Mike how are you? Mike, we saw the Steelers knock off the New York Jets last week, Russell Wilson making his debut, accounting for three touchdowns. Have people relaxed and let Mike Tomlin breathe a little bit because of this decision that he made?
Has he gotten a weak reprieve? Yeah, definitely. I mean, the last time that we talked, I talked to you about how Justin Fields had really won over this city and the fact that he had led them to a 4-2 record, he was showing a lot of his athleticism and his ability with his legs, and he was playing the best football of his career as a passer as well. And so a lot of people felt like, if you've got a good thing going on, why would you mess with it? Why would you change and go to a different quarterback, especially considering the fact that Russell Wilson was coming off of two tumultuous seasons in Denver. Mike Tomlin made the decision and was ultimately vindicated by that decision. Russell Wilson went out there and played very well. I think the differences you saw, you saw him with a command of this offense that comes in his 13th season. You know, making changes at the line of scrimmage, getting them into the right place, knowing where the blitzers are coming from, taking advantage of matchups. And more than anything, you know, Russ might not be at his probable best right now at 35 years old, but he can still sling it.
He still has that trademark default, and that has allowed them to open up and unlock George Pickens. That seems like it's the perfect marriage between a great default thrower and a great default catcher. So, you know, now people went from saying, which quarterback should the Steelers start, to start saying, how far can Russell Wilson take these Pittsburgh Steelers?
Mike DeFabo is here with us, covers the Steelers for the athletic at the stadium, getting ready for the game as the Steelers host the New York Giants. What are the odds? You know, it was like Justin Fields was in cobwebs last week. What are the odds that we see him inserted in different packages throughout the season? It's obviously going to be game to game, right?
Right. I mean, if you go back to when Mike Tomlin initially named Russell Wilson the starter ahead of the season, before Russell Wilson had an injury that complicated things. With the very next breath, Tomlin promised there would be a Fields package to showcase his excellent mobility.
And so I expect that to be the case going forward. I think that they will find ways to sprinkle Fields into the game. Now for this particular matchup, there's a variable and that's the Justin Fields sustained a hamstring injury. He is out on the field right now, you know, running around jogging a little bit. He's doubtful for this game. But we'll have to wait and see. I would think based on the nature of the injury and based on the fact that, you know, there's no reason really to rush him.
They might play it safe. But I do believe going forward, you're going to find the Steelers using Fields and trying to find ways to highlight the strength of both of these quarterbacks going forward. Mike, next week is the trade deadline. We've heard all throughout the course of the summer that the Steelers were interested in wide receivers who ultimately ended up in other places. We see DeAndre Hopkins is now a member of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Cooper Cup, his name, his name has been thrown around. At one point in time was connected to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Do you think they're going to get their hands on a wideout between now and the trade deadline?
Well, I know that they're definitely interested. As you mentioned, they were the team most actively involved in the whole Brandon Iuc saga. They made their phone call and did their due diligence on Devante Adams, but ultimately he got what he wanted being reunited with Aaron Rodgers. So I would expect general manager Omar Khan, who does have an aggressive reputation and has shaken things up. You know, this is an old school franchise that likes to build through the draft. But since he came in two years ago, he's been willing to make some trades and do some aggressive things.
So I think he will be working the phones. The trouble for the Steelers, there aren't a lot of great options that feel like obvious upgrades for them right now. And so I think if the Jaguar season continues to unravel, maybe Christian Kirk could be somebody to keep an eye on. Now he's injured, which adds another variable. I also think a guy like from the Jets, Mike Williams, might make some sense for the Steelers. So it's going to be interesting. I think Omar Khan is going to make his phone calls.
But whether they are able to land somebody or not, I think that that remains to be seen. But that's been something here in Pittsburgh, man. I can't tell you all season long. People have been saying, who's going to be this number two receiver to compliment George Pickens? And Calvin Austin sometimes has shown flashes here in his third season. Van Jefferson scored his first touchdown as a stealer last week. So one thing that I'm wondering is Russell Wilson has unlocked and opened up this passing game. This is really a big game for guys like Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin to show.
Look, we can be that answer. Maybe we're good enough and you don't have to make a trade. So, you know, I think that they have a lot to prove in this game going forward. And Mike, let me ask you about the defense. We know about the offense. The defense is so used to controlling things, it doesn't get a lot of the attention. Cam Hayward is going is tonight going to be the game where he's now played more games as a defender than anybody in Steelers history?
Is that today? He's up there. I think he's number two behind Ben Roethlisberger. But he's had really a great comeback season. You go back to last year and he was injured in training camp.
He's a tough guy. Team first guy tried to play through it, but he obviously was not himself. And eventually he went under the knife, you know, missed a big chunk of the games. And even when he was out there, you could tell that he was still recovering from that injury.
So coming into this year, there were a lot of questions about what he was going to be. He was entering the last year of his contract and a lot of people were saying, look, maybe it's time to part ways. The Steelers have done that countless times with beloved figures of the franchise, whether that's Frank O'Harris or Troy Polamalu or Hines Ward, guys that weren't ready to retire.
But the team said to him, look, you know, you're getting up there on age and we don't have a spot for you anymore. But the Steelers gave Cam Hayward an extension. He's come back and played at an all-pro level. And that's been a big piece in the Steelers stopping the run. You know, over the last couple of seasons, they've been one of the best defenses in the league. But stopping the run has been an inconsistent endeavor. And so with him back, with up front also Keanu Benton in his second season, he's taken a sizable step forward.
And then Larry Ogunjobi is the third piece of that three-man line. And he's the healthiest, he's been in the Steelers, and he's been the most impactful and productive as he's been in the Steelers. So when you take that trio up front, that's been a big piece in the Steelers stopping the run and turning opponents one-dimensional. Mike, the Fable covers the Steelers for the athletic is at the stadium ahead of tonight's game with the New York Giants. We expect the Steelers to handle business against the Giants. We know it's the NFL, anybody can go out there and win.
But we expect this. What are your expectations with this Steelers team, especially in a competitive, always competitive AFC North? Are they just kind of run into a wild card potentially and kind of flipping the coin as to what happens in the postseason?
What do you see with this squad? Yeah, I mean, that's basically been the Steelers over the last couple of years. They've been good enough to get into the playoffs, but not good enough to make any kind of noise. And, you know, I look at it, it's kind of a similar structure to what they've been. They're a great defensive team as they've been really since 2019 when they added Minkoff and Patrick and he kind of completed that defense.
And they have a similar approach on offense in terms of being a run heavy type of team. But for me, it's just how much can Russ elevate their ceiling? And I think you're starting to see that. I think today is going to be another question of that going forward. You know, the way that I look at it, the Chiefs are clearly the top team in the AFC. But after that, I think that there's a lot of questions about who's that number two, who's that number three team? Like at different points, I felt that the Bills and Ravens have looked like the number two team. Maybe after them, then you put the, you know, Houston probably fourth best team. But if Russell Wilson can continue to elevate this offense, if he can continue to show his veteran experience, if he can continue to get the ball deep to George Pickens, now all of a sudden I'm looking at this team thinking, man, maybe they're the third, fourth best team in the AFC, maybe their second best team in the AFC and they can make a little noise. So, you know, I think the biggest question is just Russ. They've had questions at quarterback, they've had inconsistent quarterback play for years. If they can get competent and consistent quarterback play, I think that really puts them in the conversation as these playoff contenders. If that is to be the case, Mike, I assume that we'll see Russell back next year on, I don't know, a little, I don't want to call it a discount, but of veterans, we appreciate you.
Here's a two year deal with no strings attached, maybe? And that's the fascinating part about this whole thing is that both of the quarterbacks, Justin Fields and Russell Wilson, are on one year contracts. And before the season, we spoke with the general manager, Omar Khan, and assistant general manager Andy Wiedel. And they said the plan is to just let things play out. So, you know, I think that right now the Steelers are in that fact finding mode where it's been one game and in Mike Tomlin's words, it was an excellent game from Russell Wilson.
Now the question is just, can he continue that? And if he does, you know, I think that the Steelers would be wise to look at the defense that they have assembled, look at the fact that Cam Hayward's in his mid-thirties, T.J. Watt is 30 years old, you know, Minkovich Patrick's 30 years old. This is a defense that they spent years building and now it's getting old. And you've got guys like T.J. who never want a playoff game. They want to do something with this defense and, you know, your best pass is going to be with a veteran quarterback.
So, you know, I certainly could see the scenario where this becomes a successful marriage, where these two sides seem to work well together. And really one point I want to make here is there have been times over Russell Wilson's career where he's been criticized as being somewhat of a game manager. But if you look at what the Steelers are asking of him, they would love that. And they've surrounded him with a lot of similar support he had during his most successful season in Seattle with a great defense, a reliable running game. So I think he's in a great spot.
I think the Steelers are enjoying what he brings to the team. So, you know, I think that absolutely there's the possibility of this continuing beyond this year. Awesome. Well, Mike, thank you so much for taking the time to join us. I know things can get real busy before the game.
You called us live from the press box. Where can people follow you and all of your work as we get ready for some Monday Night Football? Yeah, absolutely. Make sure to follow me on Twitter. I'll have the updates throughout the game and then you can read all of my work in the athletic. Thank you so much, Mike. Enjoy the game, OK? All right. Thank you so much for having me. I really do appreciate it.
