People questioned if Russell Wilson could still be a starting quarterback in the NFL after his stint with the Denver Broncos. In three games with the Pittsburgh Steelers, it looks like he’s got a lot left in the tank. He might not be as athletic as he once was, but his deep ball is still fantastic. Some people criticized some of his throws with the Steelers for being underthrown. Still, this week, former NFL general manager Michael Lombardi believes the touchdown he threw to Mike Williams was a perfect pass.
“That throw that [Wilson] made to Mike Williams for the go-ahead touchdown was vintage Russell Wilson,” Lombardi said Monday on his show, The Lombardi Line. “That was as good a deep throw as I’ve seen him make in three years. It was really remarkable. It was outstanding.”
That throw was magnificent. It was Williams’ only catch in the game and his first as a Steeler, but it was maybe the biggest moment in the game. The Washington Commanders gave the Steelers a fight, but Pittsburgh still came out on top. That throw was a game-changer, though.
The play came with a little over two minutes left in the game. The Steelers were down 21-27, and it was third-and-nine. They were on the Commanders’ 32-yard line outside the red zone. They almost definitely would’ve kept their offense on the field if they ended up facing fourth down, but they ultimately didn’t need to worry about that.
Wilson uncorked a beautiful ball to Williams down the left sideline. The pass was perfect, falling right into Williams’ hands as he entered the endzone. It gave the Steelers the lead late in the game, pushing them to victory.
Lombardi was among those who didn’t believe Wilson’s deep passes with the Steelers had been impressive. That’s fair because those balls weren’t placed perfectly. However, Wilson was shaking off some rust and still giving his receivers chances to make plays.
That was enough for the Steelers to win games. They needed more against the Commanders, though, and Wilson gave that to them. He even put Williams in that position to begin with. Without him, it’s tough to say if the Steelers would have won that game.
Going back to his last year with the Seattle Seahawks in 2021, Wilson hasn’t been as great as he once was. He dealt with some injuries and poor coaching, but it’s clear he’s not washed up. Maybe he isn’t a franchise quarterback anymore, but teams can still win because of him. He’s proved that with the Steelers.
