Russell Wilson considers himself a student of the game. He was a success in his first two starts in Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Russell Wilson was at the Pro Bowl after his breakthrough rookie season more than a decade ago, when he coached alongside quarterbacks whose resumes he followed.

Ben Roethlisberger. Drew Brees. Peyton Manning. Eli Manning. Sure, this week in paradise was fun. But Wilson's memoir focuses not on the perks but on the practices.

The game-obsessed player found like-minded people among the Super Bowl champions.

“I just learned a lot and watched,” Wilson said. “I just always believed in understanding and learning every piece. There is never a playoff. We can always win something, learn something and see something.”

Almost a dozen years later, that curiosity and attention to detail have not diminished. That much became clear during Wilson's careful rehab from a calf injury that forced him to watch the game Pittsburgh Steelers got off to a 4-2 start without him.

When Wilson — in full gear, even if his participation was limited at best — wasn't pantomiming everything from cadence to handoffs while reserves Justin Fields and Kyle Allen handled the live replays, he was bonding with Arthur Smith, the offensive coordinator of the first year.

It's an approach Wilson makes no apologies for. His job is to lead the offense. The way he thinks about it, the more he knows, the better. And if that means stalking the guy calling the plays, then so be it.

“I ask questions all the time,” Wilson said. “(I) am not afraid to ask questions or speak up if we think it will help.”

Wilson was not a teacher's pet, but a professional. The nine-time Pro Bowler understands more than anyone how important this season is to the rest of his career. He's on a one-year “prove” contract and Fields performed well in Wilson's absence.

There was no time to lose. At practice, in the film room or at games. And perhaps that's why Wilson has taken to the field so quickly for the Steelers, who enter the bye week at 6-2 after a 26:18 win about the New York Giants on Monday night.

Two weeks ago, coach Mike Tomlin raised eyebrows when he turned to Wilson and asked him to help Pittsburgh find a gear that has been largely missing since Roethlisberger retired three years ago.

It's hard to argue with the results.

The Steelers topped 400 yards rushing in both of Wilson's starts, something they haven't done since 2018. While there's still a lot of work to be done – like making sure drives don't stop in the red zone – there's also plenty of reason for optimism.

For the first time in a long time, Pittsburgh's offense appears strong enough to win when its defense falters. Wilson's deep ball remains a marvel and he was largely error-free while completing 36 of 57 for 542 yards, a franchise record for a quarterback in his first two starts for the club.

“We have a lot of confidence,” Wilson said. “(But) we haven’t done anything yet.”

TRUE. Every move the Steelers have made over the last ten months has had one goal in mind: ending the playoff win drought that lasted through 2016 as quickly as possible. Pittsburgh isn't there yet.

For the first time in a while, however, it looks doable.

What works

Letting perhaps the best edge-rush duo in the NFL do their thing.

Outside linebackers TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith combined for four sacks (two each) against the Giants, all of them in the second half. They dropped Daniel Jones on consecutive plays in the third quarter, putting New York out of scoring range. Watt later stole the ball out of the hands of Jones and then recovered the fumble to extinguish a scoring threat.

“Coach Tomlin calls him an A player,” Highsmith said of his longtime teammate. “A players are made for these moments.”

What needs help

Facing a Giants offense in an identity crisis, the Steelers' run defense allowed New York rookie Tyrone Tracy to hit them for 145 yards on the ground. Considering some of the run-heavy teams on the schedule over the last two months (hello Baltimore, Washington and Philadelphia), it's an area that needs to be solidified before the winter cold becomes permanent.

Stock up

The Steelers have been in the market for a quality wide receiver since trading Diontae Johnson to Carolina in the offseason. They couldn't get Brandon Aiyuk to come over in a trade, thus missing out on the Davante Adams sweepstakes. Maybe – maybe – they don’t need one after all. Eight different players caught passes against the Giants. If Calvin Austin, Van Jefferson and tight end Pat Freiermuth can keep making opponents pay for focusing too much on George Pickens, Pittsburgh's talented if mercurial No. 1 wideout could find themselves heading downhill more frequently go.

Inventory reduced

Perhaps the only thing worse than the steady stream of penalties that Broderick Jones racks up at right tackle are the times he gets called out for them. Pittsburgh appeared to score a touchdown on its first drive when Wilson found Pickens in the back of the end zone, but it was called back for a rare facemask call on Jones, who grabbed the helmet of Giants defensive back Armon Watts and the Steelers got away with it satisfied gave a field goal. It was the second time this season that a Pickens touchdown was wiped out by a Jones penalty.

Injuries

Fields tore his Achilles tendon in the final practice last week, giving him emergency quarterback status against the Giants. … There is optimism that running back/kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson (ankle), center Zach Frasier (ankle) and outside linebacker Nick Herbig (hamstring) could return after the break. … Rookie wide receiver Roman Wilson's disappointing season took another turn Monday when the team placed him on injured reserve with a hamstring injury.

Key number

0 – the number of points the Steelers have allowed in the third quarter this season.

Next Steps

Take a few days off to prepare for the challenging second half of the season, which begins November 10th in Washington against rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and the surprising Commanders.

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