Pittsburgh Steelers QB Justin Fields played six snaps in the team’s 24-19 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Thursday night, and he was in the game for one of the team’s biggest plays on offense, a 3rd and 4 with 3:34 left, and his pass deep down the left sideline to WR George Pickens fell incomplete. On Good Morning Football this morning, Peter Schrager said he thought that Fields’ involvement in that moment will open up questions about Pittsburgh’s quarterback situation.
“They put Fields in, and he ran for the first down, and he threw that big incomplete on 3rd and 4 and he threw the long one. So it’s not like he’s not getting his opportunities. And I think this is gonna be quite a conundrum moving forward, this quarterback situation,” Schrager said. “For Russ to be yanked in and out of the game, in Baltimore too, it’s now become also is Russell Wilson our quarterback or is it that guy in the moments that matter most?”
In that moment, Fields’ presence in the game made the Browns have to think if the Steelers were going to run or pass. Had Wilson been in the game, the threat of the quarterback run more or less goes out the window, so it’s understandable why in a third and short/medium situation, the Steelers went with Fields.
Mike Tomlin and Arthur Smith have been steadfast that the Steelers have two starting quarterbacks and intend to use both of them, and Wilson has been encouraging and supportive of Fields coming into the game. But it’s definitely interesting to see him play in such a key spot, one where Wilson probably would’ve liked to have the opportunity to make a throw.
The Steelers have trusted Wilson late in games, but it’ll be an interesting development to watch if Fields winds up getting more snaps in weighty moments. ESPN insider Dan Graziano said that Fields’ role is expected to “expand” in Pittsburgh’s offense, and if he eats into more and more of Wilson’s snaps, then there could be some questions.
But for now, it doesn’t seem as if there’s any discord or anything to worry about in regard to the quarterback situation. One example of Fields being in the game during a key play late shouldn’t signal anything to worry about, especially since Fields being in during that spot made some sense given the distance and situation. But it will be interesting to see how things evolve with both Fields and Wilson down the stretch, and whether or not the system can wind up giving the Steelers an advantage.
