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Brooke Pryor, ESPN Staff WriterSep 17, 2024, 06:00 AM ET
- Previously covered the Kansas City Chiefs for the Kansas City Star and Oklahoma University for the Oklahoman.
PITTSBURGH — Acquiring Justin Fields after signing Russell Wilson was supposed to be a long-game move for the Pittsburgh Steelers. With Wilson in pole position for the starting job from the minute he signed, the Steelers would methodically determine if they could mold the raw potential on display in Chicago into the Steelers’ next franchise quarterback.
Instead, Wilson’s lingering — and now aggravated — calf injury expedited the Steelers’ evaluation of Fields with the bulk of first-team work through training camp and two regular-season starts. He could be in line for another, with Wilson’s calf at less than 100% and the Chargers — with a defense allowing a league-low 6.5 points per game — coming to town Sunday. With just one touchdown in two weeks and an average of 260 yards per game, the Steelers’ offense under Fields is a work in progress. Still, a two-game sample size provides a more tangible look at what Fields brings to the job than his training camp reps and preseason action.
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“I think with each passing day I’m learning more about him,” coach Mike Tomlin said Sunday. “I just think that there’s no substitute for a relationship. You go through something together, you learn about yourselves and each other and so it’s just been a good process. Looking forward to it continuing.”
Passing game
Some of Fields’ most glaring weaknesses in his Chicago tenure came in the passing game, but through two weeks, the Steelers have reduced Fields’ margin of error by simplifying the pass attack.
Fields has averaged 6.1 air yards per attempt, according to ESPN Research, well below his career average of 8.4 air yards per attempt. As a result, he is completing a career-high 69.8% of passes and has a completion percentage above expected value of -1.4%, also a career-best, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. And perhaps most importantly: Fields hasn’t thrown an interception or lost a fumble.
When he does stretch the field, he’s finding receiver George Pickens a lot. Pickens leads Steelers receivers with eight catches for 114 yards with an average of 14.3 yards per reception.
Fields has only been sacked four times in two games. In 2023, he was sacked 10 times in his first two games. Of Fields’ two sacks against the Broncos, one was a coverage sack for a loss of a yard and the other came in the red zone.
Fields’ ball placement has improved each game. He faced the highest blitz rate of his career against the Broncos (64.3%), according to NFL Next Gen Stats, but he completed 9 of 13 attempts for 83 yards and a touchdown.
“You could just see he was dotting ’em today,” wide receiver Van Jefferson said Sunday. “It’s great having him back there. He did a lot of great things today, and so he just got to continue to build and continue to move forward.”
In some ways, the Steelers’ early pass attack with Fields reduces him to more of a game-manager role rather than leaning into his big play potential. And while he’s minimized mistakes, there have still been a couple recurring issues, primarily in the snap exchanges with center Zach Frazier. There was a fumble on the snap exchange in both games, though the Steelers didn’t lose possession.
Quarterback Justin Fields is 2-0 so far as the fill-in starter for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Photo by Kevin Langley/Icon Sportswire
Rushing attack
Perhaps the most valuable piece of Fields’ upside is his ability to run the ball. It gives the Steelers another run threat on the field, making it harder on defenses to key in running backs Najee Harris or Jaylen Warren. Fields is the Steelers’ second-leading rusher behind Harris with 84 yards on 22 carries, averaging 3.8 yards per carry.
Through two games this season, the Steelers are running better going up the middle, averaging 3.5 yards per carry on such runs compared to 1.8 yards per carry in 2023. The Steelers are also averaging 3.7 yards per carry inside the tackles, up from 1.4 yards per carry in 2023, yet they are the only team to not score a rushing touchdown despite leading the league in rush attempts.
Against the Falcons, Fields had 14 carries for 57 yards, while that number dropped to eight carries for 27 yards against the Broncos.
Fields leads all quarterbacks with 12 designed runs through two weeks for 28 yards. He’s also picked up four first downs with those plays. However, while Fields has the most called runs, he’s fifth in total yards on those plays with a season-long designed run of seven yards. He also averages just 2.3 yards per rush in designed runs, ranking third behind Lamar Jackson (6.3) and Jayden Daniels (2.4). Meaning that while the Steelers are utilizing Fields’ ability as a runner, he’s not being asked to cover a lot of ground on those carries.
But Fields is still continuing to learn how to find the right time to use his legs. He admitted to breaking the pocket too soon, leading to a sack against the Falcons, and sometimes his extended scrambles result in penalties against the offensive line.
“It’s tough on them,” Fields said of the offensive linemen. “Especially when I scramble out and those D-linemen are chasing and then they’re locked up, and the D-linemen are trying to go get away. It is tough on them.”
Still, Fields’ teammates believe he’s building confidence in finding that timing with more game action.
“Using his legs when needed on first downs or just staying in the pocket and just taking a hit,” tight end Darnell Washington said, describing ways he’s seen Fields’ confidence translate on the field. “I felt like today what I noticed, I saw him on the ground a lot after the throws and things like that.”
play
0:53
Rex Ryan: There’s no way the Steelers are trading Russell Wilson
Rex Ryan ponders whether other teams in the NFL will pursue trading for Russell Wilson and explains what they’d need to give up to secure his signature.
Intangibles
There is, of course, an elephant in the locker room: the current quarterback arrangement has the trappings of an awkward situation. Yet outwardly, the players are navigating it as best they can.
Wilson is a captain and continues to go out for the coin toss. There isn’t a power struggle. That’s not Fields’ style.
“He’s been respectful of Russ,” Tomlin said in an interview with the CBS broadcast Sunday. “He doesn’t bow down to Russ.”
And though Fields spoke openly of wanting to be a starter in the NFL after arriving in Pittsburgh, he’s downplayed any talk of a quarterback controversy in the regular season.
“To be honest, I’m not even worried about that,” Fields said. “I just came in wanting a win and I’m glad that we’re leaving here with a win. So in terms of who’s starting, who’s not, all I want to do is win at the end of the day.”
It’s that approach and Fields’ leadership style that makes the current quarterback arrangement work. He’s the first to admit he’s not a man of many words. But that’s why, his Steelers teammates said, when he does speak, they’re extra tuned in.
“He’s definitely calmer, laidback, but he has a certain aura about him,” left tackle Dan Moore Jr. said. “People kind of just want to follow Justin naturally. When he speaks, you want to listen. He doesn’t say much, so when he does speak, it’s definitely something you want to listen to, but he’s been a great leader for us.”
