Mike Tomlin reveals why he used Justin Fields against the Browns despite having Russell Wilson as QB1
Russell Wilson and the Steelers are 8-3 after a tough loss to divisional rivals Cleveland Browns amid red zone troubles.
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Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, Mike Tomlin (Images via Imago)
Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a major blow to their division title hopes after a struggling Cleveland Browns defeated them at a snowy Huntington Bank Field. The Browns rallied after blowing a 12-point lead to record their third win of the season.
Mike Tomlin reverted to Justin Fields in the game a week after the win against the Baltimore Ravens. Since Russell Wilson took over from Fields against the New York Jets in October, Fields hasn’t seen much field time. Wilson had been 4-0 for the Steelers before the Browns loss.
He played three snaps against the Ravens and improved to seven snaps on Thursday. However, he failed to complete his lone pass attempt while rushing for 26 yards.
After the 24-19 loss, Fields reflected on his performance and expanded role. He admitted feeling “stiff” after extended time on the sideline, which impacted his rhythm during the game. Despite the inconsistency in playing time, Fields remained professional, stating it’s a part of his job and he wouldn’t complain.
Head coach Mike Tomlin also addressed the decision to increase Fields’s involvement in the post-game press conference. However, he emphasized it wasn’t due to the snowy conditions.
No, I don’t think the weather was a factor. We had intentions on using him and we did. I don’t know that the weather conditions were a factor in that decision-making.
Mike Tomlin said
The bigger picture is the Pittsburgh Steelers’ red zone inconsistency. If not for the unfavorable conditions, it is speculated that struggles to score touchdowns would be a primary reason why Fields took the field amid the loss.
Three weeks ago, Stephen A. Smith deduced the Steelers as a serious threat to covet the Lombardi. However, Dan Orlovksy further analyzed that the Steelers’ offense isn’t a side that could win championships. While praising the defense, Orlovksy noted there is a need for better performance from the center. The analyst expressed concern about Wilson’s ability to score while highlighting the sack record by the former Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl-winning champion.
Rodney Harrison calls out Mike Tomlin for pulling Russell Wilson at important moment
Former NFL Safety Rodney Harrison was unhappy with the Mike Tomlin decision against the Cleveland Browns. Speaking on Pro Football Talk, Harrison noted that the Steelers got “too cute with Justin Fields package.”
Harrison argued that such a decision disrupts the momentum of the starting quarterback as well as the in-built system. He further doubled down on Fields, highlighting that the Steelers didn’t even gain any advantage from playing him.
I don’t like when you have a quarterback like Russell Wilson, he’s in the game. He’s driving up and down the field. It’s momentum. They have momentum… and then all of a sudden on the most important down on fourth or third down and four, you’re taking Russell Wilson out. And to me the package isn’t even a great package because you know 90 percent of the time, he’s going to run the football. And I just don’t like that. I thought they got too cute with that at times. Just keep the starting quarterback in, Let him play, hand the ball off, and keep it moving.
Rodney Harrison said
Wilson, although, didn’t have any issues with giving a chunk of package plays to Fields. Furthermore, except for a few things, Wilson actually had a good coverage of the game. He had 21 completed passes off 28 attempts with one TD. He also played the field with three rushing attempts for 10 yards.
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Mohammed Bazim
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