NFL winners and losers, Week 7: Steelers’ Russell Wilson switch looks genius
Each week of the NFL season, The Baltimore Sun will recap the best and worst from around the league. Here are our winners and losers from Week 7:
Winner: Russell Wilson
In the beginning of Sunday night’s game, it felt like Steelers coach Mike Tomlin made the wrong decision.
Making his first start of the season after being sidelined by a calf injury, Wilson struggled as the Jets took a 15-6 lead midway through the second quarter. The Pittsburgh crowd grew restless as Justin Fields, who played well enough to lead his new team to a 4-2 start, watched from the sideline.
How did Wilson respond? By leading the Steelers to 31 unanswered points in a 37-15 victory over Aaron Rodgers and the Jets. The 35-year-old Wilson finished 16 for 29 for 264 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a score, providing a lift for an offense that had been good but not great with Fields under center.
Most notable was Wilson’s connection with wide receiver George Pickens, who benefitted from Wilson’s downfield aggressiveness with five catches for 111 yards and his first touchdown of the season. The emergence of the enigmatic receiver is huge, considering he’s talented enough to be a true No. 1 target but has struggled to be consistent with his effort and attitude.
Of course, Wilson doesn’t deserve all the credit. Undrafted rookie Beanie Bishop Jr. had two huge interceptions that led directly to a pair of Steelers touchdowns, including a one-handed grab over the middle that helped Pittsburgh cut the lead to 15-13 at halftime. Bishop later picked off a pass that bounced off Jets wideout Garrett Wilson and returned it all the way to the 1-yard line, setting up Pittsburgh for an easy touchdown and a 23-15 lead.
The Steelers also recorded their second blocked field goal of the season late in the third quarter to keep it an eight-point game, leading to players mobbing special teams coach Danny Smith on the sideline. The defense held wide receiver Davante Adams to just three catches for 30 yards in his Jets debut, frustrated Rodgers all night and allowed just 54 rushing yards.
In the end, it was a stroke of genius for Tomlin, who wasn’t shy about how he felt about making the bold switch to Wilson.
“That’s why I’m well-compensated,” the NFL’s longest-tenured coach said.
Loser: SF 49ers
It might be time to write off the 49ers as serious Super Bowl contenders.
That probably seems like an overreaction to Sunday’s 28-18 loss to the Chiefs, but mounting injuries have robbed this team of its best players. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk suffered a season-ending knee injury Sunday, joining running back Christian McCaffrey, safety Talanoa Hufanga, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and linebacker Dre Greenlaw on the sideline for an extended period of time. Wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings were also out against Kansas City, leaving tight end George Kittle and running back Jordan Mason as quarterback Brock Purdy’s top playmakers. Unsurprisingly, the offense struggled to score, going 2 for 4 in the red zone and 2 for 11 on third down while Purdy threw three interceptions.
At 3-4, it’s going to be an uphill battle for San Francisco.
