Tag: Justin Fields

Justin Fields compared to Devlin ‘Duck’ Hodges in one statistic

Justin Fields and Devlin Duck Hodges share one interesting statistic to start their Steelers careers—both started it off going 3-0.

Justin Fields has had a hot-and-cold start to the 2024 regular season.  After two underwhelming starts to the year, Fields bounced back in a major way in Week 3. The Pittsburgh Steelers remain undefeated through three weeks of football, and Fields’ efforts in making this possible should be applauded.

It appears that I am not alone in that sentiment, as Fields’ going 3-0 in his first three starts as a Steeler has caught the eye of Steelers reporter Nick Farabaugh:

The Steelers player in question is none other than Devlin Hodges, and the man, the myth, the ‘Duck’ himself had a hilarious response to this comparison:

Hodges had an impressive first three starts in 2019 for the Steelers after relieving an injured Mason Rudolph in Week 5 against the Baltimore Ravens.  Steelers fans will hope that this is where the comparison ends, however, as Hodges would lose the next three straight, while Fields will look to keep the winning going against the Indianapolis Colts.

ESPN uses classic Mike Tomlin quote to describe Week 4 QB decision

The Justin Fields and Russell Wilson QB decision wasn’t as clear cut as we once thought, with Tomlin allowing both to still compete for the starting nod.

After the Pittsburgh Steelers soundly defeated the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3, many fans were excited to watch the Week 4 media availability to finally get an answer to the months-old question—’Who is the Steelers’ long-term starting quarterback?’

Some fans argued that Russell Wilson was the better choice when healthy after witnessing Justin Fields look unmotivated in Weeks 1 and 2.

However, Fields stepped up in a major way in Week 3, earning support from fans and former Steelers legends alike.

But all the speculation means nothing because only one man can make the final decision: Mike Tomlin, who appears to be in no rush.

 

While Coach T’s famous ‘Tomlinisms‘ offer a quick escape when dealing with annoying media questions, it is quite obvious that Tomlin is using the quarterback battle for Pittsburgh’s overall benefit. After all, the Steelers have a luxury that other NFL teams don’t: The best quarterback room in football.

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Bill Belichick on Steelers QB room: “Might have the best one in the league”

Bill Belichick, 6-time Super Bowl-winning headcoach, spoke highly of the quarterback situation in Pittsburgh.

It wasn’t too long ago when the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ quarterback room had more questions than answers, such as in 2023, when the roster had what many considered the worst QB room in the NFL.

That all changed, however, when the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Russell Wilson and traded for Justin Fields this last offseason.  The 2024 roster had a significant upgrade at the quarterback position compared to previous seasons. While everyone, including us at Steelers Wire, wants to know who the definitive starter will be moving forward, six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Bill Belichick has a different, optimistic point of view.

Speaking on the Steelers quarterback situation while on the Pat McAfee Show, Belichick argued that having an experienced veteran like Wilson playing behind a young Fields, who is off to a great start, is something that other teams would kill for.

https://twitter.com/PatMcAfeeShow/status/1838272937398255965

Having tormented Pittsburgh for over two decades with the New England Patriots, Steelers fans can be satisfied with the subtle change and respect shown by their former adversary in Bill Belichick.

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Justin Fields has ended the QB controversy: Former Pro Bowl Steelers’ safety agrees

Justin Fields made a strong case to be the Steelers’ starting quarterback after a standout performance in Week 3, earning support from former Steeler Ryan Clark.

The battle for the starting quarterback position began to take shape when the Pittsburgh Steelers traded with the Bears to acquire Justin Fields in the 2024 offseason. The Steelers, having signed quarterback Russell Wilson just a day prior, seemed to have a quarterback competition on their hands.

However, it was clear that Wilson was favored over the younger, less experienced Fields, as the veteran was getting first-team reps while Fields worked with second-team unit. All of this changed when a re-aggravated calf injury prevented Wilson from starting in the regular season.

Through the first two weeks of football, Fields looked uninspired and hesitant. However, his play took a significant leap in Week 3 against an elite defense, throwing for 245 yards and one touchdown, and recording a rushing touchdown as well.

Former Steelers legend, Super Bowl champion, and Pro Bowl safety Ryan Clark saw what we all saw and stated what most of us want: Mike Tomlin to name Justin Fields as the starter moving forward.

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Steelers HC Mike Tomlin playing head games with Russell Wilson, Justin Fields

Mike Tomlin keeps playing head games with the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks and has no intention of letting up.

Mike Tomlin keeps playing head games with the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks and has no intention of letting up.

Tomlin seemed bothered by the continued questions from the Steelers media about who the starting quarterback is and why it isn’t Justin Fields. But he has no one to blame but himself.

“There’s no need,” Tomlin responded when asked why he hasn’t named Fields the starter. “I explained to you the variables of the week. It has not changed. He’s going to walk in this building with that mindset tomorrow and so I really, there’s no need to sometimes in this business man, there’s a myriad of complex decisions that need to be made.

“I’ve learned to make ’em when it’s appropriate and it’s not necessary. As we sit here right now, when Russ gets to an appropriate point of health and we have a decision to make, I’ll make it and I’ll announce it and I’ll be really transparent about it, but until then, I don’t care how many ways you guys ask me, I got no intentions of making the decision that’s unnecessary at this juncture.”

Tomlin’s concern remains winning games. As long as Fields keeps helping the Steelers do that, Russell Wilson will continue observing from the sideline.

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Steelers QB Russell Wilson remains No. 1 on depth chart

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson remains the starter on the team’s official depth chart.

Through three games, Justin Fields has proven he’s capable of the No. 1 quarterback role, but that hasn’t affected the Pittsburgh Steelers depth chart.

Russell Wilson remains atop the Steelers QB room, with the only change being Broderick Jones reclaiming his starting role at right tackle.

Mike Tomlin likely wants Fields not to feel too comfortable, forcing him to play as close to mistake-free football as possible. Should Fields slip up, Wilson could make his regular season debut.

It’s unfair to both quarterbacks, but thus is the business of the NFL.

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Chargers stars acknowledge costly second-half penalties as major reason for Week 3 loss

The Chargers’ costly second half penalties killed a lot of the team’s momentum. It led to their first loss of the 2024 season.

Things were looking good for the Chargers on Sunday when they took the lead into halftime against the Steelers. Unfortunately, all things went south in the second half.

Injuries were a huge reason for that, particularly Justin Herbert’s re-aggravation of his ongoing ankle issue. The players and coaching staff aren’t using that as an excuse, though. After their first loss of the season, several players acknowledged the second-half penalties as a momentum killer.

“That was the name of the game. We did a lot of shooting ourselves in the foot out there,” Khalil Mack said.

Mack was called for a roughing the passer penalty in the second half, which still seems questionable. One could argue that Mack was blocked and even pushed into Steelers quarterback Justin Fields, but it was a call that pushed Pittsburgh further down the field.

Safety Derwin James, who had a stellar game, acknowledged the Chargers’ need to play clean moving forward. After their stellar opening 30 minutes, they were never able to sustain any sort of momentum in the second half.

“We just got to play clean,” James said. “I got to look at some of mine, I didn’t get to look at them. But just play clean football, I had one of them, a big one.”

He later added: “I’m not here to referee. I’m playing fast, I’m not thinking about no flag.”

Penalties, albeit a few questionable calls from the referees, set the team back several times. For a team that prioritizes discipline under Jim Harbaugh, it was disappointing to see in those final 30 minutes. Ultimately, it was all too much to overcome at Acrisure Stadium.

The Chargers finished the game with seven penalties for 69 yards, a stark contrast to the Steelers’ three flags for just 15 yards. If Los Angeles wants any chance against the Chiefs in Week 4, they must clean things up in that department.

Around the NFL: could the Russell Wilson era in Pittsburgh be over before it begins?

Around the NFL: could the Russell Wilson era in Pittsburgh be over before it begins?

The Seattle Seahawks have improved to 3-0 on the season with their victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. Although the club of 3-0 teams this year is small, there is another one in the AFC that may have some folks surprised: the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In many ways, the Steelers and Seahawks have been mirrors of each other for the past few years, with the exception of the quarterback position. Where the Seahawks have been settled at quarterback for a while now, Pittsburgh has been toiling with mediocre-to-subpar play. It is why they sought out former the veteran Russell Wilson after he was released by the Denver Broncos. Wilson was quickly named the starter before the 2024 season, but now, one has to wonder how much longer he wil have such a designation…. or even should.

Wilson has now missed three-consecutive games to start the year. In his place has been backup Justin Fields, looking for his fresh start after his disastrous run with the Chicago Bears. The Steelers have won all three of these games with Fields at the helm. At first, Fields was hitting the sweetspot when it came to backup play. Yes, he did enough to not lose Pittsburgh the game, but he wasn’t lighting it up to threaten Wilson’s starting spot for when he was healthy.

At least, he wasn’t. On Sunday, the Steelers beat the visiting Los Angeles Chargers 20-10, and Fields played well. He completed 25-of-32 passes for 245 yards, threw one touchdown, one interception, and rushed for another score. All while Russell Wilson looked on from the sideline.

In the NFL, all that matters is winning. I say it weekly for this publication. And right now, the Steelers are winning with Fields under center. This isn’t a case where a backup is filling in for a Tom Brady or a Peyton Manning for a few games. Wilson has no legacy established in Pittsburgh, no reason for a coaching staff to hold loyalty to him, especially with him essentially playing for comparative peanuts on a veteran minimum salary.

Next up for Pittsburgh is a road trip to play the Colts, who haven’t looked like anything special. This should be an incredibly winnable game for the Steelers. Should they prevail, they will be 4-0 in the Fields era.

At some point, Fields is going to make it incredibly difficult for coach Mike Tomlin to make the switch back to Wilson. Assuming we haven’t already reached said point…

Ryan Clark to Mike Tomlin: ‘Let’s not play this game anymore’ with QB situation

ESPN analyst and former Steelers safety Ryan Clark posted a tweet asking Mike Tomlin to name Justin Fields the starter over Russell Wilson.

Interception aside — his first of the season — Justin Fields had the most complete outing of his Pittsburgh Steelers career in Week 3. And this with very little help from the ground game.

Fields has been far from electric, no thanks to the Steelers’ conservative game plan, but he’s improved every week and appears light-years ahead of where he was with the Chicago Bears. Fields He’s done nothing that should point to Mike Tomlin going to Russell Wilson once he’s healthy enough (if he ever is).

ESPN analyst and “Pivot” podcast host Ryan Clark tweeted yesterday that Tomlin needs to stop playing games with the quarterback position.

Clark, a former Steelers safety, encouraged Tomlin to name Fields the starter after the win on Sunday, but that never came — not a surprise given how close to the vest Tomlin operates.

“Let’s not play this game anymore,” Clark tweeted. “Love Russ, but this isn’t about him. The young man has shown he is capable. What a difference a situation makes.”

https://twitter.com/Realrclark25/status/1837936912310718737

It’s tough to predict whether Tomlin will stop playing games with how he addresses the quarterback situation. It’ll be something to watch for when he takes to the podium for his weekly press conference on Tuesday.

While Fields is still developing, he’s shown real promise to be the face of the Steelers franchise for the remainder of his career — exactly what general manager Omar Khan and company were hoping for when they traded for him.

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Former NFL quarterback floats wild conspiracy about Steelers QB situation

Is Russell Wilson really hurt? Cam Newton wonders how bad it is.

Since leaving the NFL, former quarterback Cam Newton has made a name for himself for his outspoken nature when talking about the league. Newton has a podcast because that’s what everyone does now and in an episode, he talked about Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks Justin Fields and Russell Wilson.

Newton floated a rather interesting conspiracy theory on a recent episode that hinted at the fact Wilson’s calf injury might not be as bad as the team wants to make it seem. Newton wondered if it was simply a distraction from the transition to Fields and from what I gathered, Newton doesn’t want to play Wilson but wants to make it seem like it’s more about the injury and not Fields being better.

Not sure if we believe the calf injury is a cover or not but we do know from head coach Mike Tomlin’s history, he will have no issue keeping a healthy Wilson on the bench as long as Fields is playing well.

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