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Russel Wilson

I had written a post similar this, deleted it, wrote again and deleted again. Did not want to seem like I was dumping on Russ because of Fields’ tOSU past. (I also questioned how much of what I thought I saw was through Scarlet colored glasses).

But, since someone else brought it up … INTs, fumbles, near fumble sacks, sacks from holding on to the ball too long, under/overthrown balls… it seems like maybe Russ is mentally and physically wearing down the longer he plays.
Wearing down? He didn't play the first 6 games lol......

I'll tell you what is wearing Wilson down.

The **** O-line this team NEVER seems to be able to fix.
 
I have said this from day one, This is not the Seattle Seahawks Russle Wilson. There is no doubt that he has some skill but he need a SB ready team. he can not win in spite of Tomlin like Ben did, he also can no longer put a team on his back and lead them to victory.

His 5'10" height didn't seem to be a problem when he was in seattle. He has happy feet now and is just waiting for the next sack. hell in all honesty he should have had another pic six today. you can't blame the bad passes, Int's and fumbles on the Oline or coaching, those are all bad decisions by Wilson.
 
Contrary to what Tomlin says outside of Pickens and Freirmuth we have crap at wide receiver. The failure to address that and thinking we were going to skate by with this W.R. bunch is criminal. Or is it just how the Steelers operate as of late: just good enough to fill the seats, and never good enough to be a serious contender?
CA3 gets open running by guys and could be a weapon, but Russ lacks the arm to get it to him on the deep play when he beats coverage

Russ has one throw deep the moonball

He can’t throw deep with any zip

Completely wastes CA3’s
Speed and ability to run by guys when he has to wait for under thrown moon balls turning what could be TDs into contested catches with zero possibility for RAC

CA3 could be a weapon with the right QB
 
I have said this from day one, This is not the Seattle Seahawks Russle Wilson. There is no doubt that he has some skill but he need a SB ready team. he can not win in spite of Tomlin like Ben did, he also can no longer put a team on his back and lead them to victory.

His 5'10" height didn't seem to be a problem when he was in seattle. He has happy feet now and is just waiting for the next sack. hell in all honesty he should have had another pic six today. you can't blame the bad passes, Int's and fumbles on the Oline or coaching, those are all bad decisions by Wilson.

He was sacked a lot when he was in Seattle as well. There were actually years there where his sack % was higher than it is this season.

He was just able to generate more yards by running and/or throwing on the run than he can now.

The current issues are a combination of things He's impatient on some plays, but he's not being given many outlets to dump the ball off, and his receivers often don't seem to make adjustments when he tries to extend the play. Combine that with the lack of protection he's been getting and the nervousness he's been showing on many plays shouldn't be shocking.

There are actually a lot of parallels between Russ's playing style and Ben's, with the big difference being Russ can still move a little bit in his late 30s. Ben was a complete statue by that point and had lost a lot of arm strength after the elbow surgery.
 
Russ isn't as tall as Ben, so he's not going to see everything that Ben was able to.

One has to be careful about criticizing QBs for not seeing receivers that appear open on TV. We don't know the progressions and the QBs vantage point is different on the field, especially when the blocking is breaking down.

Even Ben appeared to miss wide open receivers at times, as I recall Antonio Brown throwing a water cooler in a tantrum over it years ago.

Saying that, Russ has definitely regressed in recent weeks, though the team around him and the play calling hasn't been doing him any favors, IMO.

Had Washington not been flagged for holding on that TD run, the narrative about the performance of Russ and the offense today might have been a bit different.
I thought the holding call on Washington was bullshit.
 
This is who we are…a team with a bad scheme on offense and defense with a few players missing trying to do the unthinkable.
It’s not Rus’ problem that his o-line can neither run block nor pass protect. That is on scheme and coaching. Our lead back is averaging 1.8 yards before contact…probably close to worst in the league, meanwhile, D.Henry is at a career best 3.2 ybc.
Our back-up, Warren is at 2.3 ybc. That is all scheme, coaching and execution. If players consistently cannot execute, it becomes 100% on the coaches.
Our pass game doesn’t allow throws to the middle of the field, thus eliminating 50% of the field. That’s why you cannot step up in the pocket to throw as theirs nobody there to throw to. Very difficult to throw outside (where our outlet passes are from UP in the pocket…with a shorter than avg QB.
We have NO #1 WR on this team!
We like to think Pickens is “a” #1 wide-out, so does he, but the TRUTH IS he is OUR #1 WR and that’s not the same thing. He IS no higher than #25 in most all WR stats. His stats are worse than Dionte’s a few years ago when he was “dropsie” Johnson. Is/was he a #1 WR? Nope.
We tried to sign a #1 WR earlier this year but couldn’t get it done.
Truth is, we ARE better than a year ago BUT still not a major contender.
Imo, we MAY be able to win a playoff game this year but we cannot go further without a bunch of luck.
IMO, IF we want to get better and become a dominant running team, we must employ a better scheme (that uses a FB/H-back like A.Smith used in Tenn. and Balt has used for years). THAT IS what Cowher did early before Ben to establish the run. We ALSO need an OL coach that doesn’t have a record of SUCKING.
The pass game requires a FEW WRs that can get separation over the middle WHICH we don’t have.

On D, we need to get a real DC who is strong enough to stand up to the HC who has exactly ONE freaking year as a DC and thinks he’s better than Dick Lebeau or Butler or Flores. We are wasting lots of talent on D running a scheme predicated on getting pressure without exotic blitzing. We STILL cannot communicate a scheme that covers any team with a receiving TE.

We can beat Houston and compete with the Ravens IF everything goes great and we get a few bounces our way BUT NO WAY we keep up w a well coached team like KC that has Kelce, D-Hop, Worthy, Hollywood, Watson and two players on IR that are ALL better than all of our WRs not named Pickens.
We are stuck w our HC so no use talking about it…we just have to find a work-around.
Merry Christmas brothers!
 
Russ is not the answer! Had some nice games along the way but when the competition improved, he did not.
I’d prefer they go with the ten years younger Justin Fields, bringing a legit QB Coach, move on from Arthur Smith, not impressed. Move on from slow, prodding Najee. Bringing an innovative OC, sign Warren, draft a new RB, draft a WR early, sign a WR in FA and make it a top notch one not a Van Jefferson type either.
Fire Terrell Austin and hire a real DC and keep shades away from the defense.
They won’t fire Tomlin or trade him which I really wish they would do. If he’s that great teams should offer a kings ransom for him.
This franchise is badly broken and guys like Cam, Minkah and TJ are fast approaching the end.
Highest paid defense and the look no better than an average defense.
 
The O-Line is alot better than some of the O-Lines Ben had for example 2008 through 2012. Ben won a SuperBowl with one of the biggest Patchwork O-lines in NFL History!

If you look at the sacks Ben took total for those 5 seasons he averaged about 50 sacks a season!

If that’s true then imagine how many more sacks he would have taken if he wasn’t good at beating off tacklers.

To be honest, which I always am, I remember far more often Big Ben tossing aside or breaking the grip of tacklers than him being sacked.
 
The O-Line is alot better than some of the O-Lines Ben had for example 2008 through 2012. Ben won a SuperBowl with one of the biggest Patchwork O-lines in NFL History!

If you look at the sacks Ben took total for those 5 seasons he averaged about 50 sacks a season!
I agree the personnel is not as bad as the performance of the OL, it comes down to coaching and scheme. And the QB being indecisive.
 
Russ has struggled. He’s also the only reason they have a chance at winning in the playoffs.
I would argue the only chance they have in the playoffs is Russ not sucking and a heroic effort by the defense. One of those 6-8 sack games where Watt punches out a ball or two that bounce the right way and a couple interceptions taboot.

One of those defensive performances we haven’t seen in awhile. Who knows maybe TJ can give a great pep talk about finally winning one and they can excel for 60 minutes one more time?

Russ is hardly the only reason tho
He just needs to stop being scared and sucking out loud.
 
Russ is not the answer! Had some nice games along the way but when the competition improved, he did not.
I’d prefer they go with the ten years younger Justin Fields, bringing a legit QB Coach, move on from Arthur Smith, not impressed. Move on from slow, prodding Najee. Bringing an innovative OC, sign Warren, draft a new RB, draft a WR early, sign a WR in FA and make it a top notch one not a Van Jefferson type either.
Fire Terrell Austin and hire a real DC and keep shades away from the defense.
They won’t fire Tomlin or trade him which I really wish they would do. If he’s that great teams should offer a kings ransom for him.
This franchise is badly broken and guys like Cam, Minkah and TJ are fast approaching the end.
Highest paid defense and the look no better than an average defense.
Russ played great against literally the worst teams in the league and as I fully expected broke out a can of 0-3 suck when he started playing playoff caliber teams. Wonder what OldeRuss will do in the playoffs???
 
I had written a post similar this, deleted it, wrote again and deleted again. Did not want to seem like I was dumping on Russ because of Fields’ tOSU past. (I also questioned how much of what I thought I saw was through Scarlet colored glasses).

But, since someone else brought it up … INTs, fumbles, near fumble sacks, sacks from holding on to the ball too long, under/overthrown balls… it seems like maybe Russ is mentally and physically wearing down the longer he plays.
Fwiw, given Russ's level of play in these past 3 losses, I'd prefer to have the younger, mobile Fields......perhaps making some similar mistakes/struggling behind an Oline with **** OTs, but with some greater upside to move up and out of the pocket.
 
The Steelers will be in an interesting spot. The top UFA QBs will be:

1. Sam Darnold
2. Russell Wilson
3. Justin Fields
4. Jameis Winston???

It's been tossed out there by NFL insiders and seems logical that Wilson would likely sign a Baker Mayfield type contract with the Steelers. That would put him around the 18th highest paid QB at around $33 million per year. The only other logical free agent option will be Fields. To me, he seems in the same category as Sam Darnold, who is getting $10 million.

There just isn't much in terms of the draft this year. Ward and Sanders will be top 5 (probably top 3) picks and that's it. The only thing the Steelers could do is roll the dice with Jalen Milroe late in the first, but he no higher than 2nd round talent, IMO, and will need time to develop.

I still think Wilson has the talent to win a playoff game or two with the right talent around him. I'm not sure where they'd be with Fields because while he was better than Kenny, he was not going to produce like Wilson did at his best.
 
I let Russ walk sign Fields and wait for the 26 draft for a QB, that is unless Justin finds his way..
If you could get Fields for 2 years 25-30 million total great but I think he gets a better deal elsewhere.

No way am I bringing Russ back for more than 1 year or paying him more than 25

Resign Allen
Sign the best veteran QB you can for 10 per or less on a short deal 1-2 years
Start drafting QBs EVERY year til ya have a guy
One in the first 4 rounds and 1 in 5-7 EVERY year til ya have your guy. Build the room.

If you have conviction that a player is the guy package picks, throw in a player and do what you have to to move up and get your guy

Without a QB this team goes nowhere.
Just cuz they absolutely brain farted with an overdraft of Pickett can’t make ya gun shy. That was just a dumb Tombert desperation move.
 
CA3 gets open running by guys and could be a weapon, but Russ lacks the arm to get it to him on the deep play when he beats coverage

Russ has one throw deep the moonball

He can’t throw deep with any zip

Completely wastes CA3’s
Speed and ability to run by guys when he has to wait for under thrown moon balls turning what could be TDs into contested catches with zero possibility for RAC

CA3 could be a weapon with the right QB


Perhaps a Justin Fields with the binders taken off……………….


Salute the nation
 
Russ just looks lost to me. As a veteran QB, you'd expect him to be able to make better decisions in the pocket. Is he just not good enough anymore, or is it a product of the scheme not having any chance of working against better teams? Probably a little bit of both. Really don't want to see him back in Pittsburgh next year at an inflated price. Please God, no.
 
It’s extremely shortsighted to discount his supporting cast. The OL and WRs are among the worst in the league. If you don’t think that matters, what in the Sam Darnold and Jarrod Goff are you thinking?
 
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