The Week 4 performance from Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback Justin Fields was rather eye-opening, especially in the second half.
Though he had some struggles in the first half with taking at least one bad sack that nearly cost them a field goal late in the first half, and then the disastrous 20-yard loss and a fumble on a scramble in the third quarter while in field goal range, Fields was outstanding late in the game.
The fourth-year quarterback had his best performance as a Steeler, throwing for 312 yards and a touchdown while adding 55 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground. The fact that it came in a loss was disappointing, but it didn’t put a damper on the performance overall.
It was a real sign of growth for Fields as he continues to establish himself as a potential franchise quarterback for the Black and Gold moving forward. In the process, he also moved up two spots in the latest NFL.com QB Index, cracking the top 20.
“Fields put together his best game as a Steeler in Week 4, but only after Indianapolis dug Pittsburgh a cozy 17-0 hole by pressuring Fields and stifling the offense. Fields nearly pulled off the comeback, playing heroically as both a passer and a runner,” NFL.com.’s Nick Shook writes regarding Fields in the QB Index. “He hooked up with George Pickens for a couple big plays down the sideline, rushed for two touchdowns and threw for over 300 yards.
“Yes, Pittsburgh lost, and the final drive was a tough watch, but for the first time as a Steeler, Fields nearly carried his team to an unlikely win. He continues to ascend.”
Fields nearly did lead the Steelers to a rather improbable comeback. Pittsburgh found itself in a 17-0 hole early in the game before it ever found its footing offensively. Then, when things started to get going, the Steelers shot themselves in the foot with the George Pickens fumble in the red zone, and Fields’ fumble while in field goal position.
But after that, Fields was remarkable. He led the Steelers to three straight touchdown drives, which is something they hadn’t done since the 2021 season with Ben Roethlisberger under center.
As Shook said, Fields does continue to ascend. He’s had his two best performances as a Steeler in back to back weeks, continues to make great throws down the field and is giving defenses another thing to defend against with his legs, particularly in the red zone.
Cut out some of the snaps issues and the mental lapse play like on the fumble in the third quarter, and the Steelers could really have something moving forward with the former No. 11 overall pick out of Ohio State in the 2021 NFL Draft.
