Russell Wilson wants to make sure the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense is ready before the regular season begins.
Wilson mentioned on Wednesday that he plans to play in Pittsburgh’s final preseason game against Detroit on Saturday. He only played five series in a loss to Buffalo last week, having been limited in training camp due to a calf injury.
“Last week was great to be out there for the first time, putting more pads on and everything else,” Wilson said. “We didn’t win, but the key is for us to execute and make our plays.”
Pittsburgh’s starting offense hasn’t scored a touchdown in their two preseason games so far. The offensive line struggled to protect Wilson and Justin Fields against Buffalo, resulting in four sacks.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said on Tuesday he might wait until the last moment to decide who will play against the Lions, but Wilson believes “we’re all playing” to try and get some positive momentum before Pittsburgh’s season opener at Atlanta on Sept. 8.
“I think the most important thing for us to accomplish is to play efficient football, move the ball down the field,” Wilson said. “We want to score touchdowns, and that’s the standard we need to meet.”
First-year offensive coordinator Arthur Smith praised Wilson for his commitment to playing despite his calf issue.