The Pittsburgh Steelers found a way to bounce back from an embarrassing loss to the LA Chargers on Sunday Night Football by sticking it to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11. However, it was hardly the offense that could take credit for the divisional win.
After Aaron Rodgers suffered a wrist injury, Mason Rudolph took over in the second half. The two quarterbacks combined to complete 21 passes for 232 yards and two touchdowns against the league's worst defense. What's worse is that almost all of this came in check-down passes with yards created after the catch.
Unfortunately, the wide receivers barely got involved. DK Metcalf was held under 50 yards for the third straight game, and the big wide-out (and costly investment) hasn't recorded more than 55 yards in a game since the Steelers' Week 6 win over the Cleveland Browns.
Meanwhile, Calvin Austin III has been a non-factor all season as Pittsburgh's No. 2 wide receiver. Over his past two games, the fourth-year wideout has been able to muster up just three receptions for 19 yards on eight targets.
In the midst of this utter lack of production, there's quietly been a shift at the wide receiver position, and the team can no longer ignore Roman Wilson in the passing game.
The Pittsburgh Steelers must get Roman Wilson involved early and often in the passing attack
Wilson earned just one reception for 17 yards against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11, but he's hardly been less effective than the other receivers on the team—especially on a per-target basis. With limited opportunities this season, Wilson has turned 17 targets into 12 receptions for 166 yards and two touchdowns.
When forced to start in place of Austin in Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers, Wilson caught four of five passes for 74 yards and a touchdown. On the season, Wilson is catching 70.6 percent of passes thrown his direction for 13.8 yards per reception and 9.8 yards per target. Steelers quarterbacks have an impressive passer rating of 140.8 when looking his way.
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In Week 11, we finally saw a paradigm shift at the position. Wilson earned 37 offensive snaps compared to just 19 for Austin. This is a big step in the right direction for a team desperately looking for a spark at the wide receiver position.
Wilson isn't guaranteed to be good, but the all-22 tape suggests he's getting open often. Now it's a matter of making him a focal point of the offense. One of the primary reasons Wilson lacks production this year is that there are very few plays in which Wilson is the first read for quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Roman Wilson is a former third-round pick who many NFL Draft analysts were high on before being selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024, and he has shown flashes this season. Mike Tomlin rarely puts trust in his youngest players, but with Metcalf and Austin struggling, it's time to see what Wilson can do.