With the Pittsburgh Steelers considering pivoting from Justin Fields to Russell Wilson at quarterback, the Steelers could be going to someone whom Mike Tomlin admitted is less mobile than Fields. Offensive tackle Dan Moore Jr. talked about Fields’ mobility being an asset while speaking to reporters on Wednesday.
“It’s huge for us. When you got a guy like that, that can make plays with his feet, it takes pressure off of us. We give up pressures and sack situations that he can get out of, and not only extend plays but make plays out of it. It helps us out tremendously,” Moore said via Aaron Becker of Yardbarker on Twitter.
While Wilson might offer more upside as a passer, the biggest risk of starting him is the difference in mobility between the 14th-year veteran and Fields. Especially with Wilson coming off a calf injury, there’s a real concern that he won’t be able to extend plays and avoid sacks, and that could end up being an issue.
Pittsburgh’s offensive line is banged up. Ryan McCollum is slated to start in place of Zach Frazier on Sunday at center while Mason McCormick is in the starting lineup in place of James Daniels, who is out for the rest of the season. McCormick has been pretty solid this season, so his inclusion in the starting lineup shouldn’t be a problem, but we haven’t seen McCollum play more than a quarter and a half for the Steelers in the regular season. The fact that RT Broderick Jones has been pretty bad so far this season doesn’t help matters when looking at the potential pass rush that Wilson could face.
Wilson isn’t completely immobile, but he won’t be able to do the same things as Fields, not only when it comes to designed runs but just being able to escape and create plays while under pressure. It could lead to the Steelers taking more sacks and leading to their offense continuing to struggle, even with the potential upgrade in arm talent.
Wilson’s ability to move in the pocket is going to be the number one thing to look for if he does start. Without the “X factor” of Fields’ legs, as Tomlin called them, it’ll be interesting to see how different Pittsburgh’s offense looks. It’s going to make things more difficult for the offensive linemen too, but as long as they do their jobs and not allow consistent pressure the Steelers should be fine. Of course, that’s a lot easier said than done, and given how the group has looked this season, Wilson might find himself under duress often.
