QB Justin Fields spent all summer trying to prove he was capable of being the starter for the Pittsburgh Steelers. While the Steelers announced QB Russell Wilson was the starter, it was Fields who took the field for Week 1 due to more calf problems for Wilson. He did help the Steelers to an 18-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons and made some key plays.
However, Fields didn’t blow anyone away with his performance. He did not throw or run for a touchdown as the offense only engineered field goal opportunities for K Chris Boswell, the AFC’s special teams Player of the Week. So the question remains: Will Wilson step back into the starting role once healthy?
“I think going to Denver this weekend, if they find a way to win this game and their offense is functional enough, you don’t look back,” ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky said on Thursday’s episode of Get Up. “Hear me out, hear me out. I think one, this will be the lowest-scoring game in the NFL this weekend. Two, who’s one of the best corners in the NFL? Okay, [Patrick] Surtain’s gonna go on George Pickens. And Denver’s defense, the only reason Seattle beat them was because Geno [Smith] threw four or five balls that are just absolutely remarkable. So Denver’s defense is gonna go, George Pickens, you’re out, or at least 50-50. So Justin, beat us a different way… That’s when you sit there as an offense and as a coach and I think you go, alright, we just played against one good defense in Atlanta and one really good defense in Denver. And we’re 2-0, and this is just the beginning.”
.@danorlovsky7 says if the Steelers win this weekend, then Justin Fields should be the longterm starter 👀
“If they find a way to win this game and their offense is functional enough, you don’t look back.” pic.twitter.com/FtcWsAyKlq
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) September 12, 2024
Despite not scoring a touchdown against Atlanta, Orlovsky thought Fields played quite well in his Steelers debut. He played relatively mistake-free football, did not turn the ball over, and made plays with both his arm and legs when needed. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith called a conservative game, certainly. But with the way OLB T.J. Watt and the rest of the defense played, Fields didn’t need to throw for three touchdowns or rush for two.
Will the Steelers follow a similar game plan against the Denver Broncos? Rookie QB Bo Nix had a rough game in his first NFL action. He attempted 42 passes but only completed 26 of them for 138 yards and threw two interceptions. He did have a rushing touchdown. So the Steelers’ defense has an opportunity to wreak havoc on another quarterback for the second straight game.
Now, Denver’s defense did a good job against Smith and the Seahawks’ passing game. Smith only threw for 171 yards and one touchdown with one interception. But he did run for another touchdown, which suggests that Fields might have opportunities on the ground as well.
But will the Steelers see things the same way that Orlovsky sees it? Will a win in the same vein as Week 1 be enough to convince head coach Mike Tomlin to ride with Fields going forward? On one hand, Tomlin is a loyal man, which would make him lean toward putting Wilson in when he’s fully healthy. After all, that’s who he declared as the starter.
On the other hand, Tomlin kept rolling with Mason Rudolph at the end of the 2023 season. Even after Kenny Pickett was healthy, Tomlin kept Rudolph as the starter. Will we see the same thing here if Fields just keeps winning? Possibly. But scoring touchdowns would go a long way toward Fields securing the starting spot going forward.
