Jets vs. Steelers Takeaways: Russell Wilson shines as Pittsburgh spoils reunion between Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams

A game that started as a back-and-forth battle turned into a decisive victory for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who scored 31 unanswered points en route to a 37-15 victory over the New York Jets on “Sunday Night Football.” .

On a night where they honored their first Super Bowl team, the Steelers (5-2) looked like a championship-caliber team. A big reason for this was the play of Russell Wilson, who scored three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) in his Pittsburgh debut. In contrast, the Jets (2-5) continued to underperform in a disappointing season for Aaron Rodgers and Co.

The Jets started strong and went 15-6 thanks to the strength of Rodgers and running back Breece Hall. But the first of Rodgers’ two interceptions by rookie cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr. late in the first half changed the momentum of the game. The pick set up the first of five unanswered scores by the Steelers, which included two touchdown passes and a touchdown run by Wilson, who threw for 264 yards on 16 of 29 passes. Not surprisingly, Wilson’s favorite target was George Pickens, who caught five passes for 111 yards and a touchdown.

While Wilson’s debut was a success, the same couldn’t be said of Davante Adams, who caught just three of nine targets for 30 yards in his Jets debut and didn’t record a catch in the second half. Adams’ struggles mirrored the night experienced by Rodgers, who threw two picks that the Steelers turned into 14 points.

Here’s a closer look at how Pittsburgh pulled off the “surprise” (the Steelers were underdogs coming into the game).

Why the Steelers won

After a slow start, the Steelers made a series of big plays, starting with Bishop’s first pick that set up Wilson’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Pickens that cut Pittsburgh’s halftime deficit to two points.

On Pittsburgh’s first drive of the second half, Wilson hit Pickens for 37 yards before throwing a dime to tight end Pat Freiermuth, who gained 21 yards. These completions set up Chris Boswell’s go-ahead field goal. The Steelers’ next score came less than a minute later, after Bishop’s second pick of the night set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Wilson, extending Pittsburgh’s lead to 23-15.

The Jets moved the ball on their next drive, but they couldn’t get away after Dean Lowry blocked Greg Zuerlein’s field goal attempt. With the Jets faltering at this point, the Steelers took advantage by staging an 11-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a Wilson touchdown pass to Van Jefferson, increasing the lead to 30-15.

The big plays were crucial, but another obvious key reason for Pittsburgh’s win was the play of Wilson, who started slowly before finding his rhythm after hitting Pickens for a 44-yard shot early in the second quarter after the Steelers three straight threes had outs. Wilson received excellent protection all night and was complemented by a ground game that saw him gain 149 yards, with Najee Harris recording his second straight 100-yard game.

Why the Jets lost

The following sentence will be sobering if you’re a Jets fan. New York is simply not a good team, despite having future Hall of Famers in Rodgers and Adams and promising young players in Hall, Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner.

The Jets have top talent, but they have too many glaring weaknesses. Their subpar offensive line was manhandled by Cam Heyward and the rest of the Steelers defensive front as the Jets rushed for just 54 yards on 15 carries. Rodgers continues to take far too much punishment, and that penalty on Sunday resulted in a nasty cut on his left hand that required medical attention in the game.

On defense, injuries to the secondary hindered the effectiveness of this unit on Sunday night. Their struggles contributed to an already sluggish defense being overwhelmed by Harris, who ended the game with a 10-yard touchdown run that served as the proverbial knockout blow.

Additionally, the Jets continue to make too many mistakes that good teams simply don’t make. An example of this was Wilson’s drop of Rodgers’ pass that led to Bishop’s second pick with the Jets trailing by a point midway through the third quarter. The drop sparked another Steelers touchdown.

Turning point

Wilson’s first deep completion against Pickens was great, as was Bishop’s second pick, which extended the Steelers’ lead. But the clear choice here is Bishop’s first pick, who set up Pittsburgh’s first touchdown just before halftime.

After the game, Bishop said he hoped Rodgers would sign one of his intercepted balls. It will be interesting to see if Rodgers follows through.

Game play

On a night when Hall of Fame wideouts Lynn Swann and John Stallworth were in the building, it’s fitting that Pickens made several balletic catches that brought back memories of the Steelers’ great wideouts of yesteryear. Arguably his best catch of the night was his contested grab early in the third quarter that helped give the Steelers the go-ahead score.

Quotable

“We know how much he liked to attack us. Whenever he sees that the middle of the field is open, he likes to throw passes like this. I just happened to be there and played what I saw. The second one…that.” was a route they ran, even in Green Bay. I played it correctly, the ball tipped into the air and I tried to save it. – Bishop details his first two career interceptions during his postgame interview with NBC Sports

“I would also like to pay tribute to Justin, how he got us to this position, what a great player he is. Just this whole team. “I really love it, I love being here.” – Wilson praises teammate Justin Fields, who led the Steelers to a 4-2 start when Wilson was sidelined with a calf injury

What’s next?

The Steelers will play another prime time game at home when they welcome the 2-5 Giants to town next Monday night. The Jets face the 1-6 Patriots next Sunday in New England.