With Russell Wilson in consideration to start for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday against the New York Jets, the Steelers would be sacrificing the mobility Justin Fields offers at the position in favor of Wilson’s passing ability. On FS1’s Breakfast Ball, analyst Danny Parkins thinks turning to Wilson will go “poorly” and that he’ll get beat up behind Pittsburgh’s offensive line.
“The Steelers offensive line has not been good,” he said. “And you’re putting him against the New York Jets’ defense, which I know hasn’t been exactly as great as people wanted it to be, but it’s been good. Russell Wilson’s gonna be a statue back there, man. Justin Fields is still mobile. I think this goes very, very poorly.”
Mike Tomlin admitted that the offense could change with Wilson under center since Fields’ legs are an “X factor” and Wilson doesn’t provide the same mobility. Tomlin also spent a lot of time in his press conference praising New York’s defense, particularly EDGE rusher Will McDonald IV, who has seven sacks in six games this season. With Broderick Jones struggling and Zach Frazier out on Sunday, along with James Daniels –he is out for the year — the Steelers’ offensive line is undoubtedly a question mark.
Fields has been able to extend plays or escape with his legs at times when under duress, and the fear with Wilson is that he’ll struggle to escape the pocket and the Jets will be able to tee off on him. It’s a trade-off for the Steelers if they genuinely believe that Wilson can elevate the passing game with his arm. It’s going to come at the expense of the quarterback run game and some of the things Fields is able to do with his legs. But if Wilson does become more of a threat with his arm, that in turn could help open things up for Najee Harris and Pittsburgh’s other running backs.
So it’s not as if the run game could be significantly impacted, but the loss of Fields’ escapability and mobility could be missed in the offense if Wilson struggles to avoid pressure and the offensive line can’t hold up. It’s a risk to turn to Wilson, but it’s a risk that very well could be worth taking if he opens up the offense with his arm. But the possibility that things don’t go well does exist, and that’s why the timing to potentially turn to Wilson now makes some sense.
If the Steelers start Wilson and he struggles over the next two weeks, then they can always go back to Fields after their Week 9 bye. At the same time, the next two games are pretty important for the Steelers to be in good standing heading into their bye with their second-half schedule posing a challenge. If things go poorly, it could wind up having a significant impact on Pittsburgh’s playoff chances. That’s what makes this decision so important for Mike Tomlin to get right.
