Through three weeks with Russell Wilson as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback, there have been no signs of a Justin Fields package. Part of that has been due to circumstance, with Fields missing Wilson’s second start due to injury. However, OC Arthur Smith made it clear this week that the Steelers still have a Fields package in their back pocket. Analyst Colin Cowherd thinks using it would be a terrible idea though.
“No,” Cowherd said Friday on FS1’s The Herd. “Why? Their fourth-quarter offense is great. Why screw with it?”
Cowherd makes a good point. With Wilson as their quarterback, the Steelers have scored 31 points in the fourth quarter across three games. They’ve looked good to close out games. However, a Fields package wouldn’t necessarily be deployed in the fourth quarter.
The Steelers have had some trouble in the red zone, so perhaps that’s where they’d consider using Fields. His mobility would be a great asset there. When he was the starter, he did record five rushing touchdowns. Introducing that element in the red zone could give the Steelers a much-needed new wrinkle.
However, it still doesn’t sound like Cowherd likes the sound of that either.
“Exotic red-zone packages. I hear this all the time,” he said. “Let’s bring in the backup for some exotic red-zone packages. Name the greatest exotic red zone-package quarterback ever.”
Again, Cowherd isn’t really wrong. There aren’t many examples of backup quarterbacks being subbed into games for packages and being more effective than the starter. The New Orleans Saints have used Taysom Hill in that capacity, but that’s often more frustrating than helpful.
A good example might be Lamar Jackson. When he was a rookie, the Baltimore Ravens still had Joe Flacco as their starter. They didn’t want to waste Jackson’s talents, so they still used him in some packages. It worked to a point, but it really just increased the desire to see Jackson as the starter.
The Steelers’ quarterback situation is unique though. Fields was the starter for the first six games this year, and he looked fine. The Steelers have a good idea of what he does well and what he struggles with.
Cowherd ends up summarizing his thoughts well, making a point that’s almost elegant and might speak to some people.
“It ain’t the iPhone, it’s football,” he said.
That might be how the Steelers see it as well. They’ve been pretty straightforward about how their offense is going to operate. They want to run the ball and hit some deep shots when they need to. Wilson has helped them get better at both those things. As long as he’s got the Steelers’ offense humming, there might be no need to use Fields.
