The Steelers and Commanders both reset at quarterback this offseason. The Steelers acquired veteran Russell Wilson hoping the nine-time Pro Bowl selection could help them win their first playoff game since the 2016 season. The Commanders, meanwhile, drafted Jayden Daniels second overall, praying he could rescue them from years of dysfunction and ineptitude.
Wilson’s Steelers tenure got off to a slow start thanks to a calf strain that sidelined him for five weeks while Justin Fields helped Pittsburgh to a 3-2 start. But now in the starting role, Wilson has looked like the difference-maker Mike Tomlin envisioned this offseason, going 2-0 and directing the offense to two of its best outings of the year.
Daniels, meanwhile, has shined as a passer and rusher for one of the most prolific offenses in the league and as a result is the favorite to win Rookie of the Year honors. Midway through the season, not only are these teams winning thanks largely to the sparks their new quarterbacks have provided, but they’re both leading their respective divisions. Pittsburgh (6-2) is first in the AFC North and Washington (7-2) leads the NFC East.
Both teams enter Sunday’s contest in Landover, Md., riding three-game win streaks but needing victories to hold off divisional foes (Baltimore for Pittsburgh, Philadelphia for Washington). The game is a reunion for Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and the Commanders’ Dan Quinn. In 1994, Tomlin played defensive back for William & Mary while Quinn served as the Tribe’s defensive line coach. The following season, they both landed jobs on Virginia Military Institute’s coaching staff. Now they’ll try to lead their teams to victory and maintain the momentum built during the first half of the season.
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NFL Week 10 top storylines: Russell Wilson vs. Commanders, Broncos-Chiefs, can Lions stay hot?