Joint effort: Quarterback Russell Wilson didn’t play much in Saturday’s preseason loss to the Detroit Lions, but he got the offense into the end zone in no time.
Wilson started the game’s opening drive, driving the Steelers 60 yards on five plays in 2:13. Cordarrelle Patterson scored from 31 yards out to give the Steelers a 7-0 lead before Wilson went to the sideline for the rest of the game.
Wilson completed his only two pass attempts for 26 yards, including a 32-yard pass to George Pickens on the sideline.
“I thought we did a really good job on offense, how we move the ball,” Wilson said. “George obviously did a great job on the third-and-11 conversion. He ran a great route, played great defense. It was a great team effort. I thought our guys, the 1s, did a really good job of running up and down the field, and that’s what we wanted. I knew we could do it. We had a really great training camp and OTAs and all that. So we finally got it on the field under the lights.”
Wilson said the key to getting the ball into the end zone this week after failing to do so last week against the Buffalo Bills is to stay on schedule.
“Last week we just didn’t stick to our schedule. This time we did it,” Wilson said. “I think another reason was I told you guys earlier in the week that the best thing is to be able to celebrate in the end zone with your teammates. That’s what this game is about. Just go in there and do it. We’ve got a lot of work to do and we’ve got to stay focused.”
Wilson said that after the first series, coach Mike Tomlin told him on the sideline that he was done and that he was happy with whatever was asked of him after he got the ball into the end zone.
“Our main goal was to run up and down the field and score,” Wilson said. “I was willing to play as long as coach wanted me to. Whenever I came off the sidelines, he would just tell me, ‘Hey, you’re done.’
“I thought the other guys were good, too. I thought Justin (Fields) was good. I thought Kyle (Allen) and JR (John Rhys Plumlee) were good. It was nice to see JR there and get a chance to get in the game. That guy did kickoff returns and punt returns, all the different things, and he played quarterback, too. So that was cool to see.”
Although Wilson’s playing time was limited during the preseason and training camp due to a calf injury, he feels he got enough training before the regular season.
“I was able to do a lot of reps, obviously all in OTAs and then during training camp as well, even though I was out, I was doing the mental reps,” Wilson said. “When I was able to do a little bit more every day, we had a plan, the coaches did a great job too. We had a plan put together of what I could do and how much. And I was pushing the limits to do more. It was a good balance. I was doing a lot of reps, especially the last two weeks in practice.”
Tomlin has not yet made an announcement about who the starting quarterback will be for the regular season, and that doesn’t bother Wilson at all.
“I’m just focused on being the best teammate I can be, preparing every day, being professional and how we approach that,” Wilson said. “Our team is a talented team. I think the best thing we’ve done is get better every day. I think that’s what you keep learning, you keep growing. You get to keep living that love for the game every day.”
“Personally, I want to help this team win. We have a mission. We have goals, we have big ones. You take it one week at a time and you have to understand that. Hopefully it will all be worth it in the end.”
