The Pittsburgh Steelers have recently seen offensive production that they haven't even been able to dream of for years. Instead of having occasional outbursts of points, they have developed a more consistent, effective way to play. Of course, the new quarterbacks help, especially Russell Wilson. Under Wilson, the Steelers gained more yards and scored more points than they ever have in the previous six years. This is now his team, and there are talks about a new contract for him, as opposed to who would be available in the upcoming NFL Draft.
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Steelers' Russell Wilson and Justin Fields warming up before a game.
However, that did not appear to be the case at first, as Justin Fields went 4-2 in his six starts in Pittsburgh, and he was dynamic in his own way. His running ability made defensive coordinators have nightmares about stopping the ground game. Despite that, the Steelers still opted to make the change and bench the young gun. Emmanuel Acho spoke about that and gave endless praise to Fields for how he handled the situation.
"Justin Fields now gets called on at the most inopportune times to seal the game," explained Acho. "Two of their last four games, if I'm not mistaken, they have called on Justin Fields to seal... and Justin Fields does not play the entirety of the game, and, 'Hey, when we need you most, in the most important moment, come out here, and then celebrate with the person who took your job.'"
On the final play before the kneel-downs against the Cincinnati Bengals, Fields came into the game for just his second snap. His first one was a handoff to Jaylen Warren. On that second snap, the young quarterback kept the ball and ran for a first down, then gave the ball back to Wilson so he could close it out in victory formation. His one rush was when the Steelers needed to end the game, and he delivered.
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Steelers' Justin Fields looks on during the Chargers game.
Acho continues on with that train of thought and talks about how well Fields took the situation as a whole, as something like that rarely ever happens in the NFL.
"When a team benches you, not necessarily for poor performance -- not elite performance, but not poor performance -- you go to the bench, and you go to the bench honorably," said Acho. "Remember what Justin Fields said when he got benched. He simply said, 'If I would have played better, there would have been no debate.' [Acho and his co-hosts] have seen individuals get benched and they do not have the same attitude. Ask Carson Wentz when the Eagles drafted Jalen Hurts in the second round. Ask him how that imploded, not just for him, but for the entire team."
All of that was brought up to say that Fields may deserve credit for the team being 9-3 and being on their way to the postseason. He mentioned that Mike Tomlin also may not be a wrong answer, but nobody gets benched after winning and not turning the ball over. If that does happen, then they don't go to the sidelines quietly and accept their fate.
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Steelers' Russell Wilson and Justin Fields smile during Monday Night Football.
Fields took a terrible situation and was humble about it. He did not complain once about the problem, and every frame with him and Wilson together appear to be happy ones, like them smiling on the bench side by side. Even if the Steelers are not able to keep him around, the dual-threat weapon has almost certainly earned himself a job in the league for his humility and team-first attitude.
Steelers Made It Clear That Me-First Quarterback Play Would Not Be Tolerated
The whole reason that the Steelers got both Wilson and Fields in the first place was because they had their own internal issues. Kenny Pickett was allegedly a malcontent after he lost the starting job to Mason Rudolph. Pickett was recovering from an injury when Rudolph sparked the Steelers' offense, which forced Tomlin to ride with the hot hand.
Pickett complained about that and later voiced frustration about the Steelers signing Wilson for "competition." He was then shipped away for a mid-round pick swap and a pair of seventh-round picks. If Fields reacted half as bad as Pickett did, he may not even get the chance to run a few plays here and there.
What do you think about Acho praising Fields for how he has handled the situation with him and Wilson? Let us know in the comments.
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