In many alternate realities, Russell Wilson's tale would have ended. Sean Payton and the Broncos were so disillusioned with him by the close of last season that they paid the quarterback $85 million to leave. On Sunday, Wilson steered the Steelers to a 44-38 victory over the Bengals, exploiting Cincinnati's weak defense for 414 yards, the second-highest passing total of his career. He concluded with three touchdowns and one interception, the lone turnover resulting from a botched call.
After being discarded this offseason, Wilson has guided the Steelers to a 5-1 record as a starter, placing them atop the competitive AFC North. It seems fitting that with Wilson's finest performance in years, he also ensured Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin's 18th consecutive season with a non-losing record. Tomlin was the sole believer when the rest of the league gave up on the quarterback. Wilson likely heard the chatter. While his athleticism had previously compensated for his shortcomings, that edge had waned. In Denver, he had transformed into a sluggish, inaccurate passer. In essence: he was no longer a quarterback capable of winning games.
With Denver covering most of his salary this season, Wilson was practically free. Teams only needed to commit to the league's minimum salary to acquire the 36-year-old. However, Wilson was a distant second choice behind Kirk Cousins in free agency, and most quarterback-needy teams opted for the draft instead. Even Tomlin was cautious, orchestrating a trade for Justin Fields from the Bears after signing Wilson to a one-year contract in free agency. Just before the season opener, Wilson suffered a calf injury that sidelined him for six weeks. Fields led the Steelers to a winning record, demonstrating enough potential that Tomlin could have justified sticking with the younger quarterback.
But unnoticed by many, Wilson fought for his career, showcasing enough in practice to convince Tomlin to bench Fields from a winning lineup. The initial results were mixed, but Wilson now appears to be back to his prime. When he exited the field in Cincinnati on Sunday, Tomlin was waiting outside the locker room to greet him. “What’s up, old man?” Tomlin said as he embraced his quarterback. For the first time since Ben Roethlisberger retired, the Steelers have a genuine chance at contending for a Super Bowl. They are winning with a traditional formula. They run the ball. Their offensive line is robust. They execute a few big plays per game, relying on George Pickens to create opportunities in the passing game. Their pass-rush is relentless, with underrated gems like Nick Herbig and Larry Ogunjobi often outperforming the superstars. Together, they form the best four-man pass-rush in the NFL, aiding in covering up a shaky secondary.
Tomlin has delivered one of the finest coaching performances of his career. But he undoubtedly recognizes that his team's playoff depth will hinge on Wilson's performance. Just two years ago, Wilson had plummeted from a potential future Hall of Famer to a laughing stock. But in Pittsburgh, he has reclaimed his old Seattle role: relying on the run game, maintaining offensive rhythm, minimizing turnovers, creating occasional off-script plays, and allowing defensive playmakers to make the difference. Wilson struggled against this profile for a while. While the coaching staff in Seattle viewed Wilson as a component of a championship machine, Wilson saw himself as Peyton Manning. He left Seattle for Denver, seeking more of everything. More yards, touchdowns, control of the offense, accolades, and respect.
But it was a farce, with the franchise essentially forcing the quarterback out of Denver. With his career in decline, Tomlin offered Wilson a lifeline. Even the coach must be slightly surprised by the results. It's not just what Wilson is doing; it's how. He is capitalizing on defensive errors. He is connecting on deep throws, outside the numbers, at an exceptional rate. What set Wilson apart in Seattle was his ability to execute atypical throws at a league-leading rate. You know the throw: a deep, arcing moonshot along the sideline. With the Broncos, Wilson's deep ball disappeared. With the Steelers, he's back to his best. He leads all qualified quarterbacks in Completion Percentage Over Expectation on attempts of 10 air yards or more this season (+15.7%).
Wilson has also shown a stronger grasp of what a game demands. His freelancing is less frequent these days, but it's always there, simmering in the background if needed. Against the Bengals, what was needed was dismantling zone coverages. Cincinnati backed off Pittsburgh's receiving corps, hoping to force Wilson to hold the ball long enough for the pass-rush to close in. Wilson in Denver would have capitulated. He would have gone for big plays, betting that he could outrun the pass-rush before launching throws downfield. He would have wanted to prove he was a top-tier creator, closer to Patrick Mahomes than Brock Purdy. The offense would have stalled as Wilson bounced around trying to create. But Wilson in Pittsburgh is content with taking what the defense offers, adhering to the system, and churning out scoring drives. On Sunday, he sped up his delivery, getting the ball out early to allow his receivers to create after the catch. In the first half, Wilson's average depth of target was three yards, with 67% of his 257 yards coming after the catch. When the Bengals adjusted their approach in the second half, Wilson pivoted, attacking deeper down the field.
There are still aspects of Wilson's game to critique, flaws that could be exposed in a tight postseason matchup. But he has mitigated some of his traditional shortcomings – and has proven adept at managing close games. He is, once again, a winning quarterback. Wilson moved to Denver seeking respect. In Pittsburgh, he has found redemption.
Jayden Daniels, quarterback, Washington Commanders. So much for Kliff Kingsbury's offense being exposed in the second half of the season. The Commanders raced past the Titans 42-19, jumping out to a 21-0 lead before Tennessee had even run 10 plays. By the time Washington had a four-score lead, the Titans only had 24 yards of offense. It was a crucial bounce-back game for Daniels. After a challenging early stretch in his career, Daniels delivered the most mature performance of his rookie season. He dissected the Titans' defense from the pocket, assembling a flawless first half in which he completed 14 of his 15 pass attempts for 105 yards, throwing two touchdowns with no interceptions while executing a series of tight-window throws.
More importantly, Daniels demonstrated that he is refining his skills as a runner. He is learning to choose his moments, understanding when to slide and when to embrace contact. Washington's offense has faltered this season when Daniels has either been injured or limited as a rushing threat. When healthy, upright, and able to evade the opposing pass rush, Daniels has devastated opposing defenses. It's always exciting when linemen contribute to the scoring. But Sunday was a historic day for the Thicc Six Movement: Seahawks defensive lineman Leonard Williams recorded the longest return touchdown by a player weighing 300lbs this millennium.
Trailing 21-7 to the New York Jets, Williams dropped from his nose tackle position into coverage. The 300lber intercepted the pass at Seattle's nine-yard line, evaded a would-be tackler, and then ran 109.5 yards for the score, reaching a top speed of 17.8 mph on his return. Again, this man is 300lbs! Williams' pick-six swung the game against his former team, transforming a potential three-score deficit into a one-score game. Despite a performance marred by errors, the Seahawks edged the Jets 26-21, lifting them to the top spot in the NFC West.
70.3%. That's Justin Tucker's field-goal percentage this season as his dismal campaign continued against the Eagles. Tucker missed an extra point, a 47-yard field goal, and a 53-yard field goal in the Ravens' 24-19 defeat to the Eagles. He is 19-of-27 for the season, and time is running out for one of the league's all-time greats. The rapidity of Tucker's decline is astonishing. He was the best kicker in the league for 12 seasons. Now, it seems he has the yips. There is still plenty of power on the ball, but his accuracy has vanished. On Sunday, Tucker missed as many or more kicks as he missed in 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2019, or 2021. And it's not just that he's fallen below his own high standards; he's become one of the least accurate kickers in recent history: 602 kickers have attempted 25-plus field goals in a season since 2000, Tucker's 2024 season ranks 576th in made field-goal percentage.
Baltimore cannot contend with such an unreliable kicker. It was unthinkable before the start of the season, but to have a shot at winning a championship, the Ravens need to move on from Tucker.
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