An MVP from the past criticises Steelers’ Russell Wilson

As everyone could have hoped, Russell Wilson’s first game with the Steelers has gone very well. Fans were worried when the experienced quarterback took over for Justin Fields, who was struggling with his 4-2 record. With 32 points against the Las Vegas Raiders, how much better could the offence look?

It’s a better answer. In their last two games with Wilson at quarterback, the Steelers scored 37 and 26 points, collecting more than 400 yards of offence each time. The NFL still has a lot of people who believe in Fields, or at least think the offence works the same way no matter who plays QB.

Cam Newton, the 2006 MVP quarterback, is one of those voices. He isn’t sold on the Steelers’ offence yet, mostly because they beat both New York teams.

“I’m not sold yet,” Newton said on his YouTube show 4th&1. “What a great game did Russell Wilson have?” Yes. Did he make chances for his guys? Yes. Did he throw because he was ready? Yes. Did he let the people who built plays do their jobs? Yes. The New York Jets are still being talked about, though. I’m still not sure. It will be hard for me to believe that Russell Wilson can do what Justin Fields did over the course of six games, starting with the next couple of games they played.

Newton’s doubts might be valid. Fields showed what the offence could look like over the course of six games, especially how his running skills could help. But Wilson has opened up a part of the Steelers’ offence that wasn’t used much in those six games: quick passing down the field.

Since Ben Roethlisberger left the Steelers, they haven’t had this many good quarterbacks. Newton is doubtful about Wilson because of the teams he played in his first two games, not because of Wilson or the team’s play.

“I’m still not sure.” That doesn’t mean I don’t think Russell Wilson has been playing good football. Newton explained, “He’s just been playing good football against bad teams.” “I’m not abusing my duty.” It’s simple: you should win the games you’re meant to win. It was expected that Russell Wilson and the Pittsburgh Steelers would win these games. I’m not seeing anything different from what Fields could have done.

Newton is right; both the Jets and the Giants are bad teams. Each team has a 3-6 record, with the Giants showing a 2-6 record. Those are probably the teams the Steelers “should” overcome. But the NFL is known as a game where anyone can beat anyone on any given Sunday. The Steelers showed that by losing badly to the Colts and the Cowboys, two teams that are much worse than the Steelers right now.

People also say that the Jets and Giants’ defences are good. Four of the Steelers’ six wins have come against teams that allow the fewest points, which means that most of their wins have come against better-than-average defences. This is true even before the Jets played the Texans on Thursday Night Football.

Even when the Jets-Texans game is taken into account, the Jets have given up the sixth-fewest passing yards and only six scores this season. Wilson has two of those touchdowns and 18.5% of those passing yards.

Only the teams that are on the list can play the Steelers. They have been successful so far and are currently leading the AFC North. With a win today, the Steelers would be the second seed in the AFC playoffs.

If beating the Jets and Giants easily wasn’t enough for Newton, Wilson and the Steelers will have to show what they’re made of during a tough second half of the season. The Steelers have to beat the division-leading Commanders, all six games in their own division, the Chiefs on Christmas Day, and a trip to Philadelphia. Wilson has to beat everyone on their schedule.