Steelers QB Russell Wilson Gave Away A Small Practice Detail That Helps Lead Pittsburgh To Victory

The Pittsburgh Steelers upheld their more than 35-year tradition of not allowing the Cleveland Browns to sweep them in the regular season with their 27-14 Week 14 win. They got off to a bit of a slow start, but both the offense and the defense picked up steam as the game went along. 

If the Steelers had lost twice to the Browns, it would be hard to envision success during the rest of the challenging season. Now, the intensity gets turned up. In the next three games, Pittsburgh faces the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs. It is not just that the matchups are difficult; it is the timeframe. They will play all three teams in 11 days. 

Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson completed 15 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. After the game, he spoke with Tracy Wolfson from NFL on CBS about the difficult road ahead. Wilson credited how Head Coach Mike Tomlin runs practices when getting them ready. 

"We're gonna celebrate this one first," Wilson said with a smile. "The best thing is our practices feel like games every day. That's an advantage to us. That's a tribute to Coach Tomlin how we go about our business. So we'll be prepared. We'll be ready to go. We're not looking too far ahead. Celebrate the moments. This is special. We got a special team, a special group of guys."

The Steelers didn't allow the Browns and their defense to monopolize the game this time around. The offensive line minimized the impact of Myles Garrett, who had a huge game in Week 12. This time, he was held to only three tackles and one sack. 

Wolfson also asked Wilson what went differently this time and what changed in the locker room. While the Steelers mounted a comeback during the last Browns game, they could not get it done before the clock ran out. 

"We just made plays," Wilson said. "We knew these guys have so much talent. We just answered the call. We knew it was going to be a battle, it's AFC North, it's championship mentality football and we gotta win it and we did, we responded. I think the best thing we do is we respond. We believe more than anything else. We've got a lot of faith in each other. We knew it was gonna be a tough game, we answered it."

The former Super Bowl winner credited his teammates for the team's successes. He also credited the defense for making some big plays. Pittsburgh won the turnover battle with three. Jameis Winston threw two interceptions, including the first of Keeanu Benton's career.

Wilson also praised the offense for stepping up, saying the line did well and the receivers were fantastic. This was important, considering George Pickens was out with a hamstring injury. 

Steelers Have A Monumental Task Ahead Of Them

Few national media members believed the Steelers would be 10-3 at this point in the season. Since Wilson first stepped on the field in black and gold, he has only lost one game. However, he has a huge task ahead of him in Week 15 when the Steelers travel to one of the most unfriendly places for them, the City of Brotherly Love. 

Most fans don't remember ever winning a game in Philadelphia. That is because the Steelers haven't won there since 1965. Overall, that team on the other side of the state also owns the Pennsylvania rivalry, 49-29-3.

This year won't be easy. The Eagles are currently on a nine-game winning streak and are 11-2 this season. Interestingly enough, the Steelers might have Eagles kryptonite on their team this year in the form of Wilson, who is 5-0 against Philadelphia in his career.  

Do you think the Steelers' practice habits give them an advantage heading into this part of the season? Click to comment below. 

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