Steelers' Russell Wilson Thrilled To Be A Part Of This Team: "It Makes The Game Fun"

The Pittsburgh Steelers had another decisive victory with Russell Wilson under center. During their Week 8 Monday Night Football showdown against the New York Giants, the Steelers won 26-18 to take the team to 6-2 heading into their bye week. Wilson got the team off to a much faster start than he did during his first game at the helm, and they moved the ball down the field. After the game, he credited his teammates and expressed how happy he is to be in the Steel City. 

Wilson got the ball to nine different targets, eight of whom made catches. During his postgame press conference, Wilson said they didn't dwell on the points left on the field. While the Giants are credited with having a great defense, the Steelers sometimes just beat themselves. A face mask penalty on Broderick Jones negated one touchdown, and the officials again stole points from the offense on a George Pickens end zone catch where he got one foot down twice.

The Steelers wide receiving corps has been heavily criticized for lacking a consistent number two option. Head Coach Mike Tomlin has said he trusts the players behind Pickens, like Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin III, and Scotty Miller. Wilson told the media they have a "relentless belief in one another."

"These guys are really putting the work in every day," praised Wilson. "I think the extra work before practice, the extra work after practice, and we got tremendous football players. I just believe in the guys we got. We got some special guys and their work ethic is really remarkable. It makes it fun to be honest with you, to play quarterback here and to be around such tremendous guys who love the game of football."

While Pickens couldn't make anything stick in the end zone on Monday night, Austin did. He caught a 29-yard pass from Wilson in the fourth quarter to score. In the third quarter, he finally broke loose and returned a punt for a touchdown. 

Wilson worked out with his receivers during the 2024 offseason to start building relationships and on-field chemistry. It clearly helped them since Wilson was 20 out of 28 attempted passes for 278 yards in Week 8.

"George is a tremendous football player, who he is and what he brings to the table," said Wilson. "Calvin, you guys got to see who he is and what he means to this football team, the star that he is going to be and already is. It's in him. The punt return that he had for a touchdown, I mean, these are things that are special plays. Van Jefferson, you know, he's a guy that I remember watching back in his college days, and then obviously, he went to the Rams, and I had to watch him make plays over there. But to have him on our team and his family means the world to me, too, just watching his work ethic every day. It makes the game fun when you get to be around great guys."

It is beginning to feel as if the quarterback controversy is put to bed, at least for now, as Wilson is performing at a much higher level than Fields was able to. He had two back-to-back games with over 400 yards of offense for the first time since 2018. 

Were The Steelers Scouting During The Game?

Just because the Steelers haven't acquired another receiver doesn't mean they haven't looked. They've been linked to numerous big names, but most recently, Darius Slayton from the Giants has come up. 

Slayton is one of Daniel Jones' top weapons, but with the Giants now at 2-6, they might be looking to have a fire sale. Against the Steelers, Slayton showed some Pittsburgh toughness by remaining in the game after getting a big hit from safety, Minkah Fitzpatrick. He had four receptions for 108 yards and proved difficult to contain. 

The trade deadline is rapidly approaching, and the Steelers must decide whether they can enter the tougher part of their schedule and win with what they currently have on their roster. 

What have you thought about Wilson's chemistry with the receivers? Click to comment below. 

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