No one was really sure how Russell Wilson was going to look with the Pittsburgh Steelers. After about a quarter of playing against the New York Jets, it did not look like he was going to do well. However, once Wilson settled in, things were much improved. He still wasn’t perfect though. Specifically, he had some trouble in the red zone. Former NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck believes the Steelers should turn to Justin Fields in that area going forward.
“What you’re talking about in that low red zone, I don’t think [Wilson] has that anymore,” Hasselbeck said Monday on FS1’s The Herd. “I don’t think he’s the scrambler and the runner that he once was. Even on the quarterback sneaks yesterday, he was showing his age a little bit.
“I think you take how special Justin Fields can be, as a runner, in that low red zone, low red zone meaning 10-yard line in. Defensive coaches absolutely hate to go up against a guy from the 10-yard line in that can run.”
That’s not a bad idea from Hasselbeck. Wilson did get better in the red zone as the game went on, but part of that was due to the Steelers’ defense setting him up with good field position. The Steelers scored a touchdown four out of the six times they were in the red zone against the Jets though. That’s not a bad number at all.
Leading up to the game, Mike Tomlin made it seem like the Steelers would use Fields in certain packages, but that ended up not being the case. Tomlin even stated after the Steelers’ 37-15 win that he didn’t consider using Fields in those situations. Part of that is probably because of how well Wilson was playing once he shook some of the rust off.
That doesn’t mean he can’t be better. One of those touchdowns came after Beanie Bishop Jr. intercepted Aaron Rodgers and fell down at the 1-yard line. The following quarterback sneak was not pretty, but it was ruled a touchdown. Another touchdown came at the end of the game, after Najee Harris plowed through a tired Jets defense. Context is needed for the Steelers’ red zone efficiency Sunday night.
Wilson did look good enough to keep the starting job, but Fields’ mobility does bring a dangerous element to the Steelers’ offense. Hasselbeck is correct that Wilson isn’t the same runner he used to be. He moved fine against the Jets, but Fields is on another level in that department. There’s a reason he leads the Steelers with five rushing touchdowns.
Tomlin likely wanted to let Wilson build some cohesion with the offense, so perhaps Fields will see more time on the field in the future. Before the season began, it seemed like the Steelers didn’t intend to waste Fields’ athletic talents on the bench. That would be wise of them. Using Fields in the red zone could be a fantastic idea if Wilson struggles in that area.
Against the Jets, though, there was no need to disrupt the Steelers’ flow. When you score 37 points, it’s tough to argue that you should’ve done things differently on offense.
