Steelers' Russell Wilson's Mind-Blowing Performance Disrespected: "If [Patrick] Mahomes Did That It Would Be On The TV On A 24/7 Loop"

The Pittsburgh Steelers didn't just win against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13; they put up the kind of performance fans had hoped for since they signed quarterback Russell Wilson. The former Super Bowl winner had a game for the ages. After hearing that he is too old, washed up, and a diva all offseason, Wilson put his talent on display the entire game and perhaps still isn't getting the credit he deserves. 

Wilson missed the first several weeks of the season with a calf injury, and the national media expressed concern about his ability to bounce back when he returned. However, Wilson hasn't seemed to miss a step. He won his first four games in black and gold, and despite losing to the Cleveland Browns in Week 12, he came roaring back against the Bengals and is now 5-1, and the team is 9-3. 

Now in his 13th season, Wilson had the best first half of a game in his entire career with 257 yards. He completed 29 out of 38 attempted passes for 414 yards with three touchdowns and one interception during the game overall. On 93.7 The Fan Morning Show, Mark Kaboly from The Pat McAfee Show marveled at the team and Wilson's performance. Kaboly called this the most "well-rounded team" since before Ben Roethlisberger's elbow injury. He said that he gives a lot of credit to Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith, as early on, the offense ran many different plays trying to see what the Bengals' defense would do, but once Wilson settled in, he took control. 

"Russell Wilson was just absolutely fabulous yesterday," marveled Kaboly. "They didn't even really need the run game, although the run game was there. A lot of it (the offensive success) had to do with getting them into the right place. You saw a lot of calls at the line of scrimmage, more or less checks, play A or play B. That seems simple enough, but it worked very well. The absolute crazy arm strength, not only arm strength, did you see the touchdown pass to [Pat] Freiermuth? How he made that, it was like quick release, little slide to the right. If [Patrick] Mahomes did that it would be on the TV on a 24/7 loop."

Wilson spread the ball all over the field, getting passes off to 10 different receivers, including tight end Pat Freiermuth. He had six catches for 68 yards and a touchdown, making him the Steelers' second-leading receiver behind George Pickens. His longest catch was for 25 yards, and fans were excited to see him more involved. 

Kaboly isn't wrong. It seems as if the national media saves their praise for players like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. While some are applauding Wilson's performance, most of them imply it came only because of how bad the Bengals' defense is. However, Kaboly added that he thinks this well-rounded team will be able to beat any other AFC team, including the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills, in the playoffs. 

Steelers' Offense Won, The Bengals' Defense Didn't Just Lose 

It is hard to find much to be unhappy about after a win of that magnitude; however, many Steelers fans find a way. The narrative is that the Steelers' offense didn't outperform the Bengals, but rather, the Bengals' defense was so bad that they couldn't stop Wilson and company. 

Kaboly agreed that the Bengals' defense is terrible, but that doesn't negate how good the Steelers' offense was. He said that in the past, the Steelers played teams with "bad defenses," like the Browns or the Indianapolis Colts, and lost. Even when they won those games against the teams with bad defenses, like the Baltimore Ravens or Atlanta Falcons, they could only put up 10-20 points. In this game, they made scoring look easy and seemed to fix their red zone woes.  

This was a critical boost to morale after the loss to the Browns. The Steelers have a lot of tough football games on their schedule. 

What did you think about Wilson's performance? Click to comment below. 

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