Sitting at 4-2 on the season and feeling good after a blowout win on the road over the Las Vegas Raiders, it would be understandable if it was status quo for the Pittsburgh Steelers entering Week 7 against the New York Jets.
That’s not how head coach Mike Tomlin operates, though.
He doesn’t seek comfort and doesn’t let good keep him and his team from chasing greatness.
That’s why he’s eyeing a quarterback change for Sunday Night Football on the North Shore, Tomlin stating Tuesday that veteran Russell Wilson is in consideration to start against the Jets after missing the first five weeks with a calf injury.
While Fields has helped guide the Steelers to the 4-2 record and has avoided the killer mistakes, his performance the last two weeks as a passer has been concerning, which has Tomlin eyeing that change, hoping that Wilson can unlock some things offensively.
For Good Morning Football’s Kyle Brandt, the move is suspiring, but the fact that Mike Tomlin is the one making the move isn’t.
“No player in NFL history with a 4-2 record or better to start at quarterback has been benched ever. It has never ever happened. There’s four or five coaches in the league who have the chutzpah to do this. Mike Tomlin is one of them,” Brandt said on GMFB’s Overtime on the Roku Channel Wednesday. “He doesn’t care about your stats that we could pull up. He says, ‘I’m watching the team, I think we could be better.’ Just make sure you’re not worse if that blows up and Russ throws a couple picks in the first half and Fields is sitting there playing the best football of his career.
“That’s why Mike Tomlin’s taking a risk. Go for it.”
Fields wouldn’t be the first quarterback to be benched at 4-2 in the Super Bowl era. In fact, he’s not even the first Steelers’ QB to do so. That would be Joe Gilliam in the 1974 season when he went 4-1-1 as the starter and was benched for Terry Bradshaw. The Steelers went on to win the Super Bowl that season.
It’s a bold move for Tomlin though, that’s for sure.
At two games over .500, the Steelers are off to a solid start. Yes, they had some bumps in the road in Weeks 4 and 5, losing games they shouldn’t have, but for the most part they’re playing the exact style of football that they want to, leaning on the run game, not turning the ball over, and creating splash on defense and special teams.
That was all on display in Week 6 against the Raiders. The Steelers ran for a season-high 183 yards, Fields had two rushing touchdowns, the defense forced three turnovers, and special teams blocked a punt, setting up points.
But the offense struggled to move the football through the air, registering just 145 passing yards total. In fact, prior to the 31-yard connection from Fields to George Pickens late in the game, the Steelers were sitting at just 114 yards passing deep into the fourth quarter. That’s after passing for just 117 yards in Week 5 against the Cowboys.
It’s a risky move making a potential change at quarterback. There’s no guarantee it works. It could blow up in a major way, or it could be a great move and unlock another level for the Steelers’ offense. It’s certainly bold from Tomlin if it plays out that way, and it’s not a move many coaches would make.
We’ll see if it pays off.
