Russell Wilson slogged through a forgettable preseason debut in Pittsburgh, mustering little before giving way to a more dynamic Justin Fields as the Steelers lost 9-3 to the Josh Allen-less Buffalo Bills on Saturday.
The 35-year-old Wilson, slowed by a calf injury for much of training camp, completed 8 of 10 passes for 47 yards. He also took three sacks during five scoreless series of work.
Fields fared marginally better, finishing 11 of 17 for 92 yards. He also ran for a team-high 42 yards, showcasing the versatility that led the Steelers (0-2) to trade for him in March, though he was also stopped for a loss on a fourth-down run in the third quarter that ended a scoring threat and threw incomplete on fourth down at the Buffalo 20 in the final minutes.
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Tyler Bass kicked three field goals for the Bills (1-1), who were more engaged against Pittsburgh than during a lifeless loss to Chicago last week, even with Allen watching from the sideline.
Buffalo coach Sean McDermott kept his franchise quarterback out of the lineup following a pregame thunderstorm that made the field slick and forced fans to clear the stands twice.
Mitch Trubisky started and completed 9 of 13 passes for 86 yards while getting booed in the stadium where he spent the last two years. Buffalo ran for 169 yards against a Steelers defense that played without star linebacker T.J. Watt, who was given the night off.
Allen will be ready to go when the AFC East champions open at home against Arizona on Sept. 8.
The Steelers are hoping to say the same about Wilson, who has been in what coach Mike Tomlin has termed the “pole position” to be the starter when Pittsburgh opens at Atlanta in Week 1. A rusty performance in less than a half of work in a new offense is unlikely to change that, though there is plenty for Wilson and the starters to work on over the next three weeks.
Wilson’s longest completion went for 12 yards, and that was on a little flip to running back Jaylen Warren, who did most of the work on the play. The downfield passing that’s one of the reasons the Steelers took a flyer on the nine-time Pro Bowler never materialized, though wide receiver George Pickens almost made an acrobatic grab down the sideline in the second quarter.
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That drive ended with Chris Boswell’s 52-yard field goal attempt clanging off an upright, the closest the Steelers got to scoring with Wilson in the game.
INJURIES
Bills: WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, one of several wide receivers looking for playing time, exited in the first half with a neck injury. Trubisky (knee), TE Quintin Morris (shoulder) and DT Austin Johnson (calf) also left early.
Steelers: RB Jaylen Warren tweaked his hamstring in the first half and did not return. Rookie LB Payton Wilson exited in the second half with a concussion.
UP NEXT
Bills: Host Carolina next Saturday.
Steelers: Travel to Detroit next Saturday.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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