Column | Wilson’s second impression will be even more important than his first

On a star-studded Sunday night in the Steel City, Russell Wilson finally made his long-awaited debut as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who routed the New York Jets by a final score of 37-15.

Wilson made his first impression to the Steelers fan base under a cloud of controversy, as many fans were miffed at head coach Mike Tomlin’s decision to start Wilson over understudy Justin Fields, who had started the first six games of the season as Wilson nursed a calf injury. 

“That’s why I am well-compensated,” Tomlin said in his postgame press conference regarding his bold decision to start Wilson over Fields. 

Indeed, a decision like that could only come from someone of Tomlin’s pay grade, considering the sheer amount of noise surrounding his team last week. Nearly every talking head in both the national and local media was pounding the table for Fields in the leadup to the game, and Tomlin even conceded before kickoff that he was on an island inside the organization with this call, saying he went “lone ranger” on the decision. 

Fields rose to prominence after Wilson went down with injury days before the season began. He shocked the NFL by leading the Steelers to a 4-2 start and was a mere six points away from an undefeated run under center. 

Though Fields still displayed some of the throwing errors he had shown in Chicago, his overall play improved under the careful supervision of his coaching staff. He wasn’t making that many flashy plays, but he was doing what was asked of him and executing very well. 

The biggest selling point for Fields was his legs, which he used frequently to bail out a battered offensive line that struggled to effectively block for him. Though he didn’t really have the individual stats behind him, benching a 4-2 quarterback was simply unheard of. 

The health of the offensive line hadn’t improved by the time Wilson’s number was called, furthering the risk in the decision to demote Fields and run with Wilson. Tomlin was banking that Wilson’s strengths — better accuracy, a good deep ball and experience in the league — could outweigh the running and dual-threat abilities that Fields brought to the table. Wilson proved him right. 

Though he started slow, Wilson shook off the rust and turned back the clock to his star-studded days in Seattle. A moon ball to George Pickens early in the second quarter marked the exact moment Wilson was officially back. 

Though his completion rate on the night was low, Wilson threw for 264 yards, three total touchdowns and no interceptions. Pittsburgh’s 37 points was their highest total in nearly four years, and they dominated in an unbelievably refreshing way. 

The 35-year-old dismantled the Jets’ defense, rallying his team to score 31 unanswered points and turn around a 15-6 deficit in the second quarter. 

His accuracy proved paramount, heavily involving Pickens. Wilson’s ability to throw the deep ball on more of an arch — as opposed to Fields, who throws it more like a line drive — helped Pickens do what he does best — go one-on-one with any opposing cornerback and win. 

Wilson was also able to elevate the game of lower-level receivers. Van Jefferson scored his first touchdown as a Steeler, Calvin Austin put up his biggest gain of the season and Darnell Washington recorded a new career high in receiving yards. 

Wilson surprised fans with his mobility as well. Even if he couldn’t take off and run like Fields, he was often able to evade danger long enough to let the play develop and hit an open receiver, like his sidearm sling to Pat Freiermuth late in the second quarter.

This was a dream first impression — the one they always say is the most important. But for Wilson, it’s actually his second impression that will be the most crucial. 

What Wilson did on Sunday was less about the numbers, and more about the vibes. The glitz and the glamor the Steelers’ offense showed isn’t something that we have seen since a guy named Ben Roethlisberger was throwing the football — and even in Roethlisberger’s final few years, he wasn’t playing like Wilson did last night. 

Plugging Wilson into the Arthur Smith offense gave fans a glimpse of an offense that looked seamless. For the first time in years, the offense looked like they were playing to win, as opposed to playing to not lose. That feeling can’t go away. 

What is ultimately important is that the Steelers put the NFL on notice, showing that not only do they have one of the league’s best defenses, but that they also have an offense that can hang around with some of the league’s best. That task now falls on the shoulders of Wilson, who will need to lead his team to a convincing win over the lowly New York Giants.

Momentum is everything, and the Steelers need every ounce of it they can get as they approach their bye week. Awaiting the Steelers on the other side of the bye week are six divisional matchups and dates with the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. 

That is a daunting schedule for any team, regardless of how good they are. But seeing that lineup gets a little more digestible if you have an offense you can truly believe in, and it’s up to Russ to continue to make fans believe.