It’s a new week, so of course, we get the pleasure of hearing just what Colin Cowherd thinks is wrong with the Steelers organization for the 99th time in a row. Cowherd is not too big of a fan of Pittsburgh’s defensive-minded philosophy, and after the team’s 32-13 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, Cowherd said on The Herd it’s “inevitable” the Steelers talk themselves into Justin Fields being the future at quarterback and win 9 or 10 games this season.
“The Steelers won 32-13, they beat the Raiders. And I don’t mean to laugh, but something feels very inevitable going forward for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They’re going to end up with a winning record, nine or ten wins, and they’re going to convince themselves Justin Fields is the future of this offense.”
Cowherd doesn’t think that Fields can throw from the pocket, unlike Caleb Williams, who replaced Fields with the Chicago Bears, and he added that he doesn’t see the Steelers beating anybody in the playoffs in the AFC.
“Justin Fields can move, but sitting in the pocket throwing darts, that’s how you win in January, in February. Caleb can do that. That’s not what I’ve seen from Justin,” Cowherd said. “It is what it is. Never bad, but now never great. That’s what the Steelers are. They’re a mile from the Super Bowl.”
According to Cowherd, the Steelers would be better off with Wilson.
“If Justin Fields was as good as Caleb Williams, Pittsburgh would be good for a decade.”
Cowherd’s been negative about the Steelers all season, so it’s not a surprise that he doesn’t think they’re a contender. To be fair, they haven’t had playoff success recently, as they haven’t had a playoff win since 2016, so to say they’re going to lose in the playoffs isn’t any sort of crazy take. Fields also missed some throws yesterday, but to say he can’t throw at all from the pocket seems like a stretch. He could certainly be more accurate, and if his struggles throwing the ball continue, the Steelers could very well turn to Russell Wilson.
It doesn’t seem as if the team is set on Fields as their starter for the rest of the season, and while he could certainly be their quarterback of the future, it also doesn’t mean he won’t improve from what he’s done. This is his first season in a new system in Pittsburgh, and he’s led the Steelers to a 4-2 record and used his legs well.
It’s not crazy to think that he can continue to improve, especially given that he’s just 25. It doesn’t make sense to write him off yet as someone who can never win a Super Bowl with Pittsburgh, and it’s just more of Cowherd making an extremely reactionary take, especially with the comparison to Williams, who’s coming off the best game of his career.
There are a lot of factors that could hold the Steelers back from the Super Bowl. Offensive line injury and general shakiness, a defense that hasn’t been that consistent and is banged up, and by no means do I think the Steelers are legitimate contender. But they’re not a “mile” away, and their quarterback play right now isn’t holding them back as much as Cowherd implies.
