The Pittsburgh Steelers started QB Justin Fields on short notice after Russell Wilson re-injured his calf in practice, and Fields’ performance got a seal of approval from former Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger. On his Footbahlin’ podcast, Roethlisberger said he thought Fields “did a great job.”
“All in all, on a short notice, you ask a guy to go win the game for you, you ask a guy not to lose the game and to do enough to win the game, he did that. He got us into field range when you need to. He made the plays at the end of the half. He threw the ball to George down the field when he needed to. He extended plays with his legs when he needed to. I thought, all in all, he did enough to win that game, and I thought he did a great job,” Roethlisberger said.
Roethlisberger said it wasn’t an A+ performance from Fields, but it was enough to win the game.
“A+? No. C? No. I’d give him a solid B or B+.”
That’s a fair grade for Fields’ performance out of Roethlisberger. He missed some throws he could’ve made, and the Steelers didn’t find the end zone, but he got them into field goal range, used his legs well, and took shots when they were there. At the end of the day, a win is a win, and Fields did enough with Pittsburgh’s game plan to ensure they won the game.
Without a great defensive effort, 18 points may not have been enough to win, so it was a true team effort out of the Steelers. The offense wasn’t spectacular, but they followed their script and ran the ball effectively while pushing it downfield when called upon. Their drive at the end of the half, where Fields connected with Pickens for a 33-yard gain, was a huge play and a great example of complementary football after the defense allowed a touchdown drive, and it put the Steelers in a much better spot trailing 10-9 at the half compared to 10-6.
Fields didn’t know he would start until before the game when Wilson was officially ruled inactive. Given the circumstances, it was certainly a performance that Fields can hang his hat on. He entered the week thinking he would be a backup, and he went in and led the Steelers down the field to put them in a position where they could do just enough to win the game.
The defense deserves a ton of credit for limiting Atlanta, holding them to just 10:41 of possession in the second half, and allowing the offense to execute their game plan. Still, when the offense had the ball, for the most part, Fields did what he was asked to do, and the Steelers won. That certainly deserves a passing grade, and Roethlisberger recognized that, especially as a former quarterback who knows how difficult it can be to prepare on short notice.
