Going to Pittsburgh might have been a humbling experience for Russell Wilson. The narrative of “Let Russ Cook” took a backseat during his time with the Denver Broncos but it’s back as strong as ever, judging by his performance in the last two games he’s played for the Steelers. Sean Payton and Nathaniel Hackett stopped Russ from being himself during his time at the Broncos, but not anymore.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have given him more freedom to make impromptu plays. Hence, Wilson is reverting back to his old ways. Mike Florio and his colleague Michael Holley shed more light on the matter and pointed out why Wilson’s career with Sean Payton and Nathaniel Hackett wasn’t a success.

The duo also discussed why Russell Wilson’s stocks have been plummeting over the years. According to Florio, the reason behind that might be the addition of players like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen in the league. Also, how coaches have allowed them to make plays on the go. That impromptu playmaking wasn’t something that Payton was comfortable with.

“I vaguely recall having a discussion [with Chris Simms]. Is he [Russell Wilson] slipping or is it just that you’ve got younger guys who are coming in. And it’s a little bit of ‘mirror on the wall thing’ where Patrick Mahomes, ‘Oh! Here he is. He’s better than Russell Wilson. Here’s Josh Allen…’ I don’t know how it got into his mind that ‘I can do what those guys can do. The thing that’s keeping me from being regarded as being the caliber of player they are is that they don’t let me [cook],’” Florio said on Pro Football Talk on NBC.

The football analyst then pointed out where Russ might have been wrong. Per him, Wilson might have been looking to siege control of the Broncos offense and wanted to be on the forefront of each play. But that’s not feasible, certainly not for Sean Payton. There are plays where a quarterback has a fixed, defined role. Per Florio, players like Mahomes and Allen can improvise in those fixed conditions. But given the fact that Russ is older, he can’t “make a play out of thin air.”

The analyst also pointed out how Sean Payton might have been “predetermined” to not “Let Russ Cook” because he wanted to lay a foundation for the Denver Broncos. Payton shouting at Russell Wilson on the sidelines last year was a dead giveaway.

However, his performance in the Monday Night Football game tells a different story.

Russell Wilson helps the Pittsburgh Steelers stand on business

The game against the Giants gave us a glimpse of Russ’ Seattle Seahawks days. It was where he was dropping perfect moonballs to his receivers. He was breaking tackles and improvising on top of that. But the fact that he helped the Pittsburgh Steelers win their 22 MNF game in a row speaks volumes. The Steelers have constantly been winning MNF games since 1992 and this time, Russ is the reason behind the win.

Coincidentally, the Steelers lost their last MNF game in 1991 in a week 7 matchup against the Giants themselves. But coming back to the present, the Super Bowl-winning QB threw for 278 yards and even bagged a touchdown. He didn’t make bad plays, didn’t throw any picks, and came out with a passer rating of 114.9 at the end of the 26-18 win.

With this, the Steelers will be visiting the Washington Commanders. But before that, they have a bye week to enjoy.