How much will the Steelers use Justin Fields after unveiling a package for him?
While the Steelers waited until divisional play to break out the Justin Fields package, it sounds as though more is on the way. Mike Tomlin revealed that Fields’ pre-bye hamstring injury delayed its unveiling, and Fields did the same yesterday. But now that the cat’s out of the bag, how wild will it be?
Because that’s kind of what we’re dealing with here, is a Wildcat package. At least so far, nothing that we have seen from Justin Fields’ whopping three snaps is inconsistent with that. He ran the ball himself twice and handed the ball off once. And he is certainly capable of throwing the ball, going 106-of-160 for 1,105 yards with five touchdowns during the Steelers’ first six games.
Barring the fact that he slid early on a second and long that should have gone for a first down in a critical moment, there is nothing negative to say about how the Steelers used Fields Sunday. Both of his carries came on 2nd and long and he put them in 3rd and manageable situations. That’s about what you might ask for in those scenarios, winning key downs.
And frankly, Russell Wilson looked like he could use the help here and there. For the first time this season, the Steelers looked like they couldn’t protect him, and that is a concern. The offensive line had more issues protecting Justin Fields, but he has more tools to escape pressure.
While the idea of a Fields package is intriguing, it’s also understandable to have reservations. It is possible to use two quarterbacks with success, although Taysom Hill is not a perfect parallel. Hill is, to put it bluntly, more of an H-back with quarterback abilities. Fields is just a quarterback who can run. He slid because he didn’t want to take a hit the way any quarterback doesn’t want to. And I’m sure his route tree isn’t very polished, either, for that matter. But if he can produce a handful of positive plays per game, that could be enough.
The Steelers’ 2024 season is underway, following another disappointing year ending in a first-round playoff loss. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January. There are positive signs, but things could jump off the rails any moment.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Is Russell Wilson earning a lucrative new deal next year, and is Justin Fields still in consideration? How will the team continue to address the depth chart, which is surprisingly still in flux?
The regular season is here, following weeks of camp and preseason games. The Steelers made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Some they managed to fill, others not so much. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
