Steelers/NFL
As Russell Wilson is inching closer to being fully ready to return, Mike Tomlin could have went two routes at his Tuesday press conference. While Justin Fields put up gawdy second half numbers in the Steelers 27-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, Fields and the Steelers offense still left the door open for Tomlin to stay in the lean Russell Wilson direction.
Among them is the team losing Sunday, the constant slow starts from the offense and turnovers; two critical areas Tomlin has touted all season that can’t happen and even after a superb performance from Fields in Pittsburgh’s Week 3 win vs the Chargers, Tomlin was less than enthused of what the offense did vs Los Angeles because of the slow starts saying it’s going to become a problem on the road and that played out vs Indy.
The Steelers, particularly the coaching staff, have long felt Wilson gives the team their highest ceiling in 2024 to finally breakthrough of a having a long playoff run. Yet, something changed on Tuesday with Tomlin. It was praise after praise from Tomlin towards Fields. Tomlin pinned the slow start on the defense, overlooking the turnovers and the slow start from the Steelers ‘Offense’ and instead believing what we saw from Fields in the second half in willing his team back into the game trumped any negatives. Tomlin on a number of occasions in his presser talking about how he learned so much from Fields against the Colts in that situation.
For the time all season Tomlin appears to be leaning in the direction that Fields not only has possible pole position, but the stage seems to be set where with a big win Sunday vs the Cowboys and even a solid performance from Fields, Pittsburgh will be moving forward with Fields as QB 1 with a feeling in the organization that the Steelers will give Fields a little run through at least the bye week where he won’t have to look over his shoulder.
All of that, though, could come crashing down with a poor performance on Sunday from Fields & Co.
Sunday night is setting up as a huge night on where Pittsburgh goes in the QB direction moving forward.
“There’s a potential for that. But we’re not there as I stand here today,” Tomlin said Tuesday when pressed with a scenario that if the Steelers keep winning, Wilson’s health will become moot. To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
