Steelers' Roman Wilson Continues To Make Excellent Strides During His Sophomore NFL Season

The Pittsburgh Steelers fell to a record of 4-3 after their second consecutive loss, which came on Sunday night against the NFC-leading Green Bay Packers. In four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers' first battle against his old team, he played well (101.5 passer rating). Unfortunately for Steelers fans, the Pittsburgh defense struggled yet again. It gave up 30 or more points for the fourth time in seven games, and for the second game in a row, Head Coach Mike Tomlin's defense gave up 33+ points and over 450 yards of total offense. There is no doubt that the performance of the defense is the biggest issue in the Steel City at this point in the regular season.

In a different light and along with Rodgers, second-year wide receiver Roman Wilson was another bright spot on Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith's unit. On the biggest stage in the league, Wilson had the best game of his young career. He caught four passes for 74 yards and a touchdown. The former National Champion out of Michigan spoke to the Pittsburgh media about his breakout game and how he is moving along in his sophomore NFL season.

"It was cool, but I'm really focused on the next one," said Wilson. "I don't feel pressure. It's obviously there, but this is more of a blessing. I just keep believing in myself and go to work."

This is exactly the right mentality that a young NFL player should have, especially when you are catching passes from one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game. Wilson's performance this past week was also the second consecutive week that saw him catch multiple passes. In fact, he has caught a pass in three consecutive games for the first time in his career. 

With possible trade rumors surrounding the Steelers as they look to potentially add more offensive weapons before the November 4th deadline, the growth of Wilson is key. If he can continue to come into his own, the Steelers could continue to find major offensive success in the back half of the regular season.

Steelers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers Continues His Quest to Find Different Pass-Catchers

One of the many great things about Rodgers being in charge of any offense is that he will continue to find different playmakers each week. In the loss to Green Bay, the former Super Bowl MVP was able to find nine different pass-catchers. Wilson was the leading receiver with those aforementioned 74 yards receiving. Seven of the nine pass-catchers caught multiple passes. The diversity in the passing game is exactly what you want to see if you are Tomlin and Smith. In six of the team's first seven games, the offense has recorded at least 21 points. While that doesn't necessarily make this group look like a juggernaut, it certainly would have been good enough for some of the past Steelers teams. Unfortunately, this Teryl Austin-led defense is ranked 30th in the league when it comes to total defense (386.0 yards allowed per game).

In the end, this is what makes football a true team game. One player and one side of the ball cannot do it alone. Offense, defense, and special teams all have to work in unison with one another. Plus, a little luck might have to be involved, too. Rodgers (16 touchdown passes) is doing the best that he can on offense, and the emergence of Wilson at receiver is intriguing. At this point, the Steelers' hopes for the rest of the way hinge on the improvement of the defense. If this group can get back to playing average football at the very least, the AFC North crown can be within grasp. But the road will get harder before it gets easier as the one-loss Indianapolis Colts will make their way into Acrisure Stadium next Sunday.

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