Steelers' Russell Wilson Has To Do Something He's Never Really Done In History To Beat The Ravens

When the Pittsburgh Steelers chose to sign Russell Wilson during the 2024 offseason, they did so because he was a veteran quarterback with a proven record of success. Wilson could provide the stability and maturity this young offense was missing. The plan was coming to fruition during his first several games as he helped the team get to 10-3. Now, as the Steelers travel to face their arch-rivals, the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs, Wilson will have to do something he's never done to bring the Steel City a win.     

Pittsburgh hasn't won a playoff game since the 2016 season, and fans found hope in Wilson's success. However, the recent losses have caused old criticisms from the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos to surface. They said Wilson holds onto the ball, often taking unnecessary sacks. He seems to miss open players and struggles to work through his progressions. Former Steelers running back Merril Hoge joined Randy Baumann and the DVE Morning Show on 102.5 WDVE and told them Wilson will have to do something he's never done before if they want to win in Baltimore.  

"They can beat them with the passing game if he's really sharp from the pocket, gets rid of the ball out quickly, and does something he's really not done in history," explained Hoge. "If he can play the game at a higher rate and if the ball's coming out quickly, they got a chance. If he's trying to go and escape, they are going to be in trouble. That ball has to come out quickly, and that's where he's got to get better, and he can. That's been somewhat of his history; he doesn't do a good job of processing one, two, or three. He's not a real progression reader, he's a, 'If that guy is open, I'll get him the ball quick.' And you have games like that where the first guy is open, and he does a really good job, but when he's got to go a little bit deeper through the progression, he's not good at that, or he can't see."

Hoge believes that Wilson's height is a barrier to success. This isn't a new opinion. The biggest knock on Wilson coming out of college was his height. There were concerns he would not be able to see the field accurately. The NFL has seen more quarterbacks under six feet getting drafted and finding success. That includes Kyler Murray and Bryce Young, who are both 5'10".

He added that everyone, including the Ravens, knows this about Wilson and will try to use it to their advantage. In the Ravens loss in Week 16, Wilson threw an interception because their defense was able to move him out of the pocket and take away his ability to see. If Wilson can get the ball off quickly, he believes they can devastate the Ravens with their passing game. 

The Steelers Can't Live In Their Fears

The most noticeable difference between the first 13 games of the season and the final four was the change in the offense. While they were not particularly aggressive with Justin Fields starting, there was a definite progression as Mike Tomlin and Arthur Smith began to trust him and see what he could do. 

It is not surprising that they loosened the leash on Wilson faster than they did on Fields; he has had far more time and success in the league. What was surprising was that the offense seemed to totally change their scheme in the recent losses. 

Former Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch said he believes Tomlin did the exact thing he tells the players not to do: live in his fears. Batch isn't the only one to point out that Tomlin seems determined to play as a smashmouth, run-heavy offense, but the reality is they don't have the offensive line to pull that off. No team can be one-dimensional and find success against NFL defenses.  

Do you agree with Hoge's assessment of how the Steelers can beat the Ravens? Click to comment below. 

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