At some point this season, there will come a time where QB Russell Wilson is fully healthy and ready to make his debut. At that point, the Pittsburgh Steelers will have to decide if they give him back the starting job that he initially won just a few weeks ago, or if they should continue with Justin Fields.
Based on the data available through two weeks, Jeff Saturday is unconvinced that Fields should remain the QB1.
“Selling,” Saturday said via ESPN’s Get Up this morning when asked if he is buying or selling Fields as the starter once Wilson is healthy. “Let’s slow down on this. How many touchdowns has Pittsburgh scored this season? One. Alright, so before we anoint a new, let’s at least see what our options are. And it’s just not a shot on Justin Fields. He’s gotten better, but it’s not like we’re just lighting it up out here.”
ESPN’s Brooke Pryor posted this morning via ESPN Research that the Steelers are one of just five teams in the Super Bowl era to start 2-0 despite scoring one or zero touchdowns. Funny enough, the 2010 Steelers were one of those teams, and they went 12-4 on their way to a Super Bowl loss to the Green Bay Packers.
It is a pretty unique situation to be in, especially considering the dynamics of this quarterback battle in the offseason. Wilson had pole position throughout the entire process and won the job before his calf injury forced Fields to start.
The offense hasn’t done anything to kill the team over the first two weeks, but it also hasn’t been the reason the team has won.
“The difference between the Steelers now and last year, it’s almost the same offensively,” Saturday said. “T.J. Watt has been the difference maker for this team repeatedly.”
While the scheme and the way they are getting there are much different under Arthur Smith, the results are largely the same. Those who defended Kenny Pickett cited his lack of turnovers and his ability to keep the Steelers in games by not making the big mistake. Smith has been able to coach around some of Fields’ deficiencies as a quarterback. Who is to say he couldn’t do the same for Russell Wilson but with a better starting point than what Fields has given them?
“Why don’t we give Russell Wilson the same thing?” Saturday wondered. “Because if Arthur Smith looks at Russell Wilson, ‘I don’t want you taking any sacks.’ How do we not know it’s gonna be different?”
Based on Mike Tomlin’s comments on Tuesday, nothing has changed with the depth chart. Fields playing is a reflection of Wilson’s availability to the team. Each of the first three depth charts have kept Wilson atop the pecking order.
Fields has had 107 passing yards and a touchdown negated by penalty. Even if all of those yards stood, he would still be bottom half of the league in passing yards.
Once is by chance, twice is a coincidence, and three times is a pattern. Perhaps Fields can prove it’s a pattern with another start or two, but I don’t know how you can sit here through two games and not want to at least see one start from Wilson to compare.
