How the Pittsburgh Steelers Flipped the AFC North With Russell Wilson
Mike Tomlin Made the Controversial Move of Benching Justin Fields but It Has Paid Off
Let Russ Cook
According to most NFL betting odds, the Pittsburgh Steelers were supposed to be a last-place team in the AFC North in 2024. But after a 44-38 win in Cincinnati, the highest-scoring game this season, the Steelers are 9-3 and just tied the NFL record with their 21st consecutive non-losing season.
All the NFL news this summer was about the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals competing for the division title. But Pittsburgh has the inside track after beating the Bengals (4-8) while the Ravens (8-5) faltered at home against the Eagles.
What kind of voodoo devil magic has coach Mike Tomlin been using to win NFL games this year? It’s nothing special. He’s enjoying the trust of a HOF quarterback once again.
Sealed w a kiss Mike Tomlin and Russell Wilson. #Steelers beat Cincinnati pic.twitter.com/e5UPy20Gwx
— 93.7 The Fan (@937theFan) December 1, 2024
Russ Wasn’t Cooked After All
Many were skeptical of the 2024 Steelers after they acquired quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields for peanuts in the offseason. Wilson was coming off a 2-year slump in Denver while Fields has never looked the part of a franchise quarterback. Wilson was going to start Week 1 before a calf injury ended up keeping him sidelined into October.
But even with Fields, the Steelers were 4-2 behind their defense, and he was playing better than the terrible play Deshaun Watson was giving the Browns in Cleveland. However, while many (not me) thought Fields should keep starting, Tomlin made the unpopular move of benching him for Wilson even though NFL rumors said even people in the front office didn’t like the idea.
The results speak for themselves:
- With Wilson, Pittsburgh is 5-1 and averaging 28.7 points per game.
- In his first start against the Jets, Wilson led the Steelers to more than 30 points and 400 yards of offense, something they hadn’t done in their previous 100 games.
- In a 28-27 win in Washington, Wilson led a game-winning drive in the kind of win (high-scoring road game against a winning team) the franchise hasn’t had since 1995.
- Against the Bengals, Wilson passed for 414 yards, the second-highest total in his career.
Things may not be perfect, but who is playing perfectly right now? With Wilson, the Steelers again have a quarterback who can stretch the field, win a shootout, lead a comeback, and deliver in the clutch.
W!!! Full TEAM effort! Proud of this group @steelers pic.twitter.com/IytdVl8bP8
— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) December 2, 2024
Best Defense and Kicker Too?
With the quarterback fixed, Tomlin also has some edges in the usually defensive AFC North as his defense is still arguably the best unit. The Ravens have fallen off from 2023’s dominance and the Bengals have just been terrible defensively.
But another shocking development is that Chris Boswell is hands down the best kicker in the AFC North (maybe the NFL). He continues to deliver while Evan McPherson (Bengals) and Justin Tucker (Ravens) have badly regressed and missed critical kicks this year.
Tucker missed three kicks in Sunday’s 24-19 loss to the Eagles as he is struggling through the worst year of his career. His confidence looks shot. Meanwhile, Boswell has won two games with six field goals for the Steelers this year.
Ravens GM Eric DeCosta meeting with Justin Tucker tomorrow https://t.co/GznMho7bK7 pic.twitter.com/HVVZaWQgPW
— Wildes (@kevinwildes) December 1, 2024
If the Steelers get to 11 wins with a sweep of the Ravens, they will have the AFC North clinched in Week 16. Then we’ll see if Tomlin and Russ can end the longest playoff win drought in Pittsburgh since the merger.
