Once an AFC North foe, Rex Ryan is taking Mike Tomlin to task in the media circles. In a lengthy rant against Tomlin’s decision to start Russell Wilson over Justin Fields, Ryan made it clear this is the wrong decision that can only bring harm, not good.
“I hate it, I hate it,” Ryan said on ESPN’s NFL Countdown Sunday morning. “This kid, you’re gonna blame it on [Fields]? You got a chance to have a franchise quarterback here. Russell Wilson, we know, is not the long-term answer for this football team. You may have it in your building with this kid at quarterback, Justin Fields.
“The only thing I see dynamic about their offense is Justin Fields. We’re gonna blame a poor offensive line on Fields. The receivers are inconsistent. The guy has put up 10 touchdowns. Five passing, five with his legs against one interception. Man, I absolutely hate this decision. Now, Mike Tomlin never called me about my opinion, obviously. But he’s won a hell of a lot more games than me. I hate the decision.”
Hopefully, Ryan wasn’t too unclear about his feelings.
The overwhelming consensus from fans and media has been against Tomlin. Aside from Bill Cowher, most have echoed a similar, though perhaps softer sentiment, like Ryan. The Steelers are off to a strong 4-2 start and enter Week 7 holding fifth-place and top Wild Card spot in a competitive AFC. Fields has provided plenty of spark, and even though his passing touchdown numbers are low, he’s substituted that with five rushing scores. Overall, his accuracy and decision-making are better than at any point in his Bears’ career, and it would’ve been a safe and logical decision to stick with Fields.
While Tomlin hasn’t even personally announced a starter, let alone explain his rationale, the reasons can be sussed out. Fields’ passing ability waned in a Week 5 loss to the Dallas Cowboys and shaky performance despite a big Week 6 win against the Las Vegas Raiders. A desire to be more than the 20th-ranked scoring offense that wins by scoring a max of 20 points and winning defensive knockouts. Wilson was brought in to start, was named the starter ahead of Week 1, and never gave up that spot on the official depth chart.
To Mike Tomlin, it’s a logical chain of events; to Rex Ryan, it’s insanity. We’ll see who looks smarter after tonight’s game.
