Pittsburgh Steelers: Russell Wilson's Stellar Play Is Lifting Steelers
Russell Wilson's career revival reached a new level in Week 13.
Playing his best game since joining the Pittsburgh Steelers, Wilson threw for three touchdowns and 414 yards during a 44-38 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. The Steelers (9-3) had their highest point total since scoring 52 points against the Carolina Panthers in 2018.
Wilson orchestrated the offense beautifully, completing passes to 10 different targets. The Steelers are 5-1 since Wilson became the starter, and his play is a major reason why they hold a 1 ½-game lead over the Ravens (8-5) in the AFC North.
"It's the first time for him going through AFC North football, and I thought he acclimated himself to it well today," Head Coach Mike Tomlin said via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. "He put himself squarely in the history of this series with that performance today."
With Wilson at the helm, the Steelers' ability to stretch the field offensively has returned. He has always been a terrific deep ball thrower, and Wilson's perfectly thrown 36-yard sideline completion to George Pickens in the third quarter Sunday helped Pittsburgh pull away.
The Steelers bounced back from a Week 12 loss to the Cleveland Browns and will host the Browns in Week 14.
Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow Wants to Find Out Which Teammates He Can Count On
Losing to Pittsburgh dropped the Bengals to 4-8, and their playoffs hopes are practically out the window.
Despite the dire circumstances, franchise quarterback Joe Burrow said the Bengals have no reason to quit on their season. He'll be watching closely to see which teammates continue to give maximum effort, facing a situation they never expected to be in.
"I think we'll learn a lot about who we have in the locker room – the guys we can count on going forward and guys that we can't," Burrow said via Ben Baby of ESPN.com.
The Bengals are the first team in NFL history to lose four games or more when scoring at least 33 points, per ESPN research.
Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase, who leads the NFL in receiving yards (1,142 yards) and receiving touchdowns (13), are forced to carry a heavy load with Cincinnati's defense struggling. However, Burrow isn't looking for excuses.
"I feel the pressure on me to be great," Burrow said. "That's part of playing quarterback in the NFL. I just have to play to the absolute peak of my ability every week for us to go and win. Some games I've done that. Some games I haven't."
The Bengals visit the Dallas Cowboys in Week 14.
Cleveland Browns: Myles Garrett Can Reach Milestone on 'Monday Night Football'
Defensive end Myles Garrett needs 1.5 sacks to reach 100 for his career. Garrett will be playing his 112th career game when he faces the Denver Broncos on "Monday Night Football" and could become the third-fastest player to reach 100 sacks.
Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz believes Garrett has already taken his place among the game's all-time best pass rushers.
"I mean there's really no other way to put it," Schwartz said via Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. "I think the biggest part of it is he's still … he's just starting to hit his prime. He still has a lot left in front of him. The sky is the limit as far as he goes. And when it's all said and done, maybe he's not comparing himself to — or you're not comparing him to those guys — maybe you're comparing other people to him. That should probably be a goal for him."
The Browns (3-8) have had a disappointing season, but Garrett is making a case to win his second straight Defensive Player of the Year Award.
"If that blessing [of another Defensive Player of the Year award] is out there for me, hopefully I get it along the way, but what we really want to do is win," Garrett said. "That's what we get remembered for."
