The Russell Wilson problem

Or at least the Russell Wilson concern.

Let me start by saying this: When the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Russell Wilson in the offseason I was pretty in favor of the move.

The price was right (veteran minimum), it did not require any compensation going the other way, and if nothing else he looked to be at least a modest upgrade over what they had at the quarterback situation the past couple of years. Would it solve the long-term issue? Not at all. Would it make them a Super Bowl contender? No way. But I thought it was going to at least give them a chance to make the playoffs, maybe win a game, and be somewhat competitive.

It was something.

Then he got injured in training camp, never really played, and sat on the sidelines while Justin Fields took over the starting job and helped lead the team to a 4-2 record through six games.

Now that Wilson is healthy, and now that Fields has played a couple of so-so games and left some plays on the field, it seems as if Wilson is going to get his chance on Sunday night against the New York Jets.

I am skeptical of how well this will work, and I do not necessarily agree with the change.

I get why people might want to see Wilson. I get why the Steelers might want to see Wilson. The passing game has still struggled, Fields has been mostly good, but not great, and Wilson — in theory — might be able to open up the passing game a little bit more.

But I think that is assuming quite a bit.

My skepticism with the change, aside from the fact that I think Fields has been a little better than he’s been given credit for, mostly comes down to what the Steelers have around their quarterbacks and the strengths of weaknesses of both players.

I think there is a feeling that the 2016 version Russ is going to walk out onto the on Sunday night, when that is not the case. Based on what we saw from Wilson in Denver the past two seasons, he is pretty much everything people complain about with the Steelers offense right now. He does not use the middle of the field. He checks the ball down to the safe, easy throws. He does not make a ton of big plays. Over 40 percent of the Broncos’ completions last season went to running backs, despite the fact their top two wide receivers were Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy, both of whom are better than what the Steelers current have at wide receiver. He was a checkdown merchant.

Now, the Steelers can win that way. They have won that way. Their entire recipe is basically to make the safe, simple plays on offense, rely on the defense stopping the other team’s offense and forcing some turnovers, and then scratching out enough points for an ugly 22-16 win. That is the recipe, and it gets them 9-10 wins and a playoff spot in most seasons. Fine.

But there are so many other variables at play here that at least have the potential to be a concern.

The biggest? The state of the Steelers’ offensive line.

It is bad right now. When they go into Sunday night they are going to be rolling out three backup linemen in the starting lineup, including the entire right side of the line and their center. The left tackle, Dan Moore Jr., is mostly adequate, leaving only left guard Isaac Seumalo is the only truly above average player in that group. Pass protection could be an issue, especially against a Jets defense that is one of the best in the NFL and one of the best against the pass.

That could be compounded by the fact Wilson holds the ball longer than almost any quarterback in football, takes more sacks than almost any quarterback in football, and may not have the mobility he once did due to the combination of him being 36 years old and coming off a calf injury that basically sidelined him for almost three months.

I do not like that.

I especially do not like that when one of the only things the Steelers offense has had going for it this season is the scrambling ability and mobility of Fields. Both for his ability to actually run the ball, and for his ability to avoid the rush and still make passes down field.

The Steelers at the moment can not pass protect. They do not get their wide receivers open quickly through scheme. And their wide receivers do not get themselves open through skill. It is a recipe for a potential nightmare against a good defense if Wilson holds onto the ball and takes sacks. The one thing they can not afford is to get way behind the sticks due to sacks. The potential for that is certainly there.

Basically, the offense has a lot of problems and I am not sure the quarterbacks is the biggest one.

I will not dispute the idea that Fields has struggled the past couple of weeks and taken a step back from what we saw against Indianapolis and Los Angeles. He needs to be better and hit some plays that are there. But he also needs to get some help from the players around him who need to make the plays that he puts out there. It has been a community problem shared by everybody.

In theory I do see a chance for Wilson to succeed. He is a veteran, a Super Bowl winner and a borderline Hall of Famer. He is not a scrub or some guy off the street going out there. I just do not know if the current situation with everything going on with the offense is the right time to try it. Especially when you are 4-2 and still tied for the top spot in your division. Is this really the time to “see what you have?” Because there is a big risk there if it does not work.

The other aspect of that is Fields is probably the person you actually have to find out about. Or should want to find out about. Mostly because of the two players he is the one that at least has the potential, slim as it might be, to still be around in Pittsburgh beyond this season. Wilson is 36 and probably only a stop-gap no matter what he does out there. If Fields plays well, he is only 25 and could still be in your long-term plans.

The Steelers obviously disagree at the moment. We will see if they are right. My hope is they are. The objective side of me is skeptical.