Former Steelers DB Patrick Peterson Sees Massive Growth On Offense With Russell Wilson At Quarterback

The Pittsburgh Steelers snapped their five-game winning streak in Week 12 against the Cleveland Browns in an AFC North matchup. It was a tough loss as the Steelers, who were 8-2, lost to a then 2-8 Browns. A lot of fans and the media called this a "trap game" for the Steelers as Head Coach Mike Tomlin's record on Thursday Night Football isn't pretty. Even with the loss, Russell Wilson has still been showcasing his ability to throw the ball downfield and make big plays. Wilson finished with 270 yards and a touchdown in Week 12 and has continued to make the passing game more exciting since taking on the starting role.

Wilson, despite his first loss as the Steelers starter, is still a quarterback that could lead this team into the playoffs. Former Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson said back in March that the Wilson signing was a "match made in heaven" and he doubled down on that statement on Off the Edge with Cam Jordan. 

"You go back and look at when Pittsburgh was in those Super Bowl conversations and when they was winning 12, 13 games a year, they had a quarterback that wasn't afraid to push the ball down the field," Peterson said. "And Russell Wilson is that type of quarterback as a Big Ben [Roethlisberger] that can create extra time. That can deliver the ball down the field at a timely fashion."

Peterson was only with the Steelers for the 2023 season, finishing with 42 tackles and two interceptions. He was with arguably one of the worst quarterback rooms in the NFL last season. He watched Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph all start last season for the Steelers. Pittsburgh finished 10-7 and lost to the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card playoff round.

Peterson dealt with inconsistent quarterback play during his one season with the Steelers, so offering such high praise for the signing of Wilson to the team showed a lot about the offense last season. Justin Fields started the year at quarterback as Wilson was dealing with his calf injury, but once Wilson went in, the passing game opened up. Wilson threw for a combined 542 yards and three touchdowns in his first two starts.

"I just felt like it was a perfect match because it's putting Russell back where he was early on in his career," Peterson said. "I did think this was the missing piece for the Pittsburgh Steelers team."

Wilson did rack up wins against the Washington Commanders and the AFC North rival Baltimore Ravens. There are some questions about offensive red zone struggles as the Steelers failed to score a touchdown in Week 11 against the Ravens, but that's not entirely on Wilson. The offense needs to start scoring more points and get going early on in the game if Pittsburgh wants a chance to get a high playoff seeding at the end of the season.

Steelers' Russell Wilson Taking Too Many Sacks As Of Late

Whether it's the offensive line, the play-calling, or Wilson not stepping up, there's no argument that Wilson has been taking a lot more sacks recently. In the past five games, Wilson has taken 16 sacks, four coming from Week 12 against the Browns. These sacks have been hurting the offense as it either takes them out of field goal range, or disrupts a drive where the Steelers were moving the ball down the field.

Wilson needs to learn that he can take off if nobody is open, which should be known for a veteran quarterback. There's been a few times where he would try and run, but it's obvious he isn't as fast as he once was. This is where Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith has utilized his Fields package, which fans saw more of against the Browns in Week 12. The Fields package wasn't working as much and disrupted the rhythm of both Wilson and Fields.

Do you think Wilson is the answer for the Steelers? Let us know in the comments below!

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