Justin Fields entered this year with a lot of uncertainty surrounding him. He got traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers for very little, his value hitting an all-time low. Then he was stuck as the backup quarterback. Now, he’s taken advantage of every opportunity, leading the Steelers to a 3-1 record and getting closer to securing the starting job. Former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel could not be happier with what he’s seeing from Fields.
“When I’m watching Justin Fields and this offense methodically move down the field, it’s sort of like a thing of beauty,” Daniel said Friday on his podcast, Scoop City. “Justin Fields is seventh in completion percentage, he’s ninth in total touchdowns, he’s 12th in passer rating in the entire NFL.
“You take a guy that was discarded in Chicago, and you put him in this offense and it’s not anything crazy. Arthur Smith is making [Fields] play within the game plan, and the game plan for them is run the ball, get in shotgun, the QB run games.”
Fields has been much improved with the Steelers. When he was with the Chicago Bears, he made most of his incredible plays with his legs. Now, he’s trying to develop more as a passer. He’s hanging in the pocket more often, not immediately taking off and running. He’s been effective in that regard too.
Part of that success should probably be attributed to Arthur Smith. Smith’s offensive game plan is much more friendly to Fields than anything Chicago gave him. Like Daniel says, the Steelers just ask Fields to operate the offense. His job is to help get the run game going and not make any major mistakes.
The only time the Steelers have really put the ball in Fields’ hands and asked him to win them the game was in Week 4. They were losing by multiple scores to the Indianapolis Colts, and their run game was non-existent. Therefore, they adjusted the offense to run through Fields.
The results ended up being great. Fields did have a rough fumble, but he almost got the win for the Steelers. He just had one or two mistakes that, at that point, they couldn’t afford. But he wasn’t central to the loss.
Daniel has long been a defender of Fields, but he’s also been critical of him when he needs to be. He’s not just blowing smoke here. There have been very encouraging signs with Fields’ play. He’s still young, and he’s going to make mistakes, but he’s already taken steps forward with the Steelers. It’s way too early to label him a franchise quarterback, but he looks like a guy the Steelers can win because of, not in spite of.
