Overall, the Steelers operating again as a gaggle caught 13 passes. The tight ends hauled in 9 completions. The vast receivers had seven.
Pickens has gotten an increasing number of consideration as this season has worn on because the Steelers’ clear-cut No. 1 vast receiver. But the sport in opposition to the Bengals confirmed the remainder of the roster will be harmful, as nicely.
“I feel the most important factor is simply the flexibility of all people,” Wilson stated. “I feel all of our receivers, our tight ends, our backs, all people can catch the soccer and do nice issues for us. So once we’re in a position to do this and unfold the ball round all people, it makes it actually exhausting on the protection.”
The attention-grabbing factor in regards to the Steelers’ assault final week was that regardless of so many passes to the tight ends and operating backs, Wilson nonetheless averaged a season-high 10.9 per move try.
Part of the rationale for that was as a result of he was altering performs on the line of scrimmage a lot, getting the Steelers into higher performs or adjusting issues subtly.
That has come from his progress inside Smith’s system and the belief the 2 have gained in one another.
“That’s the stuff you observe and meet on,” Smith stated. “If you are not on the identical web page, there could possibly be some actually dangerous unintended penalties. So plenty of that’s constructed up, issues we have now been engaged on all 12 months, sure video games, sure moments situationally comes up, that is the place that work pays off.”
And for a 13-year veteran akin to Wilson, there’s not a lot he hasn’t seen from defenses. And he understands the place to assault if he will get sure appears to be like.
It’s one thing the Steelers have not had over the previous couple of seasons since Ben Roethlisberger retired. But Roethlisberger had constructed up a belief degree inside the group to test to totally different performs. Wilson has that very same gravitas.
But when he is testing of 1 play and into one other, he additionally has to belief that the remainder of the offense will likely be on the identical web page, as nicely.
“I feel we have achieved a extremely good job of being on the line of scrimmage,” Wilson stated. “I feel for me, I’ve all the time cherished that a part of the sport being the road of scrimmage, checking the performs, moving into audibles, moving into the appropriate state of affairs, the appropriate play. I feel that we do a extremely good job of that. We put together for that. We give it some thought, we examine it, we perceive what we’re attempting to do, what we’re attempting to get to in sure moments.”
