In Week 3, Justin Fields looked like he should remain the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He made some impressive throws that directly contributed to the Steelers winning. It wasn’t a perfect day for him, however. He did have his first turnover of the year, getting intercepted by Bud Dupree on a tipped ball. It wasn’t a great decision by Fields, and he still sounds upset at himself over the mistake.
“He just smashed the stick out way too fast,” Fields said after the game, explaining the play via the team’s YouTube channel. “I just shouldn’t have thrown the ball. Got tipped, but at the end of the day, [I] either should have worked the other side of the field, thrown it to the flat because they were so soft, or just throw the ball away. Especially when we’re already in field goal range at the 40-yard line. That can’t happen. Can’t happen again.”
Other than that play, Fields had a fantastic day. His accuracy in particular was on point, making great throws in the middle of the field. In Week 3, the Steelers won at least partially because of him. The interception wasn’t pretty, but he was never going to be perfect over the course of the entire season.
The play itself came in the middle of the third quarter, right in the heart of the Chargers’ territory at their 41-yard line. It was the first play on a drive that should have ended in points. The game was still tied 10-10 at that point, so that turnover could’ve been a huge momentum swing. Thankfully, the Steelers defense instantly righted the ship.
The following drive for the Chargers saw Justin Herbert get sacked, which seemed to reaggravate his ankle injury. It was unfortunate, but the Chargers offense couldn’t get much going after that. It’s uncertain if anything would have changed had Herbert not been injured, but ultimately, Fields’ mistake did nothing but take time off the clock.
He responded on the next play by leading a 12-play, 73-yard drive that ended in a field goal. He didn’t look bothered by the interception. He responded well, helping the Steelers gain and keep the lead.
With Russell Wilson potentially coming back soon, it seems like Fields might not be heading back to the bench. The worry with him was that he would have more turnovers than Wilson, but through three games, he’s been smart with the football. Even when he did have a turnover, he quickly rallied and didn’t let it affect him.
