Who would have thought that the Steelers’ decision to switch QBs mid-season would pay such dividends? And it wasn’t even like they were struggling under Justin Fields, who led them to a commendable 4-2 start. But look at them now: the Steelers are firmly in control of their division with a 9-3 record. All thanks to a 36-year-old Russell Wilson, who was labeled washed after his Broncos tenure.

After signing with the Steelers for a one-year, $1.21M contract, Wilson didn’t get off to a great start. Well, he didn’t start at all until the first six weeks because of a calf injury. But since he has taken over in Pittsburgh, the Steelers are 5-1, with him starting at center. And the numbers he is putting on board are somewhat better than Fields had on the offense.

With Fields, the Steelers averaged only 20.7 points per game. However, with Wilson, they are now averaging 28.7, signaling a seismic shift in overall production. Although it could have been a perfect run, that one defeat came against their divisional rivals, the Browns, in week 11. Now, as they embark on an act of revenge this week, welcoming the Browns at home. Russ sent an aggressive message in the form of a video that had certain words in repeat, “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose, Go.”

He even put the caption, “God, I thank YOU for moments like these! See you Sunday @steelers ⏰🙏🏾.” Although this would surely hype up the Steelers Nation for their Sunday clash, there’s just one problem. If you have been a close follower of Wilson, you might remember that those were the exact same words he had posted during his Broncos tenure. Going back to 6th August, Wilson had a similar tweet wearing his Broncos helmet where he wrote, “Clear eyes, full heart, can’t lose.” 

We all know what happened after that. The Broncos decided to cut Wilson from their roster while still agreeing to pay him $39M to play for another team. But this time, the situation could be different. And the chances of such a thing happening are almost second to none. As for Wilson, he puts all the credit for his success in black and gold to none other than Mike Tomlin.

Russell Wilson praises Mike Tomlin for his resurgence in the NFL

After the Broncos debacle, it looked like Russ was heading for an early retirement. However, Mike Tomlin took his chance by taking Russ under his wings in Pittsburgh. Even when he suddenly decided to drop Justin Fields for Russ, there were questions surrounding his decisions. Like ESPN’s Mina Kimes was baffled by Tomlin’s change in QBs, “I’ve been trying to figure out what could motivate Tomlin to make this change. It’s one I don’t quite understand.”

Well, we understand it now, right? Wilson is just coming back from career-high passing yards (414) against the Bengals. As for Fields, he only managed to cross 200 yards for two games out of the six he started. So Tomlin must have done some magic with Russ over the past weeks. As the nine-time Pro Bowler expressed, “When you think about Coach Tomlin. I think first of all of his motivation, his embracing of each player, each coach, each person in the organization. He wants our best.”

And that motivation has worked wonders for Russell Wilson and the Steelers. Tomlin could be on his way to win his first playoff game since 2016. As for Russ, he could win his first after a gap of four years. But for now, they need to claim revenge on the Browns. Otherwise, their grip on the AFC North could slip from their hands after Sunday.