncing off the shoulder of wide receiver Calvin Austin III. The issue with this play is twofold. First, if you are going to take a shot downfield on third down, you have to take that shot to your best guy. That means George Pickens and not Austin.

Bigger still is that if you are going to take a low-percentage shot like that, you’d better do it knowing you will go for it on fourth down if you don’t get it.

Then, later in the quarter, the Steelers had another third and short and instead of throwing deep, Pittsburgh went with a more traditional quarterback sneak. But the offense completely teleghraphed the call, Wilson messed up the push as the snap and running back Jaylen Warren just stood in the backfield and offered zero push. The offense then came back and went for it on fourth down with an even more telegraphed run that ultimately failed.

Thankfully, two missed field goals by Baltimore kicker Justin Tucker and one made field goal by Chris Boswell and the Steelers hold a slim 3-0 lead.

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Can Roquan Smith show Steelers’ Russell Wilson who’s truly dangerous in NFL Week 11?

Pittsburgh Steelers QB Russell Wilson goes by @dangerusswilson online but Baltimore Ravens LB Roquan Smith may have a rebuttal in week 11.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson goes by the tag @dangerusswilson on social media. Perhaps Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith will be looking to challenge that alias today.

Smith will be responsible for watching Wilson’s pre-snap reads and maneuvers in week 11. The Ravens’ defense must keep Wilson contained inside the pocket, which may allow the Ravens to tally up some sacks this afternoon.

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Smith is his team’s leading tackler, playing middle linebacker exceptionally well. Not only will Smith need to hawk Wilson Sunday afternoon, but he will also need to account for the Steelers’ play-action scheme with running back Najee Harris.

Quite frankly, in the upcoming war this afternoon, the question for the Ravens’ defense will be whether or not they can get off the field, especially on third downs. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin will want to keep the ball away from the Ravens’ offense as much as possible, so the Ravens’ defense needs to step up and stall drives.

Smith plays with tenacious intensity, and if he gets the chance to prove just how dangerous he can be this afternoon,  Game time is 1:00 p.m. ET.

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Steelers WR George Pickens fined for Week 10 antics

The NFL fined George Pickens for his Week 10 altercation with Washington CB Mike Sainristil, citing the reasoning as a face-mask penalty.

Just when fans of the Black and Gold thought George Pickens had put the Week 10 grappling match between himself and Washington CB Mike Sainristil behind him, the NFL has decided to intervene on one key aspect of the altercation.

Towards the end of the third quarter in the Steelers’ Week 10 matchup against the Washington Commanders, QB Russell Wilson threw an interception, and Pickens took it upon himself to perform his best rendition of a three-point takedown on Sainristil, who was seemingly all but removed from the play.

While it’s unsurprising that the NFL took exception to Pickens’ actions and decided to fine him, the intriguing aspect is what the league chose to penalize the Steelers’ WR  $16,883 for: a face-mask penalty.

With the 7-2 Pittsburgh Steelers enjoying an impressive start to their 2024 campaign and needing as few outside distractions as possible, hopefully Pickens will treat the situation as a wake-up call.

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Colin Cowherd admits he was wrong about the Steelers

Steelers fans may not accept Colin Cowherd’s opinion overnight, but his confidence in Pittsburgh’s potential marks a surprising shift.

Steelers fans, mark the calendar: Colin Cowherd finally gave Pittsburgh credit.

Cowherd is often regarded as one of the biggest critics of the Black and Gold, and while he is frequently vilified for his outlandish predictions and speculations, he has seemingly admitted to his lapse in judgment regarding the Steelers’ potential.

Cowherd predicted earlier in the offseason that Russell Wilson would lose the starting job to Justin Fields, but quite frankly, the opposite took place. Cowherd had previously admitted his mistake in assuming Mike Tomlin was “tone-deaf” to the offensive side of the ball, and he seemingly doubled down on his admission during a recent episode of The Herd.

While Cowherd’s “Seattle-East” comparison may rub some Steelers fans the wrong way, Russell Wilson has undeniably turned back the clock on his career in 2024 with Pittsburgh.

Cowherd’s newfound confidence in the Pittsburgh Steelers to beat AFC powerhouses such as the Chiefs, Bills, and Texans won’t fully redeem his reputation in the Steel City, but it’s definitely a start.

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Should Steelers claim former second-round WR off waivers?

Should the Steelers claim Tyquan Thornton off waivers to bolster their wide receiver room and add more speed to their offensive attack?

What a difference a few weeks make! Heading into the trade deadline, the New England Patriots’ lightning-fast WR Tyquan Thornton was one of many receivers linked to the Pittsburgh Steelers as a potential trade target.

However, Pittsburgh ultimately pulled the trigger on a trade that brought New York Jets WR Mike Williams to the Steel City. Now, it appears the Patriots have moved on from Thornton as well.

On Saturday, insider Adam Schefter reported that the New England Patriots would be releasing their former 2022 second-round receiver. Thornton ran an impressive 4.28-second 40-yard dash at the 2022 NFL Combine but struggled to make an impact during his three seasons with the Patriots, recording 39 receptions for 385 yards and two touchdowns in 28 games.

Steelers GM Omar Khan could once again showcase his decision-making prowess by adding Thornton’s speed to an already dangerous Pittsburgh offense.

Steelers’ wide receivers George Pickens, Mike Williams, Calvin Austin III, and the potential addition of Thornton would give QB Russell Wilson the tools to cook any opposing secondary.

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Russell Wilson leads NFL QBs in one interesting statistic, per PFF

Pro Football Focus ranks Russell Wilson’s deep ball as the NFL’s most accurate. Can it push the Steelers past Baltimore in Week 11?

When in doubt, let Russ cook! Every week since the Pittsburgh Steelers made the polarizing decision to bench the 4-2 Justin Fields, current starting QB Russell Wilson has proved his deep ball to be a necessity for the Pittsburgh offense.

While Wilson will never match Fields’ athletic prowess with his legs, the infamous PFF has confirmed that Wilson’s deep ball is the most accurate in the NFL.

Hitting on over 50 percent of these deep throws, his ‘moon ball’ has truly transformed the offense as a whole, and begs the question: would the Pittsburgh Steelers currently be 9-0 if Wilson had started every contest this season?

Wilson’s deep ball should be on full display against the Ravens in Week 11, as the Steelers’ offense faces one of the worst statistical defensive units against the pass.

Against Baltimore on November 17th at 1:00 PM EST, Wilson has the opportunity to do what Fields couldn’t do with Pittsburgh: go 4-0 through his first four starts with the team.

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Russell Wilson describes his decision to sign with Pittsburgh Steelers

Russell Wilson credits a shared vision with Coach Tomlin and meetings with Steelers stars for his decision to join Pittsburgh in 2024.

You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, and QB Russell Wilson didn’t miss his chance to join the Pittsburgh Steelers after his exit from Denver, ultimately driven by a shared vision with Pittsburgh. Wilson sat down with ESPN’s Hannah Storm and discussed his decision-making process in choosing to come to the Steel City.

Wilson described several prominent Steelers players who made sales pitches during the 2024 offseason, including fellow Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winner Cam Heyward, fellow Wisconsin alumnus T.J. Watt, and former All-Pro Minkah Fitzpatrick.

While playing with such elite talent seems like an offer too good to pass up, Wilson stated that his decision to sign with Pittsburgh stemmed from a shared vision with the team’s philosophy, including a similar football belief system: “I think Coach Tomlin and I share the same vision, love for the game, passion behind it, and obsession with it.”

While the success in the early chapters of the 2024 season can be credited to QB Justin Fields, no one can deny that Wilson helped make the Pittsburgh Steelers potential Super Bowl contenders.

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Steelers OC reveals plan for QB Justin Fields

The Steelers once again have a package of plays for Justin Fields.

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin made a huge move when he decided to bench quarterback Justin Fields in favor of Russell Wilson. The offense has come to life with Wilson at quarterback but the team has always left the door open for Fields to play in some special packages.

Up until now, Fields hasn’t gotten any snaps but when offensive coordinator Arthur Smith spoke to the media, he made sure to plant that seed in the heads of the Baltimore Ravens coaches.

As long as the Steelers are playing well, we don’t expect Smith or head coach Mike Tomlin to change a thing.

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Giants’ Joe Schoen has no regrets over offseason handling of QBs

New York Giants GM Joe Schoen says he has no regrets over sticking with QB Daniel Jones after meeting with Russell Wilson in the offseason.

The New York Giants decided to roll with Daniel Jones at quarterback this past offseason after inking him to a four-year, $160 million deal in March of 2023 that basically locked them into him for at least the 2024 season.

They had a pipe dream of landing a franchise quarterback in this year’s draft, hoping somehow to move up from No. 6 overall to No. 3 but none of the teams that owned those picks had any desire to move back.

Free agency offered a few options, one being Russell Wilson — who wasn’t about to ride the pines behind Jones — a player the Giants were locked into. He opted to sign with Pittsburgh, where he is now leading the Steelers toward the AFC Playoffs.

The Giants instead decided to back up Jones with Drew Lock on a one-year deal. Lock was told that Jones was the starter and he agreed to sign as a backup.

Lock was signed to a one-year, $5 million deal. Wilson signed with the Steelers for the veteran minimum — $1.2 million.

On Tuesday, Giants general manager Joe Schoen was asked if he wished he did anything different with the quarterback position, specifically in regard to Wilson, who visited with them.

“When people are free agents and you go through the process, you do what you do,” he said. “If it’s a good fit, then sometimes they come. If they’re not, you can’t make them. So, again, you go through the process of free agency, whether it’s any position. And that’s how free agency works. And players decide where they want to go and what they want to do. But some of that stuff is out of your control.”

Now, we’re in Week 10 and Wilson, who took over the starting job from Justin Fields in Week 7, has led the Steelers to three straight wins, one over the Giants.

Meanwhile, The Giants are 2-8 and on a five-game skid as they head into their bye. Jones has been struggling and the Giants are “evaluating” whether or not they are going to continue to start him. He has a clause in his contract that has an injury guarantee that would cost them $23 million if it kicks in.

It was clear this past week that Jones has been costing them games, performing poorly in the red zone as well as failing to execute big plays down the field.

Considering the Giants are 1-5 in one-score games, better play at quarterback could have them 4-6 or 5-5 instead of 2-8 this season.

Wilson, a Super Bowl championship quarterback who still has some gas in the tank, could have been that guy.

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