The Pittsburgh Steelers might have lost to the Indianapolis Colts, but it seems that didn’t affect Mike Tomlin’s confidence in Justin Fields. The entire offense struggled in Week 4, and if anything, Fields was the reason why the Steelers didn’t get blown out. He had one awful turnover, but he battled back nicely from that. It seems like there will be no change at quarterback this week for the Steelers.
“Yes, I am,” Tomlin said via the team’s YouTube channel during his press conference on Tuesday when asked if he’s preparing for Fields to start in Week 5.
No more confirmation is needed than that. Fields is scheduled to be the starting quarterback for the Steelers against the Dallas Cowboys. It seems like the team is going to continue to move slowly with Russell Wilson’s injury. Fields isn’t the official starter yet, but he’ll get another chance to prove himself Sunday night at Acrisure Stadium.
“I’ve speculated about some things I’ve seen from [Fields], and there’s some components of his football and competitive personality that are really likeable,” Tomlin said. “I just think when you’re in those moments, and you get an opportunity to show who you are in those moments, there’s less speculation.
“Some things that I was speculating about last week about his steady demeanor, about his competes, just got solidified and verified with the challenges we faced last week.”
The Steelers had mostly been in control in the games they won, so there weren’t a ton of opportunities for Fields to showcase how he could battle back from adversity. There had been flashes though. In Week 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers, Fields threw an interception, his first turnover of the year. Rather than let it negatively affect him, he continued to play with confidence, leading the Steelers to a win.
Fields got a chance to really showcase his mettle in Week 4. The Steelers were down by 17 points at one point, and it seemed like they had no chance of winning the game. However, Fields never let the Steelers totally fall out of the game. He did turn the ball over again, but he followed that up with three-straight touchdown drives.
That’s something that Tomlin clearly appreciates. Fields isn’t the official starter yet, but with performances like that, he could make a serious case for the job. Even in a loss, Fields probably helped himself more than anything. It wasn’t his fault that the Steelers lost. Hopefully the Steelers don’t start slowly again this week, but if they do, it’s clear Tomlin feels comfortable with Fields ability to continue to fight.
