The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered an awful loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4, but now they need to move on and prepare for the Dallas Cowboys. Justin Fields had a good outing against the Colts, and he may need to continue that against the Cowboys. Stephen Jones, a member of Dallas’ front office and son of owner Jerry Jones, sounds impressed with Fields this season, noting that the Cowboys liked him prior to the 2021 NFL Draft.
“We had [Fields] rated up there high,” Jones said Monday on 105.3 The Fan. “We thought he would be a successful quarterback in the NFL. Not all quarterbacks walk into the league like a [C.J.] Stroud and play at a high level [from] Day 1. Sometimes, it takes a little more time.
“He’s a very talented guy, a guy who I think has got a bright, bright future in this league. Certainly, Coach [Mike] Tomlin and the Steeler organization are getting a lot out of him.”
The Steelers have gotten a lot out of Fields. Before coming to Pittsburgh, Fields would have been classified as turnover prone. However, in four games this year, Fields has only turned the ball over twice. One was an interception that he’s still frustrated about, and the other was a fumble that came on a play where Fields was arguably down. Neither directly led to the Steelers losing.
Fields has also been very efficient throwing the ball. He had his best statistical day against the Colts, helping to rally the Steelers and almost make a comeback from an early 17-point deficit. He threw the ball well in the other three games too. The biggest thing that’s held him back is the Steelers getting in their own way offensively. He hasn’t been the problem though.
The Cowboys should provide an interesting test for Fields. It still hasn’t been confirmed that he’ll start this week, but he likely has played well enough to avoid getting benched. The Cowboys could be without their top two edge rushers, and they’ve had a tough time stopping the run. With their defense weak, Fields could have an opportunity to really shine.
It doesn’t seem like the book is closed on Fields’ career. He struggled to develop with the Chicago Bears, but he’s taken advantage of his opportunities with the Steelers. A good showing against the Cowboys in primetime would be a nice step forward for him. Week 4 was disappointing for the Steelers, but Week 5 presents a chance to improve and be better.
