Through the first two weeks of the season, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields hadn’t turned the ball over and had avoided the killer mistakes.
That changed on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Fields threw his first interception of the season on a strange play in which an errant throw intended for running back Cordarrelle Patterson bounced off a Chargers defender and into the air. Steelers running back Najee Harris leaped high to try and corral it, but the ball bounced around and ultimately ended up in the hands of an old friend.
That would be former Steelers outside linebacker and current Chargers pass rusher Bud Dupree.
Dupree corralled the loose ball for the interception, forcing the Steelers’ first turnover of the season, wasting an opportunity at great field position for the Steelers after a short Chargers punt.
Prior to the throw to Patterson, Fields was playing quite well, making some plays through the air.
That throw to Patterson that resulted in an interception was the first play of a drive that had the Steelers in great field position after a strip-sack from Steelers outside linebacker Nick Herbig — in for the injured Alex Highsmith — put the Chargers even further behind the chains.
But the throw bounced high into the air and then pinballed around before falling into Dupree’s hands.
Fortunately for the Steelers, the interception didn’t cost them. The Chargers went three-and-out and potentially lost quarterback Justin Herbert in the process., He limped off with the ankle injury after getting sacked, leading to backup Taylor Heinicke entering the game.
