Russell Wilson Taking Sacks At Profession-Worst Fee With Steelers After Promising Begin

Keep in mind that time Russell Wilson led the Steelers to 37 factors and all was proper with the world? He solely took one sack in that sport, and it regarded just like the offense had lastly discovered its stride. Nicely, if they’d a stride, they’ve actually fallen off of it.

That’s no extra true than in cross safety, by which Russell Wilson shares appreciable blame. Traditionally one of the crucial sack-prone quarterbacks, he’s residing as much as the billing with the Steelers. In truth, since his clear begin, he has been taking sacks at a career-worst charge. It seems the sport towards the Jets was a mirage.

Excluding scrambles, Wilson dropped again to cross 29 instances towards the Jets, taking one sack. That could be a very wholesome sack charge of simply 3.33 p.c, which is the place you wish to be. The issue is, he and the Steelers have been round or above 10 p.c for the previous 4 weeks.

Russell Wilson has taken 543 sacks in his profession, quickly to cross Ben Roethlisberger for the fourth-most in NFL historical past. He has taken a sack on 8.54 p.c of his drop backs since getting into the NFL, with two seasons above 10 p.c. At his worst, the present Steelers quarterback was sacked on 10.67 p.c of his drop backs in 2018 in Seattle.

Over the previous 4 video games, he takes a sack at charges even greater than that. For the season, Wilson is being sacked on 9.7 p.c of his drop backs, which is already the fourth-worst for his profession. However since Week 8, he takes a sack on 11.11 p.c of his drop backs.

The Steelers have allowed a sack on Wilson 15 instances over the previous 4 video games, at the least three in every. He has 120 cross makes an attempt in that point. With 135 drop backs and 15 sacks, he’s on tempo to take probably the most sacks per drop again of his profession.

Russell Wilson is the frequent denominator in his career-long excessive sack charge, in fact. But it surely’s arduous to essentially assess the Steelers in cross safety on condition that Justin Fields additionally traditionally takes a excessive charge of sacks. With the attention take a look at, it does seem like an space of concern proper now, particularly at proper sort out.

However Wilson’s personal points solely exacerbate the issue, together with his diminished mobility through the years. At instances, he appears each bit his age, even when he thinks he can nonetheless run like he’s 25. The Steelers have to save lots of him from himself in these conditions, however they’re not.

It doesn’t assist that the Steelers are compelled to begin two rookies. RG Mason McCormick admitted the Browns threw some completely different fronts at them that gave the offense points. Zach Frazier has had an excellent rookie season. However taking part in with a rookie has a ripple impact on the entire line, and on the quarterback. Wilson and firm all the time have to make sure they know what they’re doing—even when they nearly all the time do.