At least in public posture, the New York Jets are gearing up for a showdown against a great quarterback no matter who the Pittsburgh Steelers decide to put out on the field. Russell Wilson? Elite quarterback. Justin Fields? Elite quarterback. The A-11 offense with both on the field? Elite quarterbacks. That was the tone Jets DL Quinnen Williams set Thursday.
“Justin has showed this year, man, he can be an elite and one of the best quarterbacks in the league,” Williams said Thursday via the Jets’ team site. “The throws he can make extending plays with his feet and making explosive plays with his feet. And everybody know Russell Wilson is an elite quarterback in his own. Getting ready for both of them is a great challenge and challenge that I feel like we can oppose.”
All signs point to Wilson getting the start and the majority of the snaps Sunday night, while Fields is likely to have a niche role in situational football. The more mobile of the two quarterbacks, Fields has had success on designed runs that Wilson won’t be able to run. Wilson’s mobility is functional. He can elude pressure, rollout, and get away from center, but even in his prime, he wasn’t the dynamic runner that Fields is today.
Fields is more of an unknown having never played against the Jets, inactive for a previous Chicag0-New York contest. Wilson saw them last season, being held under 200 yards but throwing 2 touchdowns in a 31-21 Jets win over the Denver Broncos.
Williams will be a frontline defender in slowing down either quarterback. An emerging interior rusher, he broke out for 12 sacks in 2022. Since, his production has quieted, 5.5 sacks in 17 starts last year and just 2 sacks through 2024. He’s likely commanding extra attention inside and will get to greet Steelers’ center Ryan McCollum, making his first start in Pittsburgh for the injured Zach Frazier.
Williams once delivered a crushing blow to then-QB Kenny Pickett in 2022. He’ll aim to do the same to Wilson, Fields, or maybe even both, on Sunday night.
