The Pittsburgh Steelers have hitched the wagon to QB Russell Wilson this season and everyone is wondering how far they will go. Well, they’re not all just wondering, they’re wildly guessing. If you haven’t noticed, everyone has a podcast and an opinion about it.
This includes former offensive lineman Mark Schlereth, who has expressed his opinions about Russell Wilson several times on the Stinkin’ Truth podcast. In a recent episode, he actually came close to complimenting Wilson before veering off to the left.
“I’ll tell you, Russ. [Wilson] Still very athletic. “He can still move”, Schlereth said.. “All the reports that he lost his athletic ability and that’s why he didn’t play well are just false reports. But I don’t believe Russ wants to be a zone-read quarterback. I believe he still has it in his mind that he could end his career the way Drew Brees ended his career.”
Let’s pause for a moment and think about how Brees ended his career. He finished his final two seasons with a 17-6 record in 13 games. He completed 556-of-768 passing for 5,921 passing yards, 51 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Breaking this down into a 17-game average, it includes 4,376 yards, 38 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. That all sounds pretty good. The only problem, according to Schlereth, is that it’s not Russell Wilson.
“When you’re delusional, I think you can point your finger at eight million different places that say, ‘This is why this happened.’ That’s why I spoke about Wilson based on the belief that he believes he can play the way he doesn’t. “Toxic positivity and basically the people you surround yourself with. [tell you]’It’s not your fault, man’ [. . .]. I mean, it’s not even derogatory. It’s just a fact.”
There is another thing that needs explaining: “toxic positivity.” Quick Google search It is defined as follows “The belief that people should maintain a positive mindset no matter how dire or difficult the situation.” Wilson surrounds himself with “positivity” and radiates it himself, perhaps at toxic levels. Throughout his career, there have been reports of how his teammates grew tired of what they saw as his facade of leadership.
But what does Schlereth really say about Wilson? in the field? What does it mean that he thinks he can end his career like Drew Brees, but he can’t? How did Brees end his career? Well, it’s not all that different from Ben Roethlisberger, who cut his intended air yards. He averaged approximately 33 pass attempts per game, similar to his previous two seasons but a significant decrease from previous years.
But the Saints have become more balanced as an offense, and that’s what the Steelers are trying to do. The only question is whether Russell Wilson can be an accurate rhythm passer. That was not his way of working at all throughout his career. And Brees’ head coach, Sean Payton, couldn’t top him last year. But his reality also does not match the slander.
