It was a special evening for Steelers Nation at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday Night Football. The Pittsburgh Steelers took another step to bolster their emerging reputation as a tough, physical team with the capabilities to rebound from adversity. For most of the first half, the Russell Wilson-led offense appeared inept as the Jets built a 15-6 lead. Then, with only 1:15 remaining in the half, Beanie Bishop deftly snatched an Aaron Rodgers pass down the middle of the field to set up the Steelers with a first down at midfield. The Steelers drove down to the 11-yard line where Russell Wilson delivered a precise TD throw to George Pickens.

This was the beginning of 31 unanswered points by the Steelers as they cruised to a 37-15 victory before their boisterous and delighted home crowd. The defense shut down Rodgers and Company in the second half — including the second key interception by Beanie Bishop midway through the third quarter. Leaping high in his attempt to bat away what looked like a perfectly thrown pass from Rodgers, Bishop appeared to screen off the view of Jets receiver Garrett Wilson. This caused the ball to bounce off of the receiver’s pads and into the air. Bishop snared the rebound and returned it all the way to the Jets’ 1-yard line — setting up another TD on Russell Wilson’s QB sneak barely over the goal line.

The Steelers offense dominated possession during the second half — finishing the game with an advantage of more than four minutes. For the first time in many games, the Black -and-gold had put enough points on the board to notch a comfortable victory. After his rocky start in the first half elicited a chorus of booing, Wilson settled into the offensive scheme and he was successful in four of six Red Zone opportunities.

Overall, the offense still wasn’t managing third-down situations very well — finishing the game with only 5-of-14 conversions. But Wilson’s 260 yards passing marked a level of production that Steelers fans haven’t seen in some time. The running game also was effective, with Najee Harris again eclipsing the century mark (102 yards, 4.9-yard average) and Jaylen Warren adding 44 yards for a 3.7-yard average.

Unquestionably, Pickens was the dominant factor in this victory. Without his amazing ability to make contested catches, this would have been an entirely different game and Wilson’s passing stats would have been merely pedestrian. One play which especially stands out is the juggling catch Pickens made on a Wilson pass that bounced off of Jets cornerback Isaiah Oliver early in the third quarter. That play exemplified the huge impact No. 14 makes in the Black-and-gold offense. Not surprisingly, Pickens finished the game as the leading receiver with 111 yards and a 22.2-yard average.

Pat Freiermuth, Calvin Austin III and Darnell Washington also made key receptions totaling 123 yards collectively. Another significant stat is that, once again, the Steelers offense didn’t turn over the ball. Furthermore, their special teams play was excellent, including DT Dean Lowry’s block of the Jets’ 35-yard FG attempt late in the third quarter.

As the Steelers offense killed the clock during the latter portion of the final quarter, a sense of joy which Steelers Nation had been lacking for some time permeated Acrisure Stadium. This was a throwback performance to the days when the Steelers would typically soften up their opponents in the first half and then deliver knockout blows in the second half. It was also a throwback game in the sense that running the ball successfully paved the way for success in passing.

Of course, it’s tempting to get caught up in the thrill of victory and make unwarranted assumptions about these 2024 Steelers. But based on what we witnessed on Sunday night, we can at least draw some modest conclusions. Firstly, the Steelers’ offseason gamble at the QB position looks like a success — at least to this point in the season. Both Justin Fields and Russell Wilson have now made important contributions to the team’s 5-2 record. Wilson’s deeper understanding of the game will serve as a great example to Fields and should help him develop into a more complete QB. In particular, Wilson’s ability to deliver accurate throws under pressure and on the run should suggest some ways that Fields can improve his own game.

Seeing Wilson for the first time in a regular season game for the Steelers, I was more impressed with his short-range passing than the longer throws he made. For example, with about five minutes remaining in the first half, Wilson faked a handoff and threw a dart that hit Freiermuth perfectly in stride on a crossing route for a 30-yard gain. It’s this kind of quick decision-making under pressure which mainly distinguishes Wilson from Fields. Also, Wilson typically utilizes better fundamentals than Fields in terms of his footwork and delivery. But these are skills that Fields has the opportunity to observe and integrate into his own repertoire.

A second big takeaway from this win is that the Steelers have assembled a talented group of young players who increasingly complement the proven veterans on their roster. Despite missing the services of some key players, the Steelers didn’t miss a beat on either side of the ball. For example, while T.J. Watt was largely neutralized by double-team blocks throughout the game, the Steelers still held the Aaron Rodgers offense to only 15 points. In fact, the Steelers currently are among the NFL leaders in fewest points allowed. Rookie cornerback Beanie Bishop looks to be playing himself into a starring role in the Steelers secondary, while rookies on the OL have been gaining valuable experience and are starting to mold themselves into a potentially dominant group.

Finally, we shouldn’t overlook the very solid performance of rookie LB Payton Wilson who led the defense in tackles in this game with 10 total and four solo. Today, these Pittsburgh Steelers clearly have the look of a team on the upswing. Undoubtedly, some daunting challenges await the Steelers during the second half of their season. But this team already has shown the ability to match-up physically with various opponents — plus showing the resilience to rise to the occasion when the pressure is on. It’s exciting to imagine how far this group might advance by the time December rolls around, given their impressive combination of talent and experience.