PITTSBURGH — When Russell Wilson was in the Pro Bowl following his breakout rookie season more than a decade ago, he found himself training alongside quarterbacks whose resumes he followed.

Ben Roethlisberger. Drew Brees. Peyton Manning. Eli Manning. Of course, that week in paradise was a lot of fun. But Wilson’s memories of this focus on the applications, not the advantages.

Obsessed with the game, he found kindred spirits among the Super Bowl champions.

“I learned a lot and watched,” Wilson said. “I have always believed in understanding and learning every game. There will never be a play-off. “There is always something we can gain, learn and see.”

Even though nearly a dozen years have passed, this curiosity and attention to detail has not diminished. That was evident during Wilson’s careful rehab from a calf injury that forced him to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers get off to a 4-2 start without him.

If he wasn’t pantomiming everything from tempo to passes as backups Justin Fields and Kyle Allen took live replays — in full attire, even if his attendance was limited at best — Wilson was tethering himself to first-year offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.

It’s an approach for which Wilson makes no apology. His job is to manage the attack. The more he knows, the better. And if that means following the guy running the games, so be it.

“I’m always asking questions,” Wilson said. “(I’m) not afraid to ask questions or bring up an issue if we think it will help.”

Wilson was a professional, not a teacher’s pet. The nine-time Pro Bowler understands better than anyone how important this season is to the rest of his career. He has a one-year “prove it” deal and Fields has performed well in Wilson’s absence.

There was no time to waste. At practice, in the film room or during a game. Maybe that’s why Wilson stepped up so quickly for the Steelers, who enter the bye week at 6-2 after beating the New York Giants 26-18 on Monday night.

Two weeks ago, coach Mike Tomlin raised eyebrows when he turned to Wilson and asked him to help Pittsburgh find a piece of equipment it had largely lacked since Roethlisberger retired three years ago.

It’s hard to argue with the results.

The Steelers surpassed 400 yards in both of Wilson’s starts, something they haven’t done since 2018. While there is a lot to work on (such as drivers not stopping in red zones), there are also many reasons to be optimistic.

For the first time in a long time, Pittsburgh’s offense looks strong enough to win if the defense falters. Wilson’s deep ball remains a marvel, and he has been largely error-free as he completed 36 of 57 passes for 542 yards; this is a franchise record for a quarterback in his first two starts with the club.

“We have a lot of confidence,” Wilson said. “(But) we haven’t done anything yet.”

TRUE. Every move the Steelers have made over the last 10 months has had one goal in mind: ending their playoff victory drought, which dates back to 2016, as quickly as possible. Pittsburgh isn’t there yet.

For the first time in a long time this seems doable.

What works?

Letting perhaps the best offensive duo in the NFL do their job.

Outside linebackers TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith combined for four sacks (two apiece) against the Giants, and they all came in the second half. They brought down Daniel Jones on back-to-back plays in the third quarter to get New York out of scoring range. Watt then took the ball out of Jones’ hands and then recovered the ball to eliminate the scoring threat.

“He’s what Coach Tomlin calls an ‘A’ player,” Highsmith said of his longtime teammate. “’A’ players are made for these moments.”

What is the need for help?

Facing the Giants offense in an identity crisis, the Steelers’ run defense allowed New York rookie Tyrone Tracy to maul them for 145 yards on the ground. Considering some of the high-octane teams that have dominated the schedule over the past two months (hello Baltimore, Washington and Philadelphia), this is an area that needs to be bolstered before the winter chill becomes permanent.

stock up

The Steelers have been on the hunt for a high-profile wide receiver since trading Diontae Johnson to Carolina in the offseason. They couldn’t get Brandon Aiyuk to trade and missed out on the Davante Adams sweepstakes. Maybe – just maybe – they don’t need it after all. Eight different players caught passes against the Giants. If Calvin Austin, Van Jefferson and tight end Pat Freiermuth can consistently make opponents pay the price for focusing too much on George Pickens, things could open up downfield more often for Pittsburgh’s talented, if speedy, No. 1 receiver.

stock decreased

The only thing worse than the constant number of penalties Broderick Jones takes at right tackle would be the times he gets called for penalties. Pittsburgh appeared to score a touchdown when Wilson found Pickens in the back of the end zone, but he was called back for a rare facemask call on Jones. Jones grabbed the helmet of Giants linebacker Armon Watts, and the Steelers obliged. a field goal. This was the second time this season that Pickens’ goal was erased by Jones’ penalty.

injuries

Fields suffered a hamstring replacement late in practice last week, relegating him to emergency quarterback status against the Giants. … There is optimism that running back/kicker Cordarrelle Patterson (ankle), center Zach Frasier (ankle) and outside linebacker Nick Herbig (hamstring) can return after the break. … Rookie wide receiver Roman Wilson’s disappointing season took another turn Monday when the team placed him on injured reserve with a hamstring injury.

key number

0 — Number of points allowed by the Steelers in the third quarter this season.

Next steps

Take a few days off to prepare for the tough second half of the season, which begins Nov. 10 in Washington against rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and the surprising Commanders.