Russell Wilson Is Everything Steelers Were Waiting For

The Pittsburgh Steelers have their quarterback.

Oct 20, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) celebrates an 11 yard touchdown pass with quarterback Russell Wilson (3) iagainst the New York Jets during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- Welp, maybe the Pittsburgh Steelers have a quarterback. And maybe, Mike Tomlin made the right call in letting Russell Wilson test the reigns as the starter in Week 7. And maybe, this offense is just scratching the surface.

The Steelers' first-half offense wasn't anything to be overly excited for. They had plenty of three-and-outs, some poor rushing numbers and just as many dead drives as they did scoring ones. But at the end of the first 30 minutes, Pittsburgh scored 13 points - which is almost double what they were averaging coming into the game.

That was just the beginning, though.

Wilson finished his starting debut with the most passing yards in Steelers history for a quarterback's first start. That historic mark is now at 264 yards and two touchdowhs, and while it's not another record, he also added a rushing touchdown on a quarterback sneak.

Around him, George Pickens had 111 yards and a touchdown, Pat Freiermuth had 51 yards, Calvin Austin had 31 yards and Darnell Washington had 36 yards. Van Jefferson also added a touchdown.

In the backfield, Najee Harris finished with 102 yards and Jaylen Warren added another 44.

The performance was one of, if not the best in recent memory. And since Ben Roethlisberger retired, it was the first time this group felt like they had the full game in their hands. Something many believed the Steelers offense was no longer capable of doing.

So, while many (myself included) questioned the decision by Mike Tomlin, it turned out to be the best one he could have made. Wilson is the Steelers "guy." He's their leader. And afterward, it was clear by the smiles in the locker room and the joy in the players' voices that they know they finally found their quarterback.

As time passes, maybe Justin Fields packages becomes a thing for the Steelers. Maybe at some point, they try to do even more with this offense by adding the quarterback who brought them to 4-2. But the questions about whether or not Wilson would be the starter the rest of the season have been answered.

This offense is set. They might add another wide receiver and will get some healthy linemen eventually. But for the most part, they have all of their pieces, which now includes their starting quarterback.

A piece they've been searching for for a long, long time.

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