For the man who loves seemingly everything, there’s one thing Pittsburgh Steelers QB Russell Wilson hates. The NFL’s slide rule. Now a funny moment looking back on an 18-16 win, Justin Fields nearly made a major mistake trying to close out the Steelers’ win over the Baltimore Ravens Sunday.
Inserted into the game for the second time as Pittsburgh deployed its Fields package for the first time this season, Fields took a zone read left side on 2nd and 10 from his own 30 with one minute left. With a clear lane, Fields had ample running room for a first down that would’ve ended the game. But he slid instead of diving and with NFL rules marking a player down where he begins the slide, Fields was one yard short of the sticks.
Fortunately, RB Najee Harris cleaned things up by converting the ensuing 3rd and 1, securing the win.
Endorsing using Fields in these moments and packages, Wilson let his feelings about the NFL rulebook shine through.
“That slide rule. I hate that slide rule,” Wilson told reporters via the team’s YouTube channel.
Here’s a look at the play.
Wilson might not like it, but it is the rule. And ruled correctly near the end of the game. Fields seemingly lost sight of the sticks, signaling first down despite his slide being obviously shy of the 40-yard-line.
Pittsburgh shelved its Fields package in Wilson’s Week 7 debut and in its Week 10 win over Washington. Fields missed the Week 8 game with a minor hamstring injury. Its usage will ebb and flow and is largely circumstantial, though it forces defenses and coaching staffs to prepare even if they never see it. Now that it’s on tape with Wilson in the lineup, opponents will have to take it even more seriously. And that’s an idea Wilson endorses.
Fields was used for three plays against the Ravens. One came on 2nd and long in the second half, a QB power where Fields slid after gaining a healthy eight yards. Pittsburgh used him as a closer against Baltimore’s No. 1 rushing defense, under-discussed given its pass game struggles. The Steelers called a pair of zone-read plays for Fields, allowing him to read the unblocked defensive end and give or keep the ball. The first time, he kept it. The next, he gave it. And Pittsburgh closed out the game.
Despite Wilson’s protest, the slide rule won’t change. The good news is Pittsburgh’s dominance of Baltimore hasn’t shifted, either.
