The Pittsburgh Steelers are 1-0 after their starting quarterback, Justin Fields, led the team to an 18-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1. Despite the winning results and the pronouncement that Fields will once again be the Steelers starting QB in Week 2 while presumed starter Russell Wilson deals with a calf injury, NFL insiders believe that when the Super Bowl-winner is finally healthy Mike Tomlin will return him to QB1 status.
“Even though Fields is expected to start for the Steelers in Denver, the belief is that Wilson will get the job once he returns from his calf injury,” ESPN's Jeremy Fowler surmises. “Pittsburgh believes Wilson's command of the offense is stronger, and it seems like only an explosive performance from Fields can change the trajectory.”
In Week 1, Fields was 17-of-23 for 156 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. He also added 57 yards on the ground on 14 carries, the second-most on the team to starting running back Najee Harris. While those aren'tt great numbers by any means, they show he minimalized mistakes and they were good enough to beat the Falcons.
And in Week 2, similar numbers may be good enough to beat rookie quarterback Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos.
After that, Wilson may know the offense better, but making plays here and there plus not making the big mistakes may be a better formula for the Steelers this season. And if Fields can hold the job until November, watch out.
Justin Fields is a different quarterback in November
The rushing numbers on Justin Fields are fascinating. Throughout his career, he averages around 30 yards per game rushing in September and that number jumps threefold to 90 yards per game in November.
So what happens here?
Well, the theory is that every offseason and training camp, Fields' coaches try to take him and make him a pocket-passing quarterback who runs on occasion. After seeing several weeks of that to start the season, he and/or his coaches say enough is enough and Fields just does what he does best, which is run the ball.
Fields is a runner who is a good enough passer to occasionally throw. NFL coaches don't like that, so they try to fit him into a mold they can wrap their heads around.
Chances are, Mike Tomlin is going to go back to Russell Wilson as the Steelers starting quarterback because he has a better handle on the offense Tomlin, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, and the Steelers want to run. However, if they would think outside the box a bit and design an offense for Fields instead of going back to an obviously-washed Wilson, the team might be better off.
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