Ryan

The Older I get the more I’m convinced of the slippery slope.

[Ryan @ryan42_t]

#Memphis

[Chipper Jones @RealCJ10]

Preach….

[David Todd @DavidMTodd]

Disastrous mistake by a vet QB. It’s first down. Just throw it to or over Muth’s head OB and regroup. Next snap came at 25 seconds. Killer. Inexcusable. #Steelers

[Ryan @ryan42_t]

@DavidMTodd 😂😂😂

[Ryan @ryan42_t]

Can confirm.

[Catherine Fain @SouthernArrond]

I called this about 45 seconds before it happened. Such a bad, yet predictable look.

[Mark Kaboly @MarkKaboly]

Kaboly: These are the times that Russell Wilson is at his most valuable for the Steelers

Mark Kaboly / Steelers Correspondent
For The @PatMcAfeeShow

BALTIMORE — If you want to blame Russell Wilson for being the reason why the Steelers blew a chance to clinch the AFC North division title Saturday against the Ravens, you have a pretty strong argument.

You would be wrong, but it’s definitely worth a listen.

It’s not that Wilson played poorly but when you are responsible for fumbling inside the 5-yard line that likely took seven points off the board and then turning around and throwing a miserable interception in the flat that was returned for a touchdown, it is easy to identify a scapegoat.

The reality was that the Steelers suffered their largest defeat to the Ravens since the Duck Hodges game late in the 2019 season because of more than two bad plays from Wilson.

If you are going to go down that road, having your best receiver, top two corners, starting safety, starting defensive lineman, and your dynamic backup quarterback injured, T.J. Watt playing on a somewhat compromised left ankle, their inability to stop Derrick Henry, not pouncing on two Ravens fumbles and yet another ho-hum running day from their offensive line/running backs had as much to do with the 34-17 loss as Wilson.

Those are as factual as much as how the season now is in Wilson’s hands.

But it is Wilson’s job now to put together the pieces left crushed by back-to-back losses to the Eagles and Ravens before the Christmas Day game against the Chiefs on Wednesday at Acrisure Stadium in a must-win game if the Steelers want to win the division title.

Seriously, would you want anybody to rally the troops after two thorough beatings than Russell Wilson?

Ten minutes after the Ravens’ loss, Wilson was already starting to put the pieces back together.

“Not wavering on our belief, that’s the first thing,” Wilson said. “The best thing we have is high-character guys who love to work, love the process, who love each other. We want to be standing in the end and it’s not the end yet. We have to continue to trust the process and trust that we are going to overcome it. Everything that we desire and what we are working for is still ahead of us. That’s the mentality that we have.”

You know damn well that’s the message he’s sending to the group chat after the game.

The Steelers still have the straightest path to the division.

Wins over the Chiefs and Bengals would give them the division and the No. 3 seed. Now, they can’t clinch next week regardless of whether the Ravens lose at the Texans or not, but they have a clear path to their first stated goal.

If they are going to overcome these two brutal losses and have any chance in the playoffs, Wilson will be the person most responsible for it -- I truly believe that.

I’ve seen too much from him and seen too many quarterbacks come through here since Roethlisberger to notice a difference.

It was evident on the first day that they signed Wilson that he wanted to be the unquestioned leader of the offense and be on the same level as Cam Heyward, Minkhah Fitzpatrick, and Watt.

You would have to believe that his appearances all across the city, a lot of times with teammates, him organizing a throwing session in San Diego with his receivers, the Thursday dinners he hosts, the way he continued to go to bat publicly for George Pickens during some questionable times has led to the camaraderie he has with this team.

There’s no questioning that. Those are facts.

This is the time of the year that pays off, or at least that’s what Mike Tomlin is hoping it pays off.

One of the reasons why Tomlin was so bullish to go to Wilson when Justin Fields was playing well and leading the Steelers to a 4-2 record was Wilson’s leadership abilities.

Over 12 years, Wilson has pretty much seen and done it all and that means a lot this time of year. A lot when your team loses two games in six days.

Surely if you comb Wilson’s resume, losing back-to-back games on the road to physical teams yet still have more than a legitimate shot to win the division is in there somewhere.

Now is the time to pull on that.

“One thing I am not going to do is keep my head down,” Wilson said. “We have so much confidence in who we are, what we can do and how we are going respond. There are a lot of good things that we have been doing, and we can’t let one game take us into a negative state of mind.”

Wilson’s over-the-top positive attitude has been mocked by many outside the organization, especially in Denver and Seattle.

But there’s not a player that’s ever said a bad word about him since joining the Steelers. Not a coach. Not a cafeteria worker. Not a janitor. Not a security guard, Nobody.

To me, Wilson’s leadership and positive attitude will do this team just as much good for this team now as just about anything else besides getting healthy.

Playing without Joey Porter, Donte Jackson, DeShon Elliott, Larry Ogunjobi and George Pickens is significant even if that’s not the message this team wants to put out there. But come on, who wouldn’t struggled without those guys?

Let’s face it, they have no chance if they don’t get healthy. That’s first and foremost and most should be ready to play this week or at worst, in the finale against the Bengals.

What gives this team as good a chance as anything of putting the past six days behind them is positivity and belief.

“I don’t know if I ever saw him mad before,” tackle Broderick Jones said last week of Wilson.

Wilson quipped back: “It takes a lot to make me mad.”

The closest time you’ve seen that from Wilson was Saturday after being responsible for two critical turnovers that pretty much masked yet another solid game from the veteran.

Wilson threw for 217 yards and two touchdowns and added 27 yards on the ground.

Mind you, this was without a run game to speak of and any real deep threat on the outside all while playing on the road against one of the top teams in the NFL.

But those two turnovers were killers and Wilson knows it.

“It’s unacceptable. That cannot happen,” Wilson said.

Still, the good outweighed the bad, for the most part, and the Steelers can’t let that be forgotten.

There’s just too much left to play for.

“We don’t have time to be happy or sad about it,” receiver Calvin Austin said. “We have a game in a couple of days and each game is our focus. We aren’t thinking about one week or two weeks. We are thinking about the Chiefs.”

That’s the two-time defending champion and 14-1 Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes.

It will be the Steelers' third game in 11 days – two against physical teams and one against a team that’s on the cusp of doing what no other team has ever done and that’s won three straight Lombardi’s.

“We have to flush this one quick and move on because the next one is coming pretty quickly,” linebacker Alex Highsmith said. “We have to handle our business at home. Everybody in this locker room hates losing and if you don’t, that’s a problem.”

In each of the next two games, Wilson will be the lesser of the quarterbacks and by a larger margin. Mahomes has two league MVPs and Joe Burrow is having an MVP-caliber year.

But they don’t have what Russ has and that’s an uncanny gift to be a leader combined with being a 12-year vet who has been around his team for 10 months now.

Belief is half the battle.

“The reality of it is that we have to respond in the right way,” Wilson said. “Just keep your head down and work. There isn’t enough time to really sulk, worry or fear. The best thing that we can do is get back to work and get ready for Wednesday.”

How he leads might not be the main reason why the Steelers wanted him so badly in free agency, but it was a close second.

And seriously, after what he’s shown in nine games as a Pittsburgh Steeler, would you even think about doubting Russell Wilson?

-- 30 --

[Ryan @ryan42_t]

@CamHeyward #ProBowlVote

[Ryan @ryan42_t]

@DavidMTodd With the ravens loss the season basically comes down to ravens game
Win the division ravens would have 6 losses

[Ryan @ryan42_t]

@DavidMTodd I think Minkah was pinching down on Burrow who was possibly breaking the pocket and Jackson stopped running with Chase

[Ryan @ryan42_t]

@Steelersdepot 11-6

[Ryan @ryan42_t]

@DavidMTodd @dpbrugler We need to do for the defensive line what we did with the Oline in last year’s draft.

[Ryan @ryan42_t]

They need a Justin Fields Redzone package. That wrinkle is even more necessary vs divisional opponents who know us very well. #Steelers

[Alex Kozora @Alex_Kozora]

One area Pittsburgh must get better in. Red zone. 30th in the NFL this season. Only Dallas and Giants are worse.

0/4 yesterday. 7/18 under Russell Wilson. Will be a difference-maker come playoffs. #Steelers

[Ryan @ryan42_t]

@colin_dunlap Amen

[Ryan @ryan42_t]

#BALvsPIT #Steelers NEED A JUSTIN FIELD’S REDZONE PACKAGE

[Ryan @ryan42_t]

Cade Klubnick should have taken a knee lol left too much time #CLEMvsPITT

[Ryan @ryan42_t]

@Mericamemed I hope the Hangover crew is ringside with the Tiger.

[Jim Norton @JimNorton]

Just a quick reminder to please make everything about politics. Nothing else matters. Experiences with your friends should account for nothing, the only factor to consider is who they voted for. Remember - YOU see things clearly and they are ill-informed and stupid.

[Ryan @ryan42_t]

@SouthernArrond Gaetz will prosecute that bastard

[Alexi Lalas @AlexiLalas]

This “unwritten rule” of kicking ball out when a player is injured is bs and antiquated. The indignation/righteousness is laughable. Players created the cynicism faking/embellishing. Kick it out if you want, but don’t cry when someone plays to the whistle.

[Kirk Herbstreit @KirkHerbstreit]

I’m sorry I couldn’t properly lead to this beautiful tribute the @CollegeGameDay put together. Really wanted to thank all of you for the avalanche of love and support you’ve shown Ben. It gives me and my family such comfort knowing how he impacted so many peoples lives around the country. He was a beautiful and loving soul.

[Ryan @ryan42_t]

@joeybagovdonuts 5 or 7
The og bic is so good once it gets rolling