The Pittsburgh Steelers were right to start quarterback Russell Wilson over Justin Fields, despite the team’s 4-2 start. Head coach Mike Tomlin was immediately vindicated with a 37-15 win and his offense’s best showing of the season. As a result, Wilson is the unquestioned starter heading into Week 8 against the New York Giants. That’s a development New York might welcome. If Wilson’s Week 7 performance – 264 yards, two touchdowns, no interception, one sack – bleeds into Monday Night Football, the Giants are in trouble. But Wilson also got the favorable end of a few contested catches that went for big gains, had a quality ground game to run play-action off of, and didn’t face much of a pass rush. New York’s defense, while unsteady, has the talent to put up a better fight than the New York Jets did in Week 7. That starts with the mismatch defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence has over third-string center Ryan McCollum. If he can push the pocket and force Wilson out of structure, rather than allowing him to let routes develop or move to the out-breaking checkdowns he frequently targeted, the Giants could see a version of Wilson the Steelers haven’t so far – an uncomfortable one.
That likely coincides with a strong effort against the run and keeping the offense behind the sticks. Pittsburgh would prefer to avoid true dropbacks, just as it had with Fields. However, Giants may be saying the same thing about how Fields may be better-suited for a Steelers offense struggling to contain the league’s most productive pass rush. Fields hadn’t created explosives through the air as much as Wilson, but his mobility is an element of the offense Wilson simply cannot recreate. He has five rushing touchdowns in his six starts and has consistently shown the ability to move the chains with his legs when he either can’t find the answer downfield or is disrupted by the pass rush.
That likely coincides with a strong effort against the run and keeping the offense behind the sticks. Pittsburgh would prefer to avoid true dropbacks, just as it had with Fields. However, Giants may be saying the same thing about how Fields may be better-suited for a Steelers offense struggling to contain the league’s most productive pass rush. Fields hadn’t created explosives through the air as much as Wilson, but his mobility is an element of the offense Wilson simply cannot recreate. He has five rushing touchdowns in his six starts and has consistently shown the ability to move the chains with his legs when he either can’t find the answer downfield or is disrupted by the pass rush.
Fields’ struggles on play-action passes got him demoted, but a defense that couldn’t contain Washington Commanders Jayden Daniels when it needed to and got steamrolled by a versatile rushing attack in Week 7 is likely happy to have one less thing to worry about. It’s on Lawrence and the rest of New York’s defense to take advantage of the break it has been given and ensure the aspects of Wilson’s game that earned him the starting job are less accessible in his encore.
