Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told the media on Tuesday that nothing has changed with the quarterback depth chart. But he has largely been able to avoid that conversation by deferring to Russell Wilson’s lack of availability with his calf injury. Justin Fields has eased some of the angst by getting the team to 2-0.
According to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac, the team had been expecting Fields to start through the Los Angeles Chargers game in Week 3 for awhile now. That could mean a more serious conversation about the QB depth chart next week when the Steelers prepare for the Indianapolis Colts. That conversation would be made a lot more difficult if the Steelers come out of Week 3 undefeated.
Dan Orlovsky was asked if Fields should be the permanent starter if he gets the Steelers to 3-0 on ESPN’s Get Up this morning.
“Is water wet? Does the sun rise every [morning]? Yes!” Orlovsky said. “He’s done nothing but grow, develop, and take advantage of the opportunity. Everyone’s talked about, they only scored 13 points last week vs. the Denver Broncos. They had two touchdowns called back, okay? He’s throwing the ball well down field. He’s operating cleanly. He’s not holding onto the football. This is an offense that is plenty capable, with their defense, of playing with anybody.”
For one, the Steelers had just one touchdown called back due to offensive pass interference on an illegal pick by Van Jefferson. I am assuming that Orlovsky is referring to the 51-yard pass that was called back due to Broderick Jones’ holding penalty as the other. It was a nice play, but it wasn’t a touchdown. But I get his point, there are several drives that could have produced points had penalties not gotten them behind the chains.
The Steelers have only gone 3-0 on three different occasions since the turn of the century. That includes Ben Roethlisberger’s entire career and some world-class defenses that they had over that time. A 3-0 start is nothing to sneeze at, especially when the season began with two-straight road games.
If the Steelers end up 2-1, I think the decision is pretty obvious that you go back to Russell Wilson. At the very least, you want to get that crucial data point to make the best decision for the rest of the season. If they go 3-0, it could get a little more interesting. If Justin Fields takes another step forward in that win, I think they probably do stay with him. If he seems to have plateaued and the offense is still struggling to get points, it might be time to go Wilson, even if they are 3-0.
Getting to 3-0 won’t be easy. The Los Angeles Chargers are currently a better version of what the Steelers are trying to be. They have the No. 1 scoring defense and the No. 2 rushing offense. It is going to be a knock-down-drag-out fight on Sunday in Acrisure Stadium.
