Early in the season as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback, Justin Fields showed real promise and flashed quite a bit as a guy the Steelers needed to continue to play and develop as their potential next franchise quarterback.
He’s had some rocky moments at times in-game, but he’s shown the ability to bounce back. His performance in Week 5 against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football was another example of that, but there was plenty to be concerned about with Fields’ performance as a whole.
Though he did lead a go-ahead touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter, Fields finished with just 131 passing yards on 15-of-27 completions. He threw two touchdowns on the day and didn’t turn the football over, but he missed some throws due to inaccuracy and just wasn’t seeing the field all that well, missing some looks down the field that could have been big plays.
That performance left quite a bit to be desired and played a role in Fields falling one spot in the NFL.com QB Index entering Week 6. Fields fell to No. 21 overall.
“Fields wasn’t at his best against the Cowboys, throwing for just 131 yards, but he did toss a couple of touchdown passes and led a truly impressive scoring drive that appeared to position the Steelers for another thrilling win. Outside of that, he left plenty to be desired,” Nick Shook writes in the QB Index for NFL.com. “Fields fired at least three turnover-worthy passes but lucked out because Cowboys defenders dropped the would-be interceptions. On a wet night in Pittsburgh, his accuracy was lacking, but he still did a good job of operating Pittsburgh’s low-ceiling offense.
“It’s a shame the Steelers didn’t turn their takeaways into more points, something that could be blamed on Fields. Wise observers know it was about much more than the quarterback, though.”
Justin Fields definitely wasn’t at his best against Dallas. In fact, he came out looking very shaky, completing just four first-half passes. He should have been intercepted on an ill-advised deep shot, too. He got lucky he didn’t turn the football over on the day.
The weather probably played a factor in the lack of sharpness, considering the one hour, 25-minute weather delay that pushed the game into early Monday morning. But Dak Prescott dealt with the same delay and same conditions and was dominant. Fields just wasn’t up to the task on Sunday.
It was rather frustrating to see the Steelers fail to take advantage of the three turnovers and the blocked field goal from the defense, too. You have to get pints in those situations consistently to win games, especially when you win the turnover battle 3-0. Losing that type of game, one that the Steelers are built to win, hurts.
It seems like the Steelers are getting closer to handing the reins to Russell Wilson now that he’s healthy. That’s a shame for Fields, who has played relatively well and done what’s been asked of him. For now, he’s set to start against the Raiders and has at least one more opportunity to play well and hold onto the job.
