Head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers was faced with one of the biggest questions of his career prior to Week 7 — Russell Wilson or Justin Fields? But no matter his choice, Tomlin had previously presented the possibility of both quarterbacks receiving snaps.
Tomlin has teased a Fields package of plays multiple times this season. The head coach admitted after beating the New York Jets 37-15, though, that he didn’t think about deploying that package during Week 7.
“I did not,” Tomlin answered to a question about whether he considered Fields for short-yardage situations.
In the two scenarios where they could have used Fields, Wilson ran the quarterback sneak successfully for a 1-yard gain.
Justin Fields Didn’t Play in Russell Wilson’s Steelers Debut
The first obvious situation where Fields could have entered the huddle was first-and-goal at the 1-yard line. But after extra offensive lineman Spencer Anderson reported as an eligible receiver, Wilson kept the ball himself for a 1-yard push to the goal line.
That gave the Steelers an 8-point lead. With a 15-point cushion late in the fourth quarter, the team faced fourth-and-1 at the Jets 19-yard line. Again, Wilson ran the quarterback sneak for a 1-yard first down.
Neither sneak was particularly pretty. Wilson’s final rushing total was 3 yards on 3 carries. Fields averaged 38.5 rushing yards per game in the first six weeks.
But if Tomlin didn’t even consider Fields an option for either of the obvious quarterback sneak situations in Week 7, then there probably isn’t a realistic scenario where the 25-year-old enters the game while Wilson is healthy.
Wilson started slowly but after knocking off the rust in the first quarter, he was a passing upgrade. Wilson completed 16 of 29 passes for 2 touchdowns.
He connected on 8 of his final 12 attempts for 119 yards.
No QB Decision for Steelers Ahead of Week 8
With his performance versus the Jets, Wilson put to rest any quarterback debate in Pittsburgh … for now.
The other New York team, the New York Giants, will visit Acrisure Stadium for another primetime game in Week 8. The following Sunday, the Steelers will have their bye week.
If Wilson isn’t able to replicate his debut success in Week 8 versus the Giants, the Steelers could have two weeks of quarterback debate before their next game.
However, if Wilson does play well, he will likely enter the second half of the season with a lot longer leash.
Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer reported before Week 7 on October 20 that Tomlin told him the Steelers have two capable quarterbacks. But Tomlin added that he wanted to see how Wilson performs before making a long-term quarterback decision.
The Steelers head coach was not clear about how long he would need to see Wilson before making his permanent quarterback choice. NBC Sports’ Cris Collinsworth suggested during the game’s broadcast that he had a similar conversation with Tomlin and reported that the head coach didn’t appear to know how long he would require to fully evaluate Wilson.
So, perhaps two games won’t be enough time to make that long-term quarterback decision. But if Wilson plays well versus the Giants, it’s very likely he will remain in the lineup.
That could mean Fields not seeing the field even in quarterback running situations.
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Steelers’ Mike Tomlin Gives 3-Word Answer on Justin Fields After Jets Win