Tag: Justin Fields

3 things a Steelers loss vs the Raiders could mean for the season?

This week’s game could have huge implications on the rest of the season.

Week Six of the NFL regular season is upon us and this week’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders has huge season implications for the Pittsburgh Steelers. A win gets the team back on track, improves their record to 4-2 and likely solidifies the quarterback depth chart for the time being.

But what about a loss? If the Steelers lose a third straight game and fall to .500 it could have huge immediate implications that would extend through the rest of season.

Push a Devante Adams trade

Pittsburgh might feel the panic and throw a huge offer at the Raiders for wide receiver Davante Adams. If the Steelers lose, you can bet a big chunk of the blame would fall on the passing game.

Send Justin Fields to the bench

Fields is holding onto his starting job by a thread and if he struggles against the Raiders, he opens the door up for Wilson to take his starting spot and never give it back.

Make the Steelers pull the plug on adding talent

The Steelers might view a loss as too much to overcome and just pack up the tents and not try and add any talent. Pittsburgh may just opt to keep that extra salary cap for next season and try and ridge it out wth the current group, hoping to get some players healthy.

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Steelers make decision about starting quarterback vs Raiders

Mike Tomlin announced who would be the Steelers starting quarterback against the Raiders this week.

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin addressed the media on Friday ahead of the team’s game this weekend against the Las Vegas Raiders. The biggest question was about if Tomlin would stick with Justin Fields or turn to Russell Wilson to help snap the Steelers two-game losing streak.

Tomlin said that Wilson is healthy but needs time to “knock the rust off” so he will be active this week and be the No. 2 but Fields will get his sixth start. Fields got the Steelers off to a hot start winning the first three games of the season but was unable to overcome injuries and inconsistent defense to win either of the last two.

https://x.com/937theFan/status/1844786231084794357

Fields’ future could rest on his performance in Vegas. If he doesn’t play well, that rust is going to come off pretty quickly. If Fields steps up and gets the team back on the winning track, Wilson might stay rusty for a bit longer.

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Ranking all 32 NFL quarterbacks by Total QBR after Week 5

Where does Justin Fields rank among the 32 starting NFL quarterbacks?

The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves at a crossroads with the quarterback position. Justin Fields has played well the last five games in place of Russell Wilson, but not without his errors. Now Wilson is healthy ahead of Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders but the team hasn’t decided who will get the start.

Fields is currently No. 22 in the NFL in Total QBR, ahead of quarterbacks like Jared Goff and Justin Herbert.

Unlike a traditional passer rating, the Total QBR “incorporates all of a quarterback’s contributions to winning, including how he impacts the game on passes, rushes, turnovers and penalties,” according to ESPN.

The metric takes into account scenarios that a traditional passer rating overlooks and considers “a team’s level of success or failure on every play to provide the proper context and then allocates credit to the quarterback and his teammate to produce a clearer measure of quarterback efficiency.”

NFL QBs ranked by Total QBR after Week 5

  1. Josh Allen: 77.6
  2. Joe Burrow: 73.6
  3. Jayden Daniels: 73.2
  4. Andy Dalton: 67.1
  5. Lamar Jackson: 67.1
  6. Kyler Murray: 66.4
  7. Brock Purdy: 66.0
  8. C.J. Stroud: 64.4
  9. Baker Mayfield: 64.0
  10. Derek Carr: 63.6
  11. Geno Smith: 63.5
  12. Daniel Jones: 61.3
  13. Jalen Hurts: 59.3
  14. Sam Darnold: 58.7
  15. Dak Prescott: 56.8
  16. Patrick Mahomes: 55.8
  17. Kirk Cousins: 55.2
  18. Matthew Stafford: 53.8
  19. Trevor Lawrence: 53.2
  20. Anthony Richardson: 49.3
  21. Aaron Rodgers: 49.1
  22. Justin Fields: 48.0
  23. Jordan Love: 46.1
  24. Jared Goff: 44.8
  25. Bo Nix: 43.1
  26. Justin Herbert: 41.8
  27. Gardner Minshew: 41.1
  28. Jacoby Brissett: 38.9
  29. Caleb Williams: 36.3
  30. Will Levis: 27.3
  31. Tyler Huntley: 23.5
  32. Deshaun Watson: 21.0

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Arthur Smith seemingly took a dig at Russell Wilson while praising Justin Fields’ lack of drama

The Steelers don’t seem to like Russell Wilson very much.

For anyone holding out hope that Russell Wilson will eventually take over as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starter, they should probably start looking at logical Wilson trades that will take him out of the Steel City instead.

At least, according to a new, unsubtle eye-opening quote from offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.

On Thursday, Smith praised Justin Fields — who has filled in for Wilson to start the 2024 season while he nurses a calf injury — for being coachable and, wait for it, for his lack of drama as someone who “doesn’t try to live through his avatar.”

If I didn’t know any better, it sure sounds like that is an apparent reference to Wilson, who has garnered a reputation for his utter lack of authenticity over the years:

https://twitter.com/BrianBatko/status/1844413235635863641

Oof. If Smith is really referring to Wilson, it’s hard to imagine the quarterback ever playing a single snap for Pittsburgh at this rate, barring injury. Imagine that. Wilson might have worn out his welcome without throwing a single regular-season pass for the Steelers.

I guess that’s just where his still-future Hall of Fame career is these days.

A Chicago-area Costco is apparently selling badly Photoshopped Caleb Williams signs

These Costco signs did Caleb Williams really dirty.

If you’re a Chicago Bears fan, it’s easy to get excited about the potential future with Caleb Williams. The No. 1 pick has already broken a major Bears rookie record and is doing intelligent things like measuring the wind at Soldier Field. For a guy with just five starts, he’s everything Bears fans could’ve hoped for to this point.

But the next time you go to your local Costco in the Chicagoland area looking for some Williams-related swag, you might want to examine what you’re buying very, very closely. According to the Twitter account Six Points Sports (@SixPointSports), a Chicago-area Costco is selling a teammate wall art sign featuring Williams and his No. 1 receiver, D.J. Moore.

There’s just one problem.

If you look closely at the Bears player wearing an 18 jersey on the sign, it’s not actually Williams. Not even close. It’s former Bears first-round pick Justin Fields … with an “8” doctored onto his jersey. Come on, man:

https://twitter.com/sixpointsports/status/1844247555879874968?s=46

I don’t know whose idea this sign was, but it’s the definition of brazen laziness. It’s almost certainly hoping someone who doesn’t follow the Bears closely — and, as such, likely doesn’t actually know what Williams looks like aside from the fact that he wears an “18” jersey — makes a mistake and buys it as a gift for a diehard fan in their life.

What a brutal look for whichever Chicago Costco tried this.

3 reasons for optimism as Raiders face the Steelers Week 6

The Steelers have similar issues as the Raiders right now. Including a QB controversy, struggles in the run game, and mounting injuries.

Sunday the 3-2 Steelers come to Las Vegas to face the 2-2 Raiders. The Steelers started the season 3-0, but have lost two straight. The Raiders are coming off a huge loss to the Broncos, so both teams are currently searching for answers, primarily at the quarterback position.

Here are reason for optimism for the Raiders as they face the Steelers.

Familiarity with either QB

There could be a QB change in Pittsburgh. But it may not matter in terms of the Raiders preparrations because they know both QB’s pretty well.

If they were to stick with Justin Fields, his former OC Luke Getsy is the OC with the Raiders, so few would know Fields better.

If they go with Russell Wilson, well this entire Raiders defense is familiar with him. They beat his three times over the past two seasons as the quarterback in Denver. Not to mention, if you’re turning to Russell Wilson as your answer at QB, that suggests things have gotten pretty bad.

Steelers run game is not strong

While we talk about the Raiders zone scheme not meshing in Las Vegas, the Steelers are having similar issues. In fact, while the Raiders have moved up to 28th in the league in yards per attempt (3.9 ypc), the Steelers are actually below them at 29th (3.7 ypc). Yeah, so neither of these teams are running the ball too well.

Edge rushers banged up

Nick Herbig and Demarvin Leal both left the Steelers loss to the Cowboys last Sunday and neither were at practice on Wednesday leaving the team thin at outside linebacker. They still have one TJ Watt, which goes a long way. But even the best pass rushers are helped by a complementary edge rusher on the other side.

The Wilson Connection: Russell and Roman practicing with second-team

Roman and Russell Wilson have practiced in full on Wednesday. Will the Wilsons make their seasonal debuts in Week 6 against Las Vegas?

Fans were treated with one of the most beautiful sights of the Steelers’ 2024 season: Russell and Roman Wilson building on their chemistry, connecting with some nice throws in their practice with the Steelers second-team offense.

It was reported that while Russell Wilson was practicing in full for the first time in six weeks, Mike Tomlin would allow Justin Fields alone to practice with Pittsburgh’s first-team offense, in order to not ‘disrupt his preparation.’ Roman Wilson has also practiced in full for six straight practices, but is being deligated to second-team reps.

The wonderful Wilson duo will most likely have to prove themselves onto the field.  However, Steelers fans can certainly get used to the sight of the Wilson to Wilson connection.

https://twitter.com/Aaron_M_Becker/status/1844079794100834655

Could the Steelers offense use the assistance of the Wilsons in their Week 6 efforts against the Raiders?  Pittsburgh looks to stop the two game losing streak as they travel to Las Vegas this Sunday, October 13th at 4:05 PM EST.

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Top teams interested in Davante Adams are going through some things right now

Davante Adams has several teams showing interesting in trading for him. But those teams have had a rough week.

The list of teams who are said to be leading the way in Davante Adams trade talks is rather short. And for most of those teams, it’s been a rough week. Let’s go through each of them.

New York Jets

They fired their head coach this week. Robert Saleh, and reportedly having nothing to do with his relationship with QB Aaron Rodgers. The reason is because the owner knows the Jets have a small window to compete for a championship and felt like Saleh was not maximizing the talent on the offense.

How this could affect any potential interest in Davane Adams is hard to say. You could look at is one of two ways. Either the owner thinks they have the talent to win, which would suggest they don’t need Adams. Or that Aaron Rodgers is basically the head coach on the field and therefore if he says Davante is the last piece necessary to make this offense what it should be, then they better get him.

Knowing the short window they’re dealing with would seem to raise the likelihood of going after Davante. For that, a second round pick plus doesn’t seem like a high price to pay.

New Orleans Saints

It was discovered this week that Derek Carr has will miss at least a couple weeks with injury and Spencer Rattler will get the start.

Carr started the season off white hot in the first two games, throwing five touchdowns to just one interception. But he’s come back to earth in the three games since, with the same number as interceptions (3) and touchdowns.

What if Rattler plays so well, they decide to stick with the hot hand?

The only reason Davante has the Saints on the list is Carr. So, with Carr’s future a bit uncertain, do the Saints still step up and meet the Raiders’ demands in a trade? Will they even have made that decision yet before the trade deadline? Important questions.

And on top of it all, Saints head coach Dennis Allen could also be on the hotseat.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Despite the Steelers being 3-2 with Justin Fields at QB, the team has not been pleased with his performance and are now considering benching him for Russell Wilson.

Even if the Steelers are interested in Davante, would it be wise for him to jump from one team with a QB controversy to another? Wilson hasn’t played well in some time. There’s a reason he was run out of Seattle and the Broncos are now paying him starting QB money to NOT play for them.

Oh, and the Steelers are coming to Las Vegas this week, so no chance that trade would happen this week.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys…are actually pretty stable at the moment. They are 3-2 and have won two straight. Though they scored just 20 points in each of those wins, which means they could certainly use a weapon like Davante Adams.

Around the NFL: Russell Wilson is a full participant at practice

Around the NFL: Russell Wilson is a full participant at practice

Former Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson’s redemption season has not gone according to plan thus far. Namely, he has not been on the field to even attempt said redemption. Wilson was named the starter before the regular season kicked off, but he has been dealing with a calf issue that has kept him sidelined for the first five games.

On Wednesday, it was reported Wilson was a full participant at Steelers practice for the first time since the regular season began.

The Steelers surprised some folks by starting the year with a 3-0 record behind their elite defense and serviceable play from quarterback Justin Fields. Although Fields has been fine, under no circumstances was he blowing anyone away with his quarterback prowess. It always felt like the job was going to remain his as long as they kept winning.

Well, Pittsburgh has now lost the last two games, including one to an Indianapolis Colts team led by the 39-year old Joe Flacco coming off the bench. Should Wilson finally be healthy enough to play, and suit up in a capacity greater than being the emergency third-string quarterback, then it is hard to imagine the Steelers not making a switch to the veteran.

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Should the Steelers trade Russell Wilson before the deadline?

ESPN speculates that Steelers QB Russell Wilson could be on the move.

The NFL trade deadline is less than a month away and the Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the teams who could be buyers or sellers. Pittsburgh has been connected to Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams but Pittsburgh might have a perfect player to trade for Adams or to another team.

ESPN’s insiders speculated on quarterbacks who could be on the move and they mentioned Pittsburgh quarterback Russell Wilson as a veteran who the Steelers could trade after the emergence of Justin Fields in Wilson’s absence.

All good suggestions, but I’m curious about the last passer you mentioned. I was in Pittsburgh for Sunday’s game against Dallas, and talking to people there I definitely did not get the sense Justin Fields was on thin ice or that the coaching staff was looking for a reason to turn it over to Wilson. Sunday wasn’t Fields’ best game, but he did lead the Steelers back in the second half and they were seconds away from winning. I’m not sure how Wilson improves anything there unless all of a sudden the running backs and the
offensive line are all healthy and they bring in two new wide receivers.
At least Fields offers running ability, and the coaches and players I’ve talked to there had nothing but positive things to say about him. So, it’s interesting to see what coach Mike Tomlin does on this, but I’m sticking with my prediction that Wilson never plays for the Steelers unless Fields gets hurt. It’s also worth remembering Wilson’s one-year, minimum salary contract includes a no-trade clause. It’s possible this ends with him getting released, not traded.

Cast your vote and tell us if you think the Steelers will trade Wilson, or maybe even Fields before the trade deadline.

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