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First, let’s be real and realize the Pittsburgh Steelers have more problems than the quarterback issue. The fans can call for Russell Wilson, and the coaching staff can make George Pickens the scapegoat. But even still, Justin Fields and the Steelers loss to the Cowboys proves it’s time to turn to Wilson.
The Steelers got off to a great start this year, but they’ve been minimized over the last two weeks. It got worse on Sunday night as the Steelers did a very poor job in pass coverage while also making the Cowboys look like a team that could consistently run the football. Still, for all the struggles, they had a chance to win.
And that’s why Fields needs to be removed as the starter.
Steelers QB Russell Wilson may be healthy enough to play
Wilson exhibited progress in his return from a calf injury this week, but apparently wasn’t ready for a full go. He had been listed as questionable on Friday after practicing in a limited capacity all week.
Had he been active, Fields’ concussion-check absence for one play would have put Wilson in action.
It has been a weird dynamic for the Steelers and head coach Mike Tomlin, who seemed to prefer Wilson heading into the season. And now with Wilson on the verge of returning, Tomlin doesn’t seem to stand firmly behind Fields as the Steelers prepared to meet the Colts, according to indystar.com
“I explained to you the variables of the week,” Tomlin said. “It has not changed. He's going to walk in this building with that mindset tomorrow, and so really, there's no need to. Sometimes in this business, man, there's a myriad of complex decisions that need to be made.”
Wilson’s preseason injury made the starting decision a moot point for Week 1, and Fields started the year with three wins. However, the Steelers came up short in a 27-24 decision against the Colts. And then Fields looked pretty bad against the Cowboys in the 20-17 setback. His lackluster 15 of 27 effort for a shameful 131 yards offset his two touchdown passes.
The Cowboys played without their two best pass rushers — linebacker Micah Parsons and end DeMarcus Lawrence — but it didn’t help Fields. He seemed uncomfortable in the pocket — one of his problems all along — and couldn’t seem to make quick decisions. He held on to the football and helped a weakened Cowboys’ pass rush by giving it more time. Also, Fields’ accuracy wouldn’t have scared any NFL defense.
Point simply made, a solid game by an average NFL quarterback would have brought a victory for the Steelers. The Steelers managed only 226 yards against a Cowboys’ defense that been demolished in recent weeks. Fields blamed it on mistakes, according to espn.com.
Tomin has said certain things have looked good for Fields, according to nbcsports.com.
“As I mentioned here repeatedly, I like his steady demeanor,” Tomlin said. “I like that in a leader. He doesn’t ride the emotional roller coaster when things are going good, or things are going bad. Guys can rally around that. He’s steady. He’s a competitor. He likes to compete. He doesn’t turn down things. He’s aggressive in play, scrambling, and so forth. It’s just been fun to get to know him and not only know him as a guy but know him as a competitor.”
But Tomlin also acknowledged Fields had some work to do. For the season, Fields has thrown for 961 yards, completed 68% of his passes with five touchdowns and one interception.
“I want to see him improve in all areas, to be quite honest with you,” Tomlin said. “Knowing what those areas of needing improvement are, are difficult sometimes when you don’t have a shared experience. So a component of me getting to know him is just maintaining that posture, challenging him to improve in all areas, and as we gain more experience together, I’ll be able to narrow that focus on things that become repetitive or trending.”
Plus, Wilson seemed close for Week 5, according to steelers.com.
“It seems like he's in a place where his participation is going to pick up some in terms of a practice setting in a live pocket,” Tomlin said. “We won't draw too many conclusions, but we'll just start that process, and we'll comb through that day by day, evaluate his ability to move and function and protect himself, and obviously, evaluate his level of productivity.”
WR George Pickens is part of this issue
The Steelers’ third year man is the best receiver on the team. It’s up to the quarterback to get him the ball. Fields looked absolutely lost in trying to get that done Sunday night.
For the season, Pickens had 6, 2, 5, 7, and 3 receptions. He has one game of over 100 yards. And he still doesn’t have a touchdown catch. For a 6-foot-3, 200-pounder with great catch radius, those stats are unfathomable.
Now it may be partly Pickens to blame. Tomlin gave what amounts to a weird explanation of why Pickens didn’t see his usual number of snaps against the Cowboys, according to Sports Illustrated.
“We just wanted to kind of minimize his reps in an effort to get more productivity,” Tomlin said. “We're just trying to manage in terms of the totality of the big picture. He wasn't less of a focal point in terms of our intentions of what we wanted to do offensively, but we did want to cut his reps a little bit in an effort o get higher quality play, just in general.”
Even if Pickers lacked effort, there didn’t seem to be evidence that Fields tried to get him the ball. And that’s a bench-worthy mistake. Get the ball to your playmakers, or hand the keys to Wilson.
It appears Tomlin will have a much tougher decision for who will start against the Raiders in Week 6 than he did for the Cowboys.
