It’s not just a smothering defense that complements the Black and Gold, it’s a thriving and no-nonsense starting QB Russell Wilson registering 278 passing yards and 1 TD on the Monday Night Football game and a franchise record for the most passing yards in a player’s first two games with the team (542). With a Week-8 26–18 victory over the New York Giants, the Steelers now sit comfortably at 6-2, a promising spot atop the AFC North. Heading into their bye, Wilson is driving a hard bargain — even if it meant holding off immediate celebrations. So, what ticked Wilson off?

Nothing can be said for certain. But looking back at the game, it could have been the red zone miscues in the first half of the game. While there was reason for O-liners to feel decent about their “fluid” field coverage with Steelers generating 238 first-half yards, and 13 first downs in the first half, the three times the Steelers drove inside the 20, they had to settle for field goals. This gave the Giants the chance to hand around. Not to forget, Wilson was sacked in the fourth quarter while forcing a fourth field goal.

There were these two instances where Pickens’s TDs were called back — a face mask penalty and another one where Pickens tapped his right foot twice on the turf but never got the second one down. Second quarter down, and the team was able to move the ball until that point — just not to the end zone really. Third quarter in, things started to move in the Steelers favor. Calvin Austin III was pulled aside and was given a pep talk by NFL’s longest-tenured HC, and Austin delivered. He sprinted 73 yards across the field for a touchdown and another 29-yard over-the-shoulder scoring catch from Wilson in the fourth quarter. Wilson had already weighed things out coming into the post-game interview. He began: “We haven’t done anything yet.”

“We’ve got great confidence,” Wilson said. “We haven’t done anything yet. We’re obviously sitting here at 6-2, which is a great thing, but it doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t mean anything. When we look back at it all, we got to be making sure that we’re staying focused on the next task, and that’s to really take care of our bodies, take care of our minds, enjoy this with your families and all that stuff this bye week.

“Because we’ve got a surge ahead of us that we got to go get, and there’s a lot of great games ahead of us and we’re not going to shy away from them.”

Head coach Mike Tomlin was all praise for Wilson’s immediate impact and resilience after stepping in as the starting quarterback. “A little less rust than the week before,” Tomlin noted, adding that the QB’s playmaking ability have already reinvigorated the team. Tomlin, not surprised by Wilson’s achievements, pointed out how seamlessly Wilson led the offense, saying, “He didn’t need to warm up to it.”

Wilson’s leadership and big-play mentality have been a game-changer, giving Pittsburgh the offensive edge they’ve lacked. As the Steelers prepare for their next challenge, they may be celebrating now, but the real test is yet to come.

In the meantime observing the win of the Steelers we must discuss their performance in the game. With the 35-year-old focussed can Justin Fields return as a starter? Only time will tell.

Steelers’ defensive power drive 6-2 Record: AFC North title in sight

The Pittsburgh Steelers continue t͏o demonstr͏a͏te ͏resilience and d͏efensive dominance͏,͏ led by T.J. Watt. Watt’s͏ ͏game-sealing strip͏ sack a͏nd͏ int͏erc͏eption late in͏ th͏e fourth quarter secur͏e͏d a hard-f͏ought 26-18 ͏victory ov͏er the New York Giants. Despite offensive struggl͏es and a messy͏ fi͏rst h͏alf where multiple to͏uchdo͏wns were n͏ul͏lified by pe͏nalt͏ies, ͏Pittsburgh’s d͏e͏fense͏ and specia͏l teams l͏ifted them͏.͏ ͏C͏a͏lvin Austin III’s 73-y͏ard p͏u͏nt re͏turn͏ broug͏ht ͏the ga͏me’s first to͏uch͏down, while Russell Wilson cont͏inued to g͏row i͏n his role, completin͏g ͏2͏0-of-28 pass͏es with one t͏ouchdown.

This win puts the Steelers at a solid 6-2, topping the AFC North without a star quarterback, a rarity among division leaders. Wilson, adjusting after an early-season calf injury, showed more precision in this game than his debut against the Jets, helping Pittsburgh achieve consecutive 400-yard offensive games for the first time in years. Najee Harris also contributed with his third consecutive 100-yard rushing game, showing Pittsburgh’s potential for a playoff push despite the offense’s ongoing need for polish.

With tough divisional games ahead, the Steelers are prepared but cautious, knowing the road to a division title will demand their best effort and continued cohesion.