Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard threw two interceptions in Week 2 of the NFL preseason. The mistakes obviously led to a disappointing night for the young signal-callers.
But upon further review, pundits and fans began criticizing wide receiver Roman Wilson on social media more than Howard for the two turnovers.
Howard targeted Wilson on both passing plays. With each throw, Wilson appeared to make the same mistake which led to the interceptions.
In the midst of that criticism, Steelers offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio addressed how Wilson did Friday night.
“Roman’s continuing to grow and get better,” Angelichio told reporters Saturday. “I think the more we continue to have him out there, you see him playing inside, you see him playing outside. I think those are all good because he just hasn’t just been a guy that’s playing outside the numbers. He’s been inside, been in the slot, he’s been outside. He’s been moving around, and that’s where we want to continue to push with all our receivers.
“So, it allows us to play the game on our terms.”
Wilson caught two of his five targets Friday against the New York Jets. He registered 16 receiving yards, including 14 on one catch.
Roman Wilson Mistakes Led to 2 Steelers Interceptions?
Head coach Mike McCarthy told the media twice that “one mistake leads to two” when he talked about Howard’s interceptions. Initially, it seemed natural to assume McCarthy was suggesting Howard made the same mistake twice.
But it’s possible McCarthy may have actually been suggesting Wilson made the same mistake twice.
Former NFL quarterback Kurt Benkert explained on X what Wilson did that led to the two picks.
“Both of Will Howard’s INT were to Roman Wilson, on the same exact route, making the same exact mistake drifting upfield and getting undercut,” wrote Benkert.
“One was to the right, and one was to the left.”
Benkert added another post with video evidence.
“Snap it off and flatten vs. man,” added Benkert. “This route was really bad.”
Snap it off and flatten vs man. This route was really bad.
In addition to his “one mistake led to two” comment, McCarthy said Howard failed to recognize that something “wasn’t quite right” on the play before delivering the throw. McCarthy didn’t specifically address what wasn’t right.
When asked about the details of the route, Angelichio provided a generic answer.
“I think overall, just the execution’s got to be better,” he said. “Obviously, the quarterbacks are the ones that get that — ‘Wow, they threw an interception.’ It goes into their stats. But I think it’s everybody.”
“It’s the offensive line, the runners, the protection unit and certainly the route. So I think, as an offense, I think we just have to execute better. I think we all take the blame in that.”
After Friday’s performance from Wilson, Steelers Depot’s Ross McCorkle argued the WR3 competition could be open again. Before Week 2 of the preseason, it appeared Wilson had the clear lead over rookie Germie Bernard for that role.
Did Wilson Lack Hustle After First Interception?
Whenever Wilson reviews Friday’s game tape, it’s not likely to be a good time. On top of the potential route errors, the receiver appeared to stop running immediately after the first interception.
Eventually, Wilson started going toward the Jets defender who intercepted the pass. But the pause wasn’t going to allow Wilson to make a tackle.
Angelichio addressed that aspect of the play as well Saturday.
“We want all our guys running to the ball. [Howard] made a great tackle on that play, and you saw some guys that were really rolling,” But it’s all our guys. We need to get more of those guys finishing at the end of that.”
Steelers Depot posted an All-22 look of Wilson on the play, which was the first interception Friday.
Ultimately, the preseason is about learning from teaching moments. Wilson has plenty to learn from in Friday’s game.
Steelers OC Opens up on WR Roman Wilson Amid Criticism From Preseason Week 2