Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (3) walks on the sideline during the second half of the NFL football game vs. the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
PITTSBURGH — Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers have been at this for a long time. Primetime lighting is nothing new. It’s not a gamble for their team either.
What are the stakes for yourself? Well, that’s another issue.
The 35-year-old Wilson will take the field Sunday night for the first time as a starter for the Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2), who will face Rodgers and the New York Jets (2-4) after the Steelers. Almost certainly. Coach Mike Tomlin thought Wilson was healthy enough. “under consideration” Wilson will take over as the replacement for Justin Fields, despite some doubts that he didn’t do very well in his first 12 seasons.
And Wilson will do it while trying to take down a familiar foe. Wilson and Rodgers met frequently in the 2010s and early 2020s when they played in Seattle and Green Bay. Now they are looking to refine their heritage in a place where the sight of wearing the home team’s uniform still feels a little surreal.
“There were battles along the way and everything else.” Wilson said. “I really respect the way he throws the football, the way he throws it, and it’s pretty special to watch.”
Tomlin appears to feel the same way about Denver luring Wilson to Pittsburgh minutes after he became a free agent in March, after paying him about $38 million to let him go. But the optimism that greeted Wilson’s arrival was dampened over the summer and early fall as he dealt with a calf injury. With this, Fields literally gave it his all while leading Pittsburgh to a tie for first place in the AFC North.
But Tomlin wants more from an offense that ranks 26th in yards. He wants to find that in Wilson’s right arm, and Tomlin believes Wilson has enough life left to make up for his decreased athleticism.
Wilson’s performance could determine Pittsburgh’s season. The same goes for New York, where the Jets have made significant changes in recent weeks in hopes of inspiring the club and their 40-year-old quarterback.
The Jets fired coach Robert Saleh on Oct. 8 and reunited with longtime running mate Davante Adams on Tuesday when Rodgers acquired the three-time All-Pro wide receiver from Las Vegas.
“It was weird, but it was really fun to see my friends.” Mr. Rogers said of Mr. Adams, who is currently rooming with Mr. Rogers.
Rodgers wants to see Adams on the field, preferably in the end zone. For a team that boasts the second-best defense in the league, a few points could go a long way.
The same goes for the Steelers, who have the second-fewest points allowed in the league. Tomlin believes his team was good, but not great. If Wilson could rediscover some of it. “Let’s have Russ cook for us.” Pittsburgh believes they can use the magic from their prime to close the gap with the AFC teams they have been chasing in recent years.
Curiosity and respect led Tomlin to turn to Wilson. Wilson intends to make decisions that seem risky at first appear wise in the end.
“One of the reasons I came here was to win a Super Bowl. … I think we have a chance to do that.” Wilson said. “But we have to work. There’s still a lot of work to do.”
Above and
running again
The season got off to a slow start, with Jets running back Breece Hall averaging 3 yards per carry, but the third-year pro had a breakthrough performance against Buffalo.
Hall gained a season-high 113 yards on 18 attempts and caught five passes for 56 yards. This was arguably the best game of the season, and it’s probably no coincidence that passing game coordinator Todd Downing was calling the shots in place of demoted offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
“We know Brees is a dynamic playmaker.” Mr. Downing said. “You’ve all seen it. When you give him a little bit of space, you can see he gets really excited and it was great to see him play with that passion and joy and hopefully we can We can build on that and make some advances in that area.”
BELLEFONTE — It was a very memorable season for the Juniata Christian School Lions in boys soccer…
Curve, PA – Altoona Curve Charities, a 501c3 organization dedicated to supporting local youth programs.
