The Pittsburgh Steelers may have found their quarterback of the future in Justin Fields, who has been having a bit of a career resurgence since arriving in the Steel City. Fields is still fending off Russell Wilson, who is working his way back from a calf injury, but it seems like he has done enough to earn the starting role throughout the rest of the season. He has been able to show improvement every week, while leading Pittsburgh to an impressive 3-1 record to start the year.
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Steelers offense and Justin Fields during practice before a Week 3 matchup in 2024.
Fields had a relatively conservative first two weeks of the 2024 season, and the Steelers relied upon their defense in those contests. The playbook seemed to open up a bit for Fields in the Week 3 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, as he threw a touchdown and ran one in. Fields also looked dominant in the loss against the Indianapolis Colts. Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith was asked about Fields' play during the loss to the Colts, specifically in the second half.
"I thought in that second half, what was cool to watch as a coach and a play-caller, when somebody gets that kind of flow, he damn near took the game over, and when that happens and you feel it with a player, it didn't matter what I called, you felt him rolling. So that's what was such a bitter pill to swallow, how the game ended."
Pittsburgh had a rough start against the Colts in Week 4, as they were down 17-0 early. They were only able to put up a field goal before halftime and they went into the locker rooms facing a deficit of 17-3. The offense got going in the second half, as they managed to score three touchdowns. It wasn't enough to grab the victory on the road, but it was a promising sign seeing that the Steelers are built to come back from a deficit.
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Steelers' offensive leaders Justin Fields and Arthur Smith during warmups.
Fields was a big reason that the Steelers were able to get back into the contest. The quarterback threw for 312 yards and a touchdown, as well as ran the ball 10 times for 55 yards and two more scores. He accounted for three total touchdowns during the second half of the game, and it seemed like every time he touched the ball, Pittsburgh would score.
The fourth-year quarterback did make some mistakes. He got sacked, which pushed Pittsburgh out of field goal range, and to make matters worse, he also fumbled on the play. He also had a chance to lead the offense down the field for the game-winning score, but Pittsburgh had a botched exchange between the center and Fields, which caused a serious loss of yards.
Overall, Fields looked impressive leading his team back and almost escaping with a win. His fight likely won his teammates over, and it made it even more clear that he should be the starting quarterback in Pittsburgh moving forward.
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Steelers' Justin Fields warms up before Week 1 against the Falcons.
Steelers' Justin Fields Is Outperforming Some Of The NFL's Best Quarterbacks
Fields had an up and down career throughout his first three seasons in the NFL with the Chicago Bears, and it was assumed he would be the backup to Wilson with the Steelers. The injury to Wilson created some opportunities for Fields and he has taken full advantage of them. The quarterback has played well, and he is even outperforming some high-profile quarterbacks around the league.
Is Justin Fields having a better season than Patrick Mahomes? 😳 pic.twitter.com/NkcyafYPDP
— FanDuel (@FanDuel) October 2, 2024
The Ohio State product has been one of the more efficient passers in the league during the 2024 season, as he has thrown just one interception on the year and ranks seventh in the NFL in completion percentage. Fields is also top-12 in quarterback ranking, ahead of guys like Justin Herbert, Patrick Mahomes, and Jared Goff.
What do you think about Smith's comments on Fields? Let us know below!
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