With a high-variance player like Roman Wilson, you have to take the bad with the good. But when the 'bad' nearly changes the outcome of a game, it doesn't go unnoticed. This was the case for Wilson and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Wilson, a third-year receiver and 2024 third-round pick, finally earned an opportunity this season as the Steelers' starting slot receiver. In the first three games of the year, he's made some impressive plays down the field. Perhaps his biggest was a 38-yard touchdown on a slot fade early against the Bengals.
Unfortunately, Wilson's inconsistencies could soon result in him finding a spot on the bench—this time for good.
As the Steelers were looking to score in the two-minute drill before the half, the optimism around Wilson's strong performance completely disappeared. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw a short pass over the middle of the field to Wilson. However, the ball bounced off Wilson's hands and into the arms of Bengals safety Jordan Battle.
This critical drop could have changed the outcome of the game. Instead of the Steelers scoring one more time before the half, Joe Burrow and the Bengals were able to punch in a touchdown on a pass to Tee Higgins with just 34 seconds remaining in the half. This was made possible because of Wilson's drop, and it essentially resulted in a 10-14 point swing.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could be running out of patience with Roman Wilson
I don't want to come down too hard on Wilson for his performance in Week 3. The young receiver still managed 60 yards and a touchdown on six targets. However, this game wasn't nearly as clean as it should have been.
In addition to Wilson's costly drop, the undersized wideout failed to come down with another perfectly placed ball from Rodgers late in the game. This would have been a contested catch, but as an NFL receiver (and a former third-round pick), this is one he's expected to make. Meanwhile, Wilson double-caught the 38-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers, and had a defender been closer, this ball may have been dislodged and resulted in an incompletion.
These plays are hardly Wilson's only offenses.
In the season opener against the Atlanta Falcons, Wilson couldn't corral a deep touchdown while trying to box out a defender. In total, there have been as many as four opportunities left on the table on just 18 targets so far this season.
Because of these narrowly missed receptions, Wilson hasn't been efficient. The young receiver is averaging just 6.3 yards per target and 10.4 yards per reception through the first three games. Meanwhile, Rodgers has just a 74.8 passer rating when targeting Wilson so far this season, which ranks fifth among Steelers pass catchers with at least five targets, per Pro Football Reference.
I'm not out on Wilson yet. But we can imagine that patience is wearing thin with McCarthy and the coaching staff. And with second-round pick Germie Bernard nipping at his heels for snaps, it's only a matter of time before Wilson's role diminishes.
Wilson should just be thankful that DK Metcalf's egregious performances early in the season have taken his questionable missed opportunities out of the spotlight.
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