A new face in the lineup led to a win on “Sunday Night Football.” And no, we’re not talking about Davante Adams and the New York Jets.
Playing in his Pittsburgh debut after returning from a calf injury that had sidelined him since the preseason, quarterback Russell Wilson shook off a pair of shaky drives to throw for 264 yards and two touchdowns in a 37-15 win against New York.
The Steelers are now 5-2.
Though Justin Fields had led Pittsburgh to a 4-2 record in Wilson’s place, the team opted to give Wilson, the team’s starter coming out of training camp, a shot once his health improved. Wilson misfired on early throws against the Jets but soon found rhythm with deep touch passes and completed five passes to receiver George Pickens for 111 yards.
The quarterback-to-receiver connection everyone wanted to see was Adams in his reunion with former Green Bay Packers teammate Aaron Rodgers. The Jets traded with Las Vegas for Adams days earlier as part of a drama-filled week that included firing head coach Robert Saleh and demoting play caller Nathaniel Hackett. But inserting Adams, who lived with Rodgers during the week, into the starting lineup did not jump-start the offense as New York fell to 2-5.
Adams was targeted nine times but finished with three catches for 30 yards. His presence created room for teammates, but the Jets struggled to finish drives after Rodgers was intercepted twice by Beanie Bishop Jr.
Rodgers finished with 276 yards with a touchdown, as well.
The silver lining for the Jets’ weekend is that pass rusher Haason Reddick ended his contract holdout Sunday, allowing New York to insert a player with 58 career sacks into a defense that has dealt with attrition.