If there really is a competition for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defensive back spot, it should remain wide open after Saturday night.
Russell Wilson got his first chance of the preseason with the Steelers after missing last week’s game. The offense struggled without Wilson in the game.
The Steelers missed four attempts and a field goal in five attempts Wilson made against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday. Justin Fields took over before the team gave a red card in the first and second minutes of the first half. Wilson finished the game with 8 of 10 attempts for 47 yards, and much of those yards came on three passes on the third attempt, which was much less than the first attempt. It wasn’t a good game.
Wilson had multiple takedowns on the third attempt. One of the problems Wilson had with the Broncos was holding the ball too long and getting taken down too many times. That would frustrate the Steelers if he continued to do so. Both takedowns derailed the offense and led to punts.
Fields also gets a lot of sacks, but he can at least make up for it by going for big wins. That used to be a big part of Wilson’s game, but it’s diminished as he’s gotten older.
In the preseason opener, Wilson sat out with a calf injury he suffered early in training camp. Fields played fairly well, but some poor passing overshadowed his positive performance. At least the offense moved a little in that game.
The Steelers didn’t do much against the Bills defense while Wilson was in the game. Wilson was content to stop him often, or he would get sacked. Three times on a long third down attempt, he hit a short pass that ended just short of the first down marker.
During the Steelers’ first four attempts, they gained 12 net yards, one first down, four punts, and did not go beyond their own 34-yard line.
After an interception by Steelers’ Miles Killebrew, the offense showed some life, but not enough. Wilson passed the ball to Van Jefferson for an 11-yard gain on a third-and-2 attempt. A deep pass along the sideline to George Pickens nearly hit the crossbar, but he was out. On the third attempt, there was another pass near the stick, but that one put Chris Boswell in a better position for a field goal. Boswell missed, hitting the post.
Wilson has been the favorite to start since joining the Steelers. Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin has called the game a contest, but all signs point to Wilson being the starter in Week 1. That’s not a thrilling proposition after what we saw in Wilson’s first preseason snaps with the Steelers.
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