It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise following two impressive outings and two Steelers wins, but ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported in his weekly news and notes column that the Steelers are planning to stick with Russell Wilson as their starter. Graziano added he wouldn’t be surprised to see Justin Fields again, either if Wilson struggles or in packages that the Steelers intended to use before the season started.
“They’ve been happy with both, and it seems likely they’ll stick with Wilson in Week 10 as they begin the brutally tough portion of their schedule. Wilson has done a good job of sticking to the game plan (a major problem during his two years in Denver), and he has been able to hit some of the downfield shots that Fields was hesitant to take as he prioritized ball security. But Fields is the more explosive player and does help them do more with their run game, and the Steelers coaches know that. I would not be surprised to see Fields play again this season, either as the starter if/when Wilson runs into trouble or even occasionally in games that Wilson starts, as was their plan before Wilson was hurt in training camp,” Graziano writes.
Wilson simply wasn’t a fit with Sean Payton in Denver, and that’s where some of the perceived issues about him not sticking to the game plan have come from. In Pittsburgh, that hasn’t been an issue at all, and Wilson has been playing within the flow of the offense. While Fields offers more with his legs and his athleticism, Wilson has been fine moving around the pocket and behind the line of scrimmage. Fields could’ve helped the Steelers in the short red zone with his speed when the Steelers wound up having to settle for three first half field goals on Monday Night, but he was the emergency third quarterback due to a hamstring injury.
While Graziano writes that he helps the Steelers more with their run game, Wilson’s arm has also opened things up for Pittsburgh on the ground, as his arm and the threat of his deep ball have led to less stacked boxes for RB Najee Harris, who has emerged over the past few weeks for Pittsburgh. Fields as a running threat himself does offer more of a threat and improves Pittsburgh’s rushing attack, but there’s really not a drop-off with Wilson in and won’t be if Harris continues to play the way he has over the last few weeks and Wilson’s arm stays consistent.
It’s hard to be upset with Wilson’s output so far, but the real test begins in the second half of the season, with all six of Pittsburgh’s divisional games coming after the bye. We’ll see if Wilson can maintain his level of play to lead the Steelers into the playoffs.
