Mike Tomlin has made one in-season quarterback switch. Nothing prevents him from doing it again. With the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense regressing the past two weeks, averaging only 17.5 points against AFC North foes in the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns, CBS Sports’ Aditi Kinkhabwala thinks Justin Fields could replace Russell Wilson after Wilson replaced him midseason.
“I think it’s totally within the realm of possibility that Justin Fields goes back to being the Steelers starter,” she said Tuesday on the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show. “This Steelers’ offense has a lot of warts that have been kind of covered up the last few weeks because of Chris Boswell, their kicker, who is as money as they come. And because of this defense. But they have been absolutely horrific in the red zone. Russell Wilson once again is taking terrible, terrible, terrible sacks.”
Pittsburgh earned a big-time victory against Baltimore in Week 11. But Boswell was responsible for all 18 of the team’s points, kicking six field goals as the offense repeatedly stalled near the goal line. They finished 0-for-4 in the red zone, including Wilson throwing a brutal fourth-quarter pick, preventing the Steelers from kicking a field goal to give them an 18-10 lead. Fortunately, LB Payton Wilson intercepted a pass on the ensuing Ravens drive to make things a wash.
Against the Browns, Wilson was sacked four times in the first half, including one on the opening drive that forced Boswell to attempt and miss from 58 yards out. Crucial missed points in a snowy and relatively low-scoring game. Wilson also fumbled late in the first half, allowing the Browns to add three points before the break.
Starting the first six games, Fields played well but conservatively, something Kinkhabwala says was by design.
“Justin Fields was being played within certain parameters,” she said. “He was being constrained. He followed what was asked of him. Never did anything more. But that team felt he was getting better every single week. They were able to put more and more on his table every week.”
Tomlin’s goal of starting Wilson, who was never replaced atop the depth chart, was to see what he had in him. Now, both quarterbacks have gotten equal opportunities. Justin Fields started six games, Russell Wilson started five, and the two have nearly identical pass attempts. Fields with 161, Wilson 149. Using top-line box-score numbers, Fields has a better completion percentage, QBR, sack rate, and a lower interception rate. Wilson beats him in touchdown passes, yards per attempt and completion, QB rating, and ANY/A.
“If your quarterback continues to take really, really bad sacks, you’ve got to assess again,” Kinkhabwala said.
There’s been no indication Tomlin will make the switch back to Fields. He’s done what the team hoped he would. Open up the offense and generally put more points on the board with big plays downfield.
In Wilson’s first start in primetime action against the New York Jets, the Sunday Night Football booth of Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth mentioned that Tomlin told them that if he went back to Fields, it would be his final quarterback change of the season. That’s likely to make Tomlin careful and slow-play any decision to bench Wilson, which is unlikely to happen and arguably the wrong move to make. Few teams have had playoff success playing musical chairs at quarterback and Wilson’s play has remained strong enough to keep him in the starting role.
Still, a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday to drop the Steelers to 1-2 in the division with a tough schedule the rest of the way will only amplify calls for Tomlin to pull the plug on Wilson.
