Who is the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback: Justin Fields or Russell Wilson? That is the biggest topic surrounding the team right now with Wilson reportedly healthy enough to play and Fields struggling. We’ll debate why the team should start one or the other in the team’s Week 6 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Joe Clark: Start Russell Wilson
I’ll preface this by saying that I don’t think a lot of the offensive issues have been Justin Fields’ fault. I like his mobility, and he’s surprised me with his play so far this season, but now is the time to see if Russell Wilson can jump-start the offense. The Steelers have just six first-half points the last two games, and some of that can be blamed on conservative play calling. Part of that boils down to the idea that maybe the Steelers and Arthur Smith just don’t trust Fields as much as a passer, and with Russell Wilson under center, I don’t think we’ll see 3rd-and-8 runs.
After two straight losses and Wilson now healthy, it’s the ideal time to make a change. If the Steelers keep Fields as the starter, Wilson will likely officially be their QB2 and not their emergency third. If Fields does then struggle down the line, it’s going to be a true demotion for him to the backup. That could affect his psyche, and on the other side, it would be the first time in Wilson’s career that he serves as a backup. While Wilson seemingly has been the perfect mentor for Fields, being demoted to backup might not be something he’s too fond of.
So while I don’t think Fields has been that much of an issue, I think there’s room for growth at the position, and I think that it’s time to see if Wilson can take the group to the next level. His downfield passing and accuracy should be an improvement (although that won’t matter if the receivers can’t hold onto the ball), and it’s worth a shot to see if h can get the Steelers back on track and get their offense rolling a little bit.
Matthew Marczi: Start Justin Fields
The Steelers’ offense absolutely needs to improve but starting Russell Wilson doesn’t offer a net improvement over Justin Fields. Let’s start with the fact that he hasn’t done anything in a month, and he is a wrong step away from his calf exploding anyway. He has already aggravated his calf injury once. Trying to run away from defensive linemen playing against this offensive line, he will aggravate it again.
That’s where Justin Fields makes the biggest difference because he is better equipped to play out of scheme. What the Steelers really need to do is tailor their offense more around Fields and remove his placeholder status. Until they actually commit to Fields, they won’t get all they can out of him.
How about, you know, using more read-option plays, or running them more effectively the way other teams somehow manage to do? There are many ways the Steelers can accentuate his strengths while minimizing his weaknesses without handcuffing the entire offense.
And let’s face it, the Steelers are facing a lot of problems a quarterback can’t fix. Russell Wilson will get buried behind this offensive line. Whatever issues Fields might have, Wilson has too, and he’s slower. And he has a gimpy calf while being slower, so, yeah.
We’re not just talking about the offensive line either. How many times on Sunday did Justin Fields make at least a reasonable throw in which the receiver didn’t make the play for his quarterback? Sure, there are throws Fields should have hit better, but this offense needs playmakers. Russell Wilson throwing the ball isn’t going to make Connor Heyward four inches taller. George Pickens can just as easily drop a third-down pass from Wilson as he can from Fields.
I understand that this offense needs to be better, and that so does Justin Fields. Maybe he is not enough for what the Steelers need to have success. But that doesn’t make Russell Wilson good enough, or healthy enough. Making a change for the sake of making change isn’t the solution.
