The Pittsburgh Steelers are 3-0 to start the 2024 NFL season thanks in large part to their stellar defense. The defense is allowing only 8.7 points per game, the best in the league. So pressure has been off QB Justin Fields’ shoulders to start the season.
Fields has responded well to that. He’s only committed one turnover while leading the offense to points on 41.9 percent of the team’s drives, 11th-best in the league. Having the comfort of not needing to go out and score touchdowns every drive seems to have put Fields at ease. Former NFL QB Cam Newton thinks that’s the formula Fields needs to rely on all season.
“My message to Justin Fields would be this: lean on your defense,” Newton said Thursday on 4th&1 With Cam Newton. “You don’t have to be great. Your greatness will show, but you don’t have to be great every play.”
Head coach Mike Tomlin has a clear vision for the Steelers. He wants a dominant defense capable of keeping the Steelers in every single game. He wants an offense that controls the time of possession to keep the defense fresh. And he wants mistake-free football from his quarterback.
That’s exactly what the Steelers have done through three games to start the season. The Steelers lead the league in fewest yards allowed (687). They also rank second in rushing yards allowed (214, tied with the Minnesota Vikings) and fifth in passing yards (473). Their defense only allows offenses to possess the ball for 2:31, seventh-best in the league.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Steelers average 3:17 minutes per drive, fifth-best in the league. They’ve only turned the ball over once through three games, second-best in the league. They have a plus-four turnover margin, which is a big reason why they’re winning games.
That’s why Newton thinks Fields needs to lean on a defense that can carry the Steelers. Fields just needs to make smart decisions and not turn the ball over.
But Newton also notes that Justin Fields’ greatness will show through when he’s not forcing it every play. And we’ve seen glimpses of it already this season. He had a phenomenal throw in Week 1 to WR George Pickens in the dying seconds of the first half to set up a field goal. He’s had multiple big plays wiped out by penalties. So those plays are coming.
And when the Steelers had to rely more on Fields against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3, he delivered. Fields had his best game yet for Pittsburgh in multiple categories. He attempted the most passes (32), had his best completion percentage (78.1), and most passing yards (245). He ran for one touchdown and threw for another. It’s that kind of play that’s reportedly causing support to build more and more within the organization for Fields.
If Fields can continue to lean into this winning formula, we might just see more of his greatness shine through. And that would make the Steelers even more dangerous than they’ve been.
