The Pittsburgh Steelers' coach Mike Tomlin has seen plenty of football in his day at the helm of Pittsburgh's NFL operations. On Saturday he shared his thoughts on what his prospective QB1, Russell Wilson, must do to hang on to the position.
“You know, he's simply got to run the offense,” Tomlin said. “We've got to move the ball up and down with fluidity, we've got to play well in situational moments and obviously we've got to score in the red area,” he added.
Tomlin's interview came prior to Saturday's game vs. the Bills that included a potentially serious lower body injury to Jaylen Warren. Tomlin previously called the race between Wilson and Justin Fields for the starting QB job a “great battle,” adding that Wilson has the “pole position.”
Wilson and the Steelers were tied with the Bills at halftime as they continued their quest to prepare for the regular season.
Steelers, Bills meet in Pittsburgh
Wilson and the Steelers took on backup QB Mitch Trubisky and the Bills in Pittsburgh. The tune-up game saw Wilson play safe football in the first half as the Steelers prepared for the second half. He completed 8-of-10 passes for 47 yards, watching as Trubisky threw for more yardage but also an interception.
Meanwhile, his chief competition at the position, Justin Fields, threw for 23 yards and ran for 24 on three carries as of the third quarter.
Fields and Wilson bring different dimensions to Pittsburgh's offense, a facet of the game on full display Saturday. The Bills led 6-3 as the third quarter wound down. They tacked on a field goal and led 9-3 in the fourth.
Wilson the answer at QB?
Wilson knows his way around a winning football team's locker room and huddle. He won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks in 2014 and has had his moments since then.
At age 35, he's still far off from what is considered to be the end of the road for most NFL quarterbacks. The question now is whether Wilson will continue to play smart and take of the football for Coach Mike Tomlin's team. Wilson has the skills to be one of the better red zone quarterbacks in the NFL but how it will all translate to the field is anyone's guess.
Pittsburgh could ultimately be the place where Wilson's career is revived. It could be the place where it ends, unceremoniously and with more criticism than fanfare.
With Tomlin on his side and Fields available to pinch-hit, Pittsburgh has a shot at winning a playoff game or more. Now it's up to Wilson to show what he still has left in the tank.
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