Tag: Justin Fields

How the ‘two quarterbacks’ adage explains Steelers’ offensive woes

The Steelers’ use of two quarterbacks could be directly hurting their offense, as highlighted by their Week 12 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

One of the most famous and wise football adages, often attributed to the legendary John Madden, applies perfectly to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ struggles on offense: “If you have two quarterbacks, you have none.”

While much unnecessary energy has been spent on the Week 12 blame game and recent offensive struggles, the Mike Tomlin-led Steelers may be missing the bigger picture—bringing Justin Fields into games could be hurting the long-term offensive game plan.

Pittsburgh receivers need time to build chemistry with one decisive quarterback, and the offense must be led confidently by a single starter. This was evident in Week 12 when Russell Wilson was kept off the field for a critical third-down play—a play that better suited his strengths. Instead, Fields took the snap and ultimately missed his deep throw to WR George Pickens. The Steelers would go on to lose the game to the Browns, 24-19.

Wilson must be allowed to lead the offense without worrying about being pulled. Consistency is crucial, especially as the Steelers prepare for what is shaping up to be a shootout with the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13, on December 1st at 1:00 PM EST.

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What should the Steelers do with Justin Fields the rest of the season?

Cast your vote and let us know if you want to see more Fields or less the rest of the season.

In the last two weeks, we’ve seen the Pittsburgh Steelers work backup quarterback Justin Fields into the game plan on a limited basis. The results have been mixed but there is no denying that despite being benched, Fields brings a dimension to the offense that Russell Wilson cannot.

The Steelers currently sit at 8-3 and while they are in first place in the AFC North, their hold on the top spot is tenuous at best. With six brutal games left and the Steelers struggling in the red zone, we wouldn’t blame head coach Mike Tomlina nd offensive coordinator Arthur Smith if they chose to integrate Fields more into the offense, especially in the red zone.

Our vote is for Pittsburgh to use Fields more, with one caveat. If the Steelers want to put Fields out there more, it has to be more than just quarterback runs. If Fields doesn’t give opposing defenses a little more to think about, it makes his presence on the field more of a negative than a positive.

Cast your vote and let us know what you want to see the Steelers do with Fields going forward.

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Mike Tomlin defends strange Week 12 coaching decision

Mike Tomlin stands by his Week 12 decision to use Justin Fields over Russell Wilson on a critical third down, despite growing criticism.

One of the strangest decisions from Week 12’s contest was keeping QB Russell Wilson on the sideline while a questionable Justin Fields package saw the backup QB miss an important throw to WR George Pickens.

When asked about the call during the Week 13 press conference, HC Mike Tomlin stated, “We felt good about it. It was a weighty moment. It was third and medium. They had eleven guys within five yards of the line of scrimmage. We had GP matched up on a corner not named Denzel Ward. That feels like more than a fifty-fifty ball to me, and so we were comfortable with that decision.”

The reporter didn’t let Tomlin off the hook that easily, continuing to question the choice, especially since Fields hadn’t thrown in an NFL game for over a month. Tomlin was dismissive, keeping it short and to the point, stating that the decision would have been made regardless of the possible rust on Fields’ arm.

Tomlin offered zero regrets about the risky third-down play call, but the Steelers should stick to the basics as they prepare for the Week 13 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals.

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Steelers QB disappointed in one particular play from Week 12

Pittsburgh Steelers QB Justin Fields reflects on a missed scoring opportunity during Week 12’s loss to the Cleveland Browns.

It’s safe to say that Pittsburgh Steelers QB Justin Fields is upset about more than just his team’s loss in Week 12 to the Cleveland Browns. Steelers OC Arthur Smith implemented Fields’ rushing package early and often against the Browns, with little success to show for it.

Perhaps the only meaningful rushing attempt worth mentioning was Fields’ 30-yard run that almost resulted in a touchdown. The keyword here is “almost,” as instead of rushing for 65 yards to the end zone, Fields was pushed out at the Browns’ 35-yard line.

Ultimately, according to ESPN reporter Brooke Pryor, Fields claimed his inability to score on the play made him “sick” and blamed it on being on the sideline for too long.

It is clear that Fields is referencing his time on the bench, while starting QB Russell Wilson handled the majority of the offensive duties. Should the Pittsburgh Steelers allow Fields to get more reps with his rushing package to stay loose, or will his presence only hinder the Wilson-led Steelers offense?

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Will Steelers rein in Justin Fields package following Week 12 blunder?

Will the Steelers dial back their usage of Justin Fields’ rushing package to avoid mistakes in Week 13 against the Bengals?

In the always fun and never tiring game of ‘who to blame next for Week 12’s loss to Cleveland,’ there appears to be a common denominator in Steelers OC Arthur Smith’s usage of the Justin Fields package.

It is tough to decipher, but much of the shortcomings from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ loss to the Cleveland Browns fall on Smith’s mishandling of Fields in Week 12.

In situations where QB Russell Wilson should have stayed in the game, he was subbed out for Fields. In scenarios where Fields could have better utilized his legs, the plays often completely fell apart.

Some fans may argue that the confusion and inconsistency behind the package is the primary reason why the Wilson-led offense fell flat, such as the awkward attempt to ice the game in fourth quarter.

With this in mind, should Smith be forced to dial back the designed runs for Fields? After all, the Pittsburgh Steelers face an extremely underrated Cincinnati Bengals team in Week 13 and could do without falling victim to another trap game.

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Ohio State football legend, Justin Fields announced as ESPN College GameDay guest picker

Ohio State football legend, Justin Fields announced as College Gameday guest picker #GoBucks

Ohio State football will have the opportunity to play in its third top five match-up of the season against the Indiana Hoosiers and this game is receiving some insane hype. Come Saturday, Columbus, Ohio, will be hosting Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff as well as ESPN’s College GameDay.

ESPN recently announced its guest picker for the pregame show and former Ohio State quarterback, Justin Fields, will be joining the crew. The show typically either gets celebrity or professional athlete alumni and the Fields pick makes perfect sense considering his current team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, have already played on Thursday night.

The former All-American will join C.J. Stroud, who was a guest in 2023, A.J. Hawk in 2022, Eddie George in 2019 and 2017, Orlando Pace in 2016, Archie Griffin in 2015, and Santonio Holmes in 2009, as the only former Ohio State football players who were guest pickers.

For those heading to the game the College GameDay set will be near St. John Arena and the Big Noon Kickoff set will be near the RPAC.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Josh Keatley on X.

Why Justin Fields is the perfect guest picker for Ohio State vs. Indiana

ESPN’s College Gameday is coming to Columbus for Ohio State vs. Indiana, and Justin Fields has been announced as the guest picker.

ESPN’s College Gameday is coming to campus, and they will treat the hundreds of Ohio State football fans with a guest appearance from a former superstar.

That star quarterback was none other than Justin Fields, who is one of the most memorable quarterbacks in recent history for the Buckeyes.

Other former players, like Joe Burrow, could’ve been possible candidates as well, but Fields won the prize. Coming off a win against the Browns on Thursday Night Football with his Pittsburgh Steelers doesn’t hurt either.

Here’s the official release.

Having been back to Columbus since being a first-round pick, Fields is the perfect pick because he’s a fan favorite.

While Burrow’s name might have been thrown out and even Keanu Reeves, who has played Ohio State quarterbacks in movies, made some sense, it is Fields who will get this crowd going.

However, the dominos also had to fall in the right way as the Steelers will have the next few days without a game as they did play on Thursday Night Football.

Had that not been the case, we might not be typing this article up. Fields spent two seasons with the Buckeyes and went for a total of 63 passing touchdowns in those.

Let’s just say it is pretty easy to guess who Fields is going to pick on Saturday!

Is OC Arthur Smith wasting Russell Wilson’s talent?

Arthur Smith’s playcalling is under fire as questions grow about whether he’s wasting Russell Wilson’s deep ball in Pittsburgh.

Are the fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers experiencing their own rendition of a Matt Canada-esque Groundhog Day with OC Arthur Smith? While Smith’s offense is schematically better than anything Canada did for the Steel City, his playcalling in recent weeks has left much to be desired.

From failed gadget plays with Justin Fields to obvious and predictable run calls, it appears Smith is wasting the talented arm of QB Russell Wilson.

It is understandable that Smith would attempt to run the ball in large quantities behind an offensive line that struggles with pass protection. However, Wilson has proven time and time again that when defenses are forced to respect his ‘moon ball,’ the Steelers win football games.

While the blame game has recently focused on Wilson’s red zone struggles, it is Smith’s ineptitude in calling proper scoring plays that is truly at fault.

Smith will need to reevaluate his playsheet moving forward, or the Steelers are in for a long six weeks to close out the 2024 season.

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Before you ask, NO, the Steelers won’t sign Daniel Jones

The Giants released Daniels Jones on Friday and the Steelers need to stay far away from him.

Huge news out of New York on Friday with the Giants releasing former first-round pick Daniel Jones. According to reports, this was a mutually-agreed upon breakup between Jones and the Giants.

So before anyone asks, let’s be sure we are all clear. The Pittsburgh Steelers will not sign Jones this season. That’s not to say if Jones is on the market after the season ends, the Steelers might not entertain the idea but for now, the Steelers have enough quarterback problems to deal with without adding Jones to the mix.

Jones was the No. 6 overall pick in 2019. He played well enough to convince the Giants to give him a four-year, $160 million extension in the 2023 offseason. Jones has been a disaster since signing his new contract. The Steelers are already trying to sort out what to do with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields and while neither guy is signed for 2025, we do not expect Pittsburgh to bring in Jones now and just further complicate things.

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Steelers’ quarterback quandary: Grading Russell Wilson and Justin Fields

Pro Football Network grades Steelers quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields ahead of Week 12 Cleveland Browns matchup.

The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback quandary ended when Russell Wilson was medically cleared from an offseason calf injury. Justin Fields reverted to Wilson’s backup and debuted his limited package in Week 11 against the Baltimore Ravens.

Both players bring unique strengths and weaknesses to the table, but the jury is still out on whether this was the right call.

Ben Rolfe at Pro Football Network recently broke it down like this:

13) Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers
Grade: C+

Russell Wilson is the poster child for why we set a 100-pass attempt minimum for these rankings. A week ago, he would have ranked inside the top five in these rankings, but his fourth start saw him plummet down the rankings after he ranked 26th on the week.

Wilson has been good when able to operate from a clean pocket this season, ranking eighth, but ranks 28th when he has to make plays under pressure. Prior to this week, choosing Wilson as the starter over Fields looked like a wise decision, but that is less decisive after the game against the Baltimore Ravens

14) Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers
Grade: C+

It was a brave call from the Pittsburgh Steelers to bench Justin Fields after a 4-2 start to the season. Fields was having his career-best season in Pittsburgh, but the bar was low, and the numbers do not suggest he should have unquestioningly remained the starting QB.

There was a lot of promise about what Fields was doing, including ranking 10th when throwing under pressure and converting on third down. He wasn’t particularly performing badly at anything other than nYPA, which was ranked 25th at 6.1.

Fields was not hurting the Steelers and is a fine fill-in starter, but Wilson still offers Pittsburgh a slight advantage in the passing game.

The Steelers need long-term stability under center, something they have not had since the Ben Roethlisberger era. While Wilson’s ceiling is enticing, his inconsistency draws uncertainty. Fields is much younger, still developing and offers a spark with his athleticism.

Pittsburgh’s quarterback quandary will be most interesting to monitor early in the offseason, as both Wilson and Fields’ contracts expire at the beginning of the new NFL league year in March.

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