Russell Wilson makes his Steelers preseason debut, but the offense isn’t going anywhere with him

If there really is a competition for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defensive back spot, it should remain wide open after Saturday night.

Russell Wilson got his first chance of the preseason with the Steelers after missing last week. The offense struggled without Wilson in the game.

The Steelers missed four attempts and a field goal in five attempts Wilson made against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday. Justin Fields took over before the team gave a red card in the first and second minutes of the first half. Wilson finished the game with 8 of 10 attempts for 47 yards, and much of those yards came on three passes on the third attempt, which was much less than the first attempt. It was not a good game.

Wilson had two downs on the third attempt. One of the problems Wilson had with the Broncos was holding the ball too long and getting two downs. That would frustrate the Steelers if it continued. Both downs ruined the offense and led to punts. On the Steelers’ first four attempts, they had 12 net yards, one first down, four punts and never made it past their own 34-yard line.

Fields also gets a lot of sacks, but he can at least make up for it by going for big wins. That used to be a big part of Wilson’s game, but it’s diminished as he’s gotten older.

Fields immediately showed his rushing ability to get the Steelers’ first points. In the final minute of the first half, he rushed for 20 yards. After completing a 5-yard run, Chris Boswell kicked a 43-yard field goal. It would end up being Pittsburgh’s only score in a 9-3 loss.

Fields caught seven straight passes, and the offense seemed to get into better rhythm with him in the game. It wasn’t perfect, but it looked better than it did when Wilson was in the game. We’ll see if that matters at all to the Steelers coaching staff with just one game left in the preseason. Fields caught 11 of 17 passes for 92 yards, and he also had 42 yards rushing. He and Wilson had five catches.

One play had Steelers fans hyped. Fields was stopped for a tackle, but somehow managed to get out, adjusting his helmet as he rolled left and hit Dez Fitzpatrick for a 19-yard touchdown on the sideline. It was the Steelers’ most exciting offensive play of the night.

In the preseason opener, Wilson sat out with a calf injury he suffered early in training camp. Fields played fairly well, but some poor passing overshadowed his positive performance. At least the offense moved a little in that game.

The Steelers didn’t do much against the Bills defense while Wilson was in the game. Wilson was content to stop him often, or he would get sacked. Three times on a long third down attempt, he hit a short pass that ended just short of the first down marker.

After an interception by Steelers’ Miles Killebrew, the offense showed some life, but not enough. Wilson passed the ball to Van Jefferson for an 11-yard gain on a third-and-2 attempt. A deep pass along the sideline to George Pickens nearly hit the crossbar, but he was out. On the third attempt, there was another pass near the stick, but that one put Boswell in a better position for a field goal. Boswell missed it, hitting the post.

Wilson has been the favorite to start since joining the Steelers. Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin has called the game a contest, but all signs point to Wilson being the starter in Week 1. That’s not a thrilling proposition after what we saw in Wilson’s first preseason snaps with the Steelers.