While he got off to a slow start, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson had a really solid debut in the team’s 37-15 win over the New York Jets in Week 7. Wilson threw for 264 yards and two touchdowns while adding another score on a quarterback sneak. Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger believes Wilson will continue to improve. The more comfortable Wilson becomes, the more open the Steelers will be in the playbook.

“As Russ gets more comfortable and sheds the rust, I think you’ll see everyone get more involved, experience more unique plays and maybe use (Darnell) Washington in the red zone.” It’s not just about deep balls and hope “That George Pickens continues to make plays because he’s most likely not going to make those juggling catches every week,” Roethlisberger said in the latest episode of him Footbalin Podcast. “Overall, I think you’re going to see a Russell Wilson who just gets better and better as he gets more comfortable with life out there.”

He also said Wilson’s confidence should increase as he gets further from his calf injury and we could see him using his legs more.

While I don’t expect Wilson to be a real threat using his legs, the idea that he’ll get better and more confident as he gets better makes sense. It was also Wilson’s first live game action since Pittsburgh’s second preseason game, so he had to shake off some rust before he could settle in and make some plays. As he becomes more comfortable on offense, his confidence should increase and the offense could expand.

While Wilson was distributing the ball last night, he only completed 16 passes, and a quarter of those completions went to TE Darnell Washington on the same scheme. Washington is a big player and can be a red zone threat for the Steelers, and we saw them bring him in in Week 2 against the Broncos. The Steelers could try to continue making him a threat in the red zone. However, as Wilson becomes more comfortable, he will continue to look to distribute the ball and we could see an increase in production from players like TE Pat Freiermuth and WR Van Jefferson.

While Pickens is a controversial catcher, Roethlisberger is right that he can’t be expected to make some of the catches he made last night every week. It’s never a bad idea to throw the ball to Pickens in single coverage and see if he can make a play. Still, it can’t be the foundation of Pittsburgh’s passing offense, and we should see Wilson continue to grow and the offense evolve as he establishes himself under center.

The Steelers are back in prime time in Week 8 with a Monday Night Football matchup against the New York Giants next week. This game could be a good opportunity for Wilson to get more comfortable against a Giants defense that struggled in Week 7.