Although the Pittsburgh Steelers have struggled offensively over the past few weeks, it doesn’t seem like they’re going to make a change at quarterback. Even though Russell Wilson is going to start in the playoffs against the Baltimore Ravens, that doesn’t mean Justin Fields will stay on the bench. According to Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore is preparing as if the Steelers will deploy Fields.
“Yeah, I think that’s something that you’ve gotta prepare for because they deploy Justin Fields on QB-driven run stuff,” Hamilton said Thursday on The Dan Patrick Show. “Obviously, he’s still a quarterback, can still throw the ball. You never know how the game’s gonna go, so you’ve gotta be prepared for everything.”
That echoes what Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr said earlier this week. The Steelers haven’t used Fields since he suffered an injury against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15, but Fields’ athleticism makes him a dynamic weapon. They haven’t been afraid to use him in packages before.
In fact, Fields helped seal the Steelers’ win over the Ravens earlier this year by picking up big yardage on a second-and-10 late in the game. He did slide too early, but the play still went a long way toward ending the game.
That might be part of the reason the Ravens are so steadfast in their belief that the Steelers will utilize Fields. His rushing ability makes him a different threat compared to Russell Wilson, who has lost much of his athleticism.
This week, Fields talked about how he hopes the Ravens are preparing to see him. If he doesn’t see the field, that means the Ravens still had to waste some time game planning for him. With this being the third matchup between these teams this season, every bit of time is precious.
Since Wilson took over as the starter in Week 7, the Steelers’ usage of Fields has been erratic. In some games, like their loss to the Cleveland Browns, he got more than a handful of snaps. In other cases, like their loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Fields didn’t see the field at all, even though the Steelers could’ve used a spark on offense.
It’s tough to say for certain if Fields will play against the Ravens. It’s probably going to come down to the flow of the game. If the Steelers stumble out of the gate again, maybe Fields will see some more work. With the way their offense has looked, it’s tough to imagine sprinkling Fields in will make them worse.
