Former Steelers player slams Payton Wilson for poor Week 1 performance
The Pittsburgh Steelers played their first game of the 2025 season last weekend against the New York Jets, and the team came away with a win in a back-and-forth affair.
However, even though the Steelers won, not everybody on the roster had a quality showing. In fact, several players had downright awful performances. One of the players who did not have a game to remember is linebacker Payton Wilson.
Wilson is one of the starting interior linebackers, alongside Patrick Queen. The NC State product played in all 17 games last season as a rookie, but only got four starts. This season, the team will need Wilson to play a much larger role in the middle of the defense.
Against the Jets, the middle of the field was a huge liability. Wilson earned a putrid 33.2 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, which ranked 90th out of 100 qualified linebackers. Wilson graded out especially bad in pass coverage, and he looked lost for much of the afternoon.
Wilson's performance was so bad that even former players felt the need to comment. Steelers insider Andrew Fillipponi shared a quote from an anonymous former Steeler that absolutely roasted Wilson.
“That was the most below the line performance by a Steelers linebacker," said the anonymous source. "That gets you a seat on the bench. I was embarrassed for him.”
Ouch. That's definitely a harsh statement, but it's not totally surprising after seeing Wilson's grade. Fillipponi did not reveal who actually said the quote, but former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger recently went on record to blast one of Wilson's teammates, Broderick Jones.
The good news is that it was only one game. Every single player in the league has bad performances, so the team shouldn't be worried just yet. It's also important to remember that last Sunday was just Wilson's fifth start in the NFL. It's entirely possible that the linebacker could bounce back and become a quality starter in the Steel City.
Another silver lining is that the Steelers have a pair of experience backups behind Wilson and Queen. Malik Harrison was added in free agency this offseason, and he has started in 34 games over six seasons. Cole Holcomb is another option, and Holcomb has 56 starts under his belt.
The next chance for Wilson to improve will be in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks only put up 13 points in their Week 1 matchup and didn't look nearly as potent on offense as the Jets, so it could be a perfect get-right game for Wilson.
Aidan Hutchinson Cautions Lions’ Doubters After Loss to Packers
The Detroit Lions fell flat in their first game since the Washington Commanders marched into Ford Field and summarily dismissed the NFC’s top seed from playoff contention back in January.
But what the Lions lacked at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday is precisely what star Aidan Hutchinson said such a loss will help them find heading into a second consecutive NFC North division contest against the Chicago Bears next weekend.
“We’re gonna do it how we always do it. And I know we have a good history of responding. And we have another divisional [game], I believe, next week. I think it’s going to be good for us,” Hutchinson said Monday, September 8, per Woodward Sports Network. “There’s a lot of expectations this year. Come in, lose like that, I’m sure a lot of people will be really down on us, and that’s where we thrive — when everyone doesn’t believe in us anymore. I’m sure everyone’s going to be talking, but I think what we do really well is when this adversity hits, we put the blinders on — we go.”
Lions Defense Was Decent Against Packers in Week 1, but Pass Rush Was Lacking
GettyDetroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson.
The Lions defense wasn’t overwhelming against the Packers, but it wasn’t terrible as a whole, either.
Detroit held Green Bay to 266 total yards, including less than 200 yards through the air (188) and kept the ground game in check to the tune of 3.1 yards per rush attempt (25 tries for 78 total yards). However, the Lions had trouble keeping the Packers off the scoreboard, surrendering 27 points on the afternoon, and were also unable to force a turnover.
A considerable question facing Detroit’s defense coming into the season was how the pass rush would fare. The team did not bring Za’Darius Smith back, for whom it traded with the Cleveland Browns ahead of last year’s midseason deadline. The Lions drafted edge rusher Ahmed Hassanein out of Boise State in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL draft, but released him on August 27.
The only other edge rushers on the roster — aside from Hutchinson, who returned to action over the weekend for the first time since breaking his leg in Week 5 of last season — are Marcus Davenport, Al-Quadin Muhammad and Tyrus Wheat. The three appeared in 19 games combined in 2024, tallying a total of four sacks between them.
Aidan Hutchinson, Lions Defense Were Unable to Make Packers QB Jordan Love Uncomfortable in Week 1
GettyGreen Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love.
Predictably, the Lions didn’t make life all that difficult on Jordan Love during his 22 pass attempts on the afternoon, tallying just two QB hits and zero sacks.
Hutchinson produced two total pressures, one hurry and one hit on Love over the course of 43 snaps played in the game.
Detroit will host Chicago at Ford Field next Sunday after the Bears fell to the Minnesota Vikings in a stunning loss at Soldier Field on “Monday Night Football” after entering the fourth quarter with an 11-point lead. The loser of the Lions-Bears matchup next weekend will be the only NFC North team with an 0-2 record two weeks into the season.
The Lions are currently 5.5-point favorites to win the contest, per ESPN BET.
