When asked about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ controversial usage of the “Justin Fields package” in Week 12, head coach Mike Tomlin didn’t back down.
“Certainly, there’s a potential of [disrupting the rhythm of the offense] but we’re more excited about the challenges that it presents the opposing unit, and I think that’s reflective of our general attitude — we live in our hope as opposed to our fears,” Tomlin told reporters confidently on November 26.
Earlier, Tomlin also confirmed that the Fields package is now “a component of what [the Steelers] do” offensively, although he would not say how often Pittsburgh would call upon the dual threat quarterback in the future.
“Once Justin [Fields] got healthy, he’s a viable and capable dude,” Tomlin said. “It’s something that our opponents have to be aware of. When we use it or how much we utilize it will be dependent on plans week to week.”
As for Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s usage of Fields against the Cleveland Browns, the Steelers head coach simply noted that “there’s a strategic component that I won’t get into detailing.” He added that the coaching staff feels “comfortable” with the decisions they’ve made so far.
Steelers QB Russell Wilson Says He Has ‘Great Trust’ in Justin Fields & Coaching Staff
Steelers’ QB1 Russell Wilson spoke after Tomlin on November 26, and a reporter asked him if he was “surprised” that he wasn’t in the game for the key third down that Fields was given versus the Browns. Wilson didn’t bite at the question, however, providing a team-first response instead.
“I think that we all as a team are trying to make plays, are trying to do different things,” Wilson replied. “Obviously we have trust in Justin [Fields] too, and what he can do and what he’s capable of.”
“Listen, I always want to be in there, that’s just the competitor in me,” the veteran signal-caller admitted with a smile, “but at the same time, I think that — like I said — we have great trust in Justin [Fields] and our team and our coaches and everything that we’re doing.”
“We should have won that game,” Wilson concluded. “We felt like we battled… Unfortunately, we came up short.”
As usual, Wilson is choosing to keep things classy, and that’s the main reason this rare QB rotation works. Fields took off on a 30-yard run against the Browns — igniting a somewhat stagnant Steelers offense. He also missed on a couple of deep passing attempts, one of which drew a roughing the passer penalty.
There’s no foolproof method of when to use Fields, and when not to use him. For now, it seems Smith and Tomlin are trusting their gut. The results, as expected, have been mixed.
Justin Fields Was ‘Glad’ He Was Able to Help Steelers vs. Browns
Fields spoke to reporters on November 26 as well, and he expressed that he was “glad he was able to get a chance to help [his] team” in Cleveland.
Having said that, Fields did acknowledge that coming off the bench mid-game can be difficult as a quarterback — in terms of things like “rhythm” and “timing.”
“I mean, yeah,” he responded. “I think it does [affect you] but at the end of the day, that’s what my job is. So, you can’t complain and — like I said — anytime I get a chance and an opportunity to go on the field and help my team, I’m happy to do it.”
Fields was unsure if the weather factored into how much he was used in Week 12. He also had no knowledge of how much he might be utilized against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13.
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Steelers’ Mike Tomlin Sends Strong Message on Usage of ‘Justin Fields Package’