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It’s not uncommon for a quarterback to have a favorite target. A team’s top wide receiver usually leads the depth chart for a reason. For George Pickens and the Steelers, it is because the wideout combines strength and speed to come down with some insane receptions.
Pickens puts his body on the line for every pass, which works out great for Pittsburgh quarterback Russell Wilson. The veteran has become synonymous with a moon ball, which is a high-arching pass that he chucks down field hoping that his intended target just lands under. Pickens is a great target because he has the speed to get past defenders, and even if he doesn’t, he is physical enough to win those 50-50 balls.
Pickens suffered a hamstring injury ahead of the Steelers’ Week 14 game against the Browns. It seemed like it would be minor, but it sidelined him for three games. The wide receiver might be the team MVP because the offense looked like a shell of itself without him on the field.
It seems logical that a quarterback would see a dip without his best target on the field, but it has been night and day from Wilson. He has gone from earning himself a lucrative deal with the Steelers to now forcing the team to take a step back and see how he finishes out the season.
Here is how Wilson has fared when he has had Pickens active in games, and when he hasn’t.
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Russell Wilson 2024 stats
- 9 games
- 6-3 record
- 268 passing attempts
- 174 completions
- 64.9% completion percentage
- 2,129 yards
- 15 TDs
- 4 interceptions
- 33 carries
- 84 rushing yards
- 1 rushing touchdown
Wilson wasn’t the Week 1 starter for the Steelers. He suffered a calf injury in the preseason. Similar to Pickens’ injury, it seemed minor at the time — but Wilson was inactive for Week 1.
The veteran missed the first six weeks of the season as Pittsburgh went 4-2 with backup quarterback Justin Fields. Wilson finally took over in Week 7 and has since gone 6-3 as the Steelers starter.
Russell Wilson stats with George Pickens
- 6 games (5-1)
- 187 passing attempts
- 123 completions
- 65.78% completion percentage
- 8.7 yards per pass attempt
- 104.3 QBR
- 1,626 yards
- 10 touchdowns
- 3 interceptions
- 20 carries
- 27 yards
- 1 touchdown
If Wilson and Pickens played an entire 17-game season together, the quarterback is projected to finish with 4,607 yards, 28 touchdowns and eight interceptions. That would be nearly 400 more yards than his current career-high and his most passing touchdowns since 2020.
WEEK 17 FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST | Kickers
Russell Wilson stats without George Pickens
- 3 games (1-2)
- 81 attempts
- 51 completions
- 62.96% completion percentage
- 6.21 yards per pass attempt
- 95.9 QBR
- 503 yards
- 5 touchdowns
- 1 interception
Wilson’s completion percentage is down without Pickens. But if you double his touchdown and interception numbers to match the six games without Pickens, they are right in line.
The biggest difference comes with his yardage. Even if you double Wilson’s yardage total without Pickens, he still falls 600 yards short of where he has been with his top wide receiver.
In Week 13, Wilson finished with 158 passing yards against the Browns, his lowest total to that point in the season. The following week against the Eagles, Wilson threw for just 128 yards, his lowest yardage in a game since Week 8 last season with the Broncos.