Russell Wilson isn't cooked, he's cooking. So is the Steelers' offense

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Squint your eyes a little bit, and it could have been 2014, not 2024.

Russell Wilson drifting to his right. The Cincinnati pass rush closing in. Time running out. Then a quick flick of the wrist to an open teammate that instantly turned chaos into celebration.

Turns out, Russ can still cook. Even at 36. Even a year removed from a humiliating end to two turbulent seasons in Denver, which paid tens of millions for the nine-time Pro Bowler to go away. Even after a lingering calf injury that popped up over the summer and lingered into the fall and carried all the hallmarks of a superstar in decline.

Amid it all, Wilson maintained his own brand of positivity, confident there was more gas left in the tank.

It certainly looks that way. Wilson's “look right, throw left” touchdown to Pat Freiermuth in the third quarter of a 44-38 win over the Bengals on Sunday was the highlight of a 414-yard masterpiece that was vintage Wilson. He shook off an early pick-6 to win for the fifth time in six starts as the Steelers bounced back from a shaky loss in Cleveland by effectively ending any slim chance the Bengals had of being a factor in 2024.

“It gives us a lot of momentum and everything else,” Wilson said. “But we have to use it for good, we’ve got to be able to respond, we’ve got to be better next week.”

While Wilson has made it a point to stay in the moment, his play is making a compelling — and perhaps surprising given the way his tenure here started — argument that he should stay in Pittsburgh in the long(ish) term.

Over the last half-dozen games, Wilson has revived his career and given the Steelers the kind of difference-maker at quarterback they've lacked since the back end of Ben Roethlisberger's prime.

Though he likely won't come cheap — remember, the Falcons dropped $180 million for four years of late-30s Kirk Cousins in March — Wilson seems to be getting better and more comfortable each week.

Within the last month, Wilson has drawn up a game winner in Washington, outplayed Lamar Jackson, thrived in the snow in Cleveland and picked apart one of the NFL's worst defenses with an ease that's hard to duplicate during a Saturday morning walkthrough let alone a divisional game on the first day of December.

Wilson's 29 completions went to 10 different players — a surefire way to build goodwill in the huddle — and every time the Bengals took the lead during a back-and-forth first half, Wilson and the Steelers answered emphatically, much the same way Wilson has silenced all the doubters who felt he was cooked.

Hardly. And a season that began with somewhat measured expectations (externally anyway) is edging toward something far more substantial.

Scouting linebackers. In the span of 18 months, the Steelers have added Elandon Roberts, Patrick Queen, Nick Herbig and Payton Wilson to a group that already included T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.

Roberts and Queen arrived in free agency. Herbig and Wilson came in the draft, somehow lasting until the middle rounds despite resumes that included the Butkus Award given to the top collegiate linebacker (Wilson) and the Big Ten leader in sacks (Herbig).

All four played significant roles in Cincinnati, with Herbig and Wilson teaming up for a decisive scoop-and-score that put the game out of reach.

Joey Porter Jr.'s aggressiveness. The second-year cornerback has the size, skillset and — perhaps most importantly — the comportment necessary to excel at one of the most demanding positions in sports.

What Porter is lacking, at least at the moment, is the understanding of when — and when not to — mix it up while in coverage. He drew four flags in Cincinnati and is among the most penalized defensive backs in the league. Considering the teams with elite quarterbacks the Steelers face down the stretch and likely will see in the postseason, Porter needs to start ending up on the right side of the law more often.

Three months ago, the clock on Dan Moore Jr.'s tenure as Pittsburgh's left tackle seemed to be ticking toward zero. The Steelers drafted Troy Fautanu in the first round and expected to put him at right tackle, freeing up 2023 first-round pick Broderick Jones to move over to the left.

Instead, Fautanu's rookie year ended in September and Jones has spent much of the season racking up penalty after penalty. All the while, Moore has been solid and occasionally even better than that, keeping NFL sack leader Trey Hendrickson in check while freeing up Wilson to do his thing.

George Pickens is one of the most talented wide receivers in the league. He also is perhaps the most volatile. Pickens drew a pair of unsportsmanlike-conduct penalties for avoidable and immature displays following two of his catches and declined to take responsibility afterward.

Coach Mike Tomlin suggested it's time for the 23-year-old Pickens to “grow up in a hurry," but it's fair to start wondering as Pickens nears the end of his third season if he's interested in doing so anytime soon.

Highsmith (ankle) seems likely to return this week after missing a month. WR Calvin Austin III's status could be more uncertain after entering the concussion protocol on Sunday.

21 — The number of consecutive non-losing seasons by the Steelers, the last 18 under Tomlin. The 21 straight years of .500 or better matches the longest such streak in NFL history, joining the Dallas Cowboys from 1965-85.

Try to avoid another pratfall against the Browns when Cleveland visits Acrisure Stadium on Sunday.

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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens gestures toward the stands during the second half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (24) tackles Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown, center bottom, during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Payton Wilson (41) scores a touchdown after recovering a fumble by Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (3) passes during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) celebrates with quarterback Russell Wilson, right, after scoring a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (3) prepares to pass to tight end Pat Freiermuth (not shown) for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (3) celebrates as he walks off the field following his team's victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers returned to the state Capitol on Monday to begin a special session to protect the state's progressive policies ahead of another Trump presidency.

The Democratic governor, a fierce critic of President-elect Donald Trump, is positioning California to once again be the center of a resistance effort against the conservative agenda. He is asking his Democratic allies in the Legislature, who hold supermajorities in both chambers, to approve additional funding to the attorney general's office to prepare for a robust legal fight against anticipated federal challenges.

Democratic Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel on Monday introduced legislation to set aside $25 million for legal fees to respond to potential attacks by the Trump administration on state policies regarding civil rights, climate change, immigration and abortion access.

“While we always hope to collaborate with our federal partners, California will be ready to vigorously defend our interests and values from any unlawful action by the incoming Trump Administration,” Gabriel said in a statement.

California sued the first Trump administration more than 120 times to various levels of success.

“We’re not going to be caught flat-footed,” Newsom said at a recent news conference.

Trump often depicts California as representing all he sees wrong in America. Democrats, which hold every statewide office in California and have commanding margins in the Legislature and congressional delegation, outnumber registered Republicans by nearly 2-to-1 statewide.

Trump called the Democratic governor “New-scum” during a campaign stop in Southern California and has relentlessly lambasted the Democratic stronghold over its large number of immigrants in the U.S. illegally, homeless population and thicket of regulations.

Trump also waded into a water rights battle over the endangered delta smelt, a tiny fish that has pitted environmentalists against farmers and threatened to withhold federal aid to a state increasingly under threat from wildfires. He also vowed to follow through with his campaign promise of carrying out the mass deportation of immigrants without legal status and prosecuting his political enemies.

Before the special session begins, state lawmakers are scheduled to swear in more than two dozen new members and elect leaders for the 2025 legislative session. Hundreds of people also demonstrated around the Capitol on Monday to urge the Legislature to try to stop Trump's mass deportation plans.

State Attorney General Rob Bonta said his office will protect the state’s immigration population, while Newsom last week unveiled a proposal to revive a rebate program for electric vehicle purchases if the incoming Trump administration eliminates a federal tax credit for people who buy electric cars. Newsom is also considering creating a backup disaster relief fund for the wildfire-prone state after Trump’s threats.

Bonta announced legislation Monday aimed at bolstering reproductive rights in the state, including by allowing the attorney general to seek monetary penalties against local governments that infringe on those rights. The proposals are part of the state's efforts to safeguard against threats to abortion access after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Republican lawmakers blasted Newsom and his Democratic allies over the special session. Rep. Vince Fong, who represents the state’s Central Valley farm belt, said California should work with the incoming Trump administration instead.

“Gavin Newsom’s actions are tone-deaf to the concerns of Californians who disapprove of the direction of our state and country,” Fong said in a video on social media.

Legislators also are expected to spend the year discussing ways to protect dozens of laws expected to be targeted by the Trump administration, including one that has made the state a sanctuary for people seeking abortions who live in states where such practices have been severely limited.

California, the nation’s most populous state, was the first to mandate that by 2035 all new cars, pickup trucks and SUVs sold in California be electric, hydrogen-powered or plug-in hybrids. The state also extends state-funded health care to all low-income residents regardless of their immigration status.

Newsom hasn't provided details about what actions the lawmakers will consider but said he wanted funding in place before Trump's inauguration day, Jan. 20. The state spent roughly $42 million in litigation costs during the first Trump administration, officials said.

California is projected to face a $2 billion budget deficit next year, with bigger shortfalls ahead. Gabriel, who sued the first Trump administration in 2017 when it tried to end a program to shield young immigrants from being deported, said lining up the funding now is “a wise investment."

California successfully clawed back $57 million between 2017 and 2018 after prevailing in a lawsuit to block the Trump administration from putting immigration enforcement conditions on certain federal law enforcement grants. Another legal victory over the citizenship question in the 2020 census forced the federal government to return $850,000 to the state, according to the attorney general's office.

“We are positioned, if necessary, to be the tip of the spear of the resistance and to push back against any unlawful or unconstitutional actions by the Trump administration,” said Gabriel, who chairs the budget committee.

During Trump’s first presidency, Democratic attorneys general banded together to file lawsuits over immigration, Trump’s travel ban for residents of Muslim countries, the environment, immigration and other topics. But Trump has one possible advantage this time around: He was aggressive in nominating conservative jurists to federal courts at all levels, including the Supreme Court.

FILE - California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a press conference in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer, File)