The Pittsburgh Steelers quest for an undefeated season came to an end on Sunday after a frustrating 27-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Pittsburgh never had the lead in the contest, and got off to an extremely slow start, going down 17-0 at one point in the first half. The Steelers were able to get a field goal on the board at the end of the first half, and fought back in the second by scoring three touchdowns. Ultimately, the team couldn't piece everything together to get the victory.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Justin Fields scores a touchdown in a 27-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
Justin Fields had a good performance in the loss, but had some crucial mistakes, which included a costly fumble in the second half. He tried to put the team on his back by running for two touchdowns and throwing for another, but the offense was stopped on a last-minute drive that could have won the game.
Fields spoke to the media following the loss and was visibly frustrated. He was asked about whether or not the offense has been going through any specific pregame routines to get off to a faster spot.
"There's no pregame routine. Like I said, it's not a pregame routine, it's not doing something special, drinking a different color gatorade, it's none of that. It's coming out first play focused and ready to go. We didn't do that at the start. We got going as time went along but it's performance at the end of the day, we didn't come out with the right intent. We got to be better."
This was Fields' last answer before walking off the podium. He made sure to thank the media, but stormed off while members of the media were still throwing questions his way. It was similar to the way Head Coach Mike Tomlin walked out on the media following the playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills at the end of the 2023 season, but less abrupt.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Justin Fields looks to pass in a loss to the Colts during the 2024 season.
Fields and the offense got off to a slow start in the loss, but the quarterback performed well for the most part. He did make a few mistakes, like running backwards into a sack which wound up being a fumble that was recovered by the defense. On the day, Fields completed 22 of his 34 passes for 312 yards and a touchdown. He also had 55 yards on the ground and scored twice. He was a big reason the Steelers were able to climb back into the game and nearly complete the comeback.
The comeback effort came up short, but Fields proved he has the makings of a franchise quarterback. This is just his first loss on the season, and he managed to keep his team in the game despite a rough start.
Taylor Ollason / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Justin Fields working out during OTAs.
Steelers' Justin Fields Walking Out On The Media Is Not A Good Look
Despite playing well so far during the 2024 season, the starting quarterback job in Pittsburgh is not completely locked up by Fields. Russell Wilson is nearing a return from the calf injury he suffered at the beginning of training camp, and he is still listed as the starter on Pittsburgh's depth chart. There is chance Wilson can return to the starting role despite Fields' impressive play to begin the year, and walking off on the media is not a good look for Fields.
Part of being a franchise quarterback is being able to handle yourself off of the football field. Wilson is clearly trained well when it comes to handling the media, but Fields may have some room to improve.
Tomlin may have an issue with the way Fields handled himself, but the quarterback still took accountability throughout the press conference for the mistakes made by the offense. It was a rough outing for Pittsburgh, but Fields remained composed and nearly completed an impressive comeback. He will be looking to tack on another win in Week 5 against the Dallas Cowboys, assuming he gets the starting nod.
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