Steelers' Mike Tomlin Receives Big-Time Praise From Duo Of Former All-Pro Players

Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin had been under scrutiny all week leading up to the Week 7 matchup against the New York Jets. He made the decision to switch quarterbacks, and with the team at 4-2, it was a decision that confused many. Justin Fields stepped in early in the preseason for an injured Russell Wilson and managed to find a way to keep the team above water. 

Fields' biggest asset is his athleticism. He routinely used his legs to get the offense out of sticky situations. When the organization won in Week 6 against the Las Vegas Raiders, many felt Fields deserved the bulk of the credit for being able to elude the defense and pick up yards and touchdowns. 

However, the Steelers struggled to get anything going in the air. Wide receiver George Pickens appeared frustrated at times over his lack of targets. In the Raiders game, there were multiple instances where Fields seemed not to see open receivers.  

Tomlin said the decision to start Wilson was an attempt to explore all the talent in his locker room, and he looked like a genius after they beat the Jets 37-15. Wilson connected on 16 out of 29 attempted passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson said they weren't surprised on their podcast, Nightcap. 

"Give the Steelers credit. Mike Tomlin, he knows what was at stake," Sharpe acknowledged. "They needed to win this game, they had to win this game. You make a decision like that when the guy -- it's not like you lost games because Justin Fields played bad -- and I think the thing is that you minimize, and they still minimizing, they're not going to spray the ball all over the field. That's not the type of offense they have, so give Arthur Smith some credit, too."

Sharpe, a three-time Super Bowl-winning tight end, said that while Wilson started slowly, he shook the rust off and "got cooking." Johnson agreed, saying that the Steelers' offense on Sunday, with lots of play-action to slow down the pass rush and get them to settle in, reminded him of the offense the Steelers used to run in the early 2000s with Ben Roethlisberger and Jerome Bettis. 

Johnson, a former wide receiver, would undoubtedly know since he played with the rival Cincinnati Bengals during that period. It is easy to bench your quarterback when your team is losing badly. However, Tomlin had the guts to make that decision while they were winning. Tomlin has shown he is willing to take a risk to improve the offense before the team heads into a gauntlet of tough games. Johnson said, "I told you so," to everyone questioning the decision to start Wilson. 

"I told you, all the people talking s***," Johnson pointed out. "'Why you got Russ starting? Why you benching Justin Fields? We winning.' Tonight, now you saw why."

The fans got restless during Wilson's slow start. He seemed to misfire on some passes that should have been easily completed and was met with boos. This wasn't surprising since many of the fan base felt that no change should have been made. However, the crowd quickly changed its tune when Wilson and the Steelers' offense looked unstoppable in the second half. 

Will The Steelers Use Both Quarterbacks In The Near Future?

As the talk ramped up that Tomlin was likely to start Wilson over Fields, speculation began regarding the use of special quarterback packages. Fields proved to be especially effective in the red zone and third-and-short situations. 

Tomlin refused to say directly if he had plans to use Fields heading into the Jets game. Most analysts felt he would, but the team didn't use Fields for any plays during the contest. After the game, Tomlin said he didn't feel the need to bring Fields in. It is unclear if Tomlin will allow Fields some special packages once Wilson settles in. 

What did you think about Tomlin's decision? Click to comment below. 

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