Fields and Red Zone

[LakecrestSteeler]

I think it’s funny that there are people that still think that the offense is going to change just because of the QB.
Russ Wilson is gonna be running the same bland offense that Justin Fields did, and Mason Rudolph did, and Mitch Trubisky did, and Kenny Pickett did, and 39 year old Ben did…

I understand what you are saying but there have been a decent number of plays that Fields has just overthrown guys and missed open players for no apparent reason.

here is a 4 minute clip on X that shows every pass play that fields had even if they turned into runs.
https://x.com/TommyJaggi/status/1846206126443954199
6 good passes
1 bad read and throw
1 Jones blocks nobody and takes off up the middle
1 takes off running
1 great throw
1 good play but not what the play was supposed to be.
1 terrible overthrow (Really bad)
1 terrible overthrow
1 pocket breaks down move up and a terrible overthrow
1 checkdown 3 yards
1 checkdown 4 yards
1 rolls left throws a seed to the left side perfect throw
1 empty middle QB draw an excellent run
1 good read mediocre pass could have had more loft to allow WR to run under.
1 abortion of a reverse flea flicker (all negatives on coaches) lucky Fields didn't fumble So JF2 gets an A on the play.
1 terrible read and throw not sure what he was seeing
1 terrible throw INT still don't know what he was seeing definitely know what he was not seeing. (Terrible roughing call but not my burden)
1 broken play runs left for a good gain. no idea what he was seeing but it did not appear anyone was coming open.
1 terrible play design on the fake plunge 2 TE route that Fields speed turned into a TD
1 terrible read and throw that should have been intercepted on the 2 point play.
1 terrible high-heat screen throw that is a lateral and a fumble that Warren pulls out of the pile.
1 illegal forward pass. should have checked down to Najee or just tucked his head and taken off for the pylon or endzone line.
1 bootleg left somehow gets the ball out of bounds whilst doing a pirouette with defenders pulling at him.
1 fail by the OLine sacked in less than 1.5 seconds Glad he didn't fumble
1 great check down to D Dub for a first down with second effort and sheer size
1 legs save him from shit-blocking and turns into a very nice gain.
1 perfect strike down the middle
1 terrible throw could have been picked not sure what he was seeing
1 decent throw to Pickens in garbage time better placement and they get 14 his TD and happy meal toy.
1 perfect throw that Pickens drops.
1 drop back and takes a sack.

The good is very nice the bad is hard to comprehend.

The plays in Blue were or should have been turnover. If the roughing the passer call doesn't get called there is a chance Russ plays the second half in Vegas.

Wow…I don’t know why you felt the need to do that, but that is quite the breakdown. Thanks.

My comment was not about Fields and Wilson. It was a response to those posters that think the insertion of Wilson into the lineup means the offense is going to open up and attack all over the field. We have years of evidence suggesting it will not.

Randy Fichtner to Artie Smith…38 year old HOF Ben could not make the risk averse Tomlin ball work. Doughy 36 year old 5 foot and change Russ Wilson isn’t going to make it work, although nor will he demonstrate ineptitude. This move if it happens, will just obfuscate further the offensive philosophy problem that is Mike Tomlin ball.

I suspect if we see Russ for at least a 4 game sample, and all the cards are on the table for a Buffalo or Kansas City wild card or playoff game down the road, Justin Fields will give us the best chance to win, because his athleticism coupled with an A game can come closest to overcoming Tomlin ball. Wilson and his A game won’t be enough, because Tomlin ball will govern his passing game too much.

I think it will be easiest to come up with a winning game plan for one game with JF than it is with RW given the Tomlin ball parameters. Maybe JF is a playoff beast too…that has yet to be determined.

[W&M_Steeler]

Randy Fichtner to Artie Smith…38 year old HOF Ben could not make the risk averse Tomlin ball work. Doughy 36 year old 5 foot and change Russ Wilson isn’t going to make it work, although nor will he demonstrate ineptitude. This move if it happens, will just obfuscate further the offensive philosophy problem that is Mike Tomlin ball.

I suspect if we see Russ for at least a 4 game sample, and all the cards are on the table for a Buffalo or Kansas City wild card or playoff game down the road, Justin Fields will give us the best chance to win, because his athleticism coupled with an A game can come closest to overcoming Tomlin ball. Wilson and his A game won’t be enough, because Tomlin ball will govern his passing game too much.

I think it will be easiest to come up with a winning game plan for one game with JF than it is with RW given the Tomlin ball parameters. Maybe JF is a playoff beast too…that has yet to be determined.

In order to win a playoff game, the Steelers will likely need to be able to beat Josh Allen or C.J. Stroud in a shoot-out. I think only RW has a remote chance of doing that. It's not very likely- after all, defensive genius Mike Tomlin managed to lose a playoff shoot-out at home against Blake Bortles with Ben as QB despite scoring 42 points- but I don't see it happening at all with Justin Fields. 150 yards passing, 40 yards rushing won't win in the playoffs.

[Dan Smith--BYU]

If the Steelers are only 6-3 after nine games, I think they are unlikely to even make the playoffs.

[Jobu]

If the Steelers are only 6-3 after nine games, I think they are unlikely to even make the playoffs.

You never know. Stains are cooked and tearing it down. The may be quietly tanking. The Bungs defense is one of, if not the worst in the league. Never underestimate Tomlin’s ability to drag Harbaugh and Lamar into the muck and come out standing. In normal circumstances, the Steelers can’t go toe to toe with KC, but how important will that game be for them? The Eagles are looking like an average team and the fanboys are screaming for Sirianni’s head.
That back half may not be the gauntlet that we all originally thought, but we’ll see.

[gojira5150]

I agree on your Raiders comments, but the Cowboys game was definitely not a QB issue. That was all Tomlin and Smith IMHO.

The BS of waiting for the second half to actually start the game. The pitch toss and then a FG. What a joke!

That picture of Russ’ arm looks soft like the dough used at an OIP restaurant! I don’t know how the hell he expects to do well carrying that much extra wait and weight. He will be waiting while his body gets up to 5.2 forty speed by the looks of it.


With JF, Pickens and Washington you should be able to put together an offense.

Justin Fields turns the corners by accident…you just can’t have that type of speed sitting on the sideline waiting for Russ.

I don't see how you can absolve JF from blame for the Cowboys debacle. He had less than 160 combined yards against an injury-riddled Cowboys defense. Sure, coaching wasn't great, but Fields' ineptitude contributed to that wasted first half.

WHAT!?!? JF gave the Steelers a 4 point lead with around 2:00 minutes left in the game. Tomlin & The D (highest paid in the league) craped the bed. The D gave up a 70yrd drive to lose the game. There's no way the Cowboys loss was on JF.

[W&M_Steeler]

I agree on your Raiders comments, but the Cowboys game was definitely not a QB issue. That was all Tomlin and Smith IMHO.

The BS of waiting for the second half to actually start the game. The pitch toss and then a FG. What a joke!

That picture of Russ’ arm looks soft like the dough used at an OIP restaurant! I don’t know how the hell he expects to do well carrying that much extra wait and weight. He will be waiting while his body gets up to 5.2 forty speed by the looks of it.


With JF, Pickens and Washington you should be able to put together an offense.

Justin Fields turns the corners by accident…you just can’t have that type of speed sitting on the sideline waiting for Russ.

I don't see how you can absolve JF from blame for the Cowboys debacle. He had less than 160 combined yards against an injury-riddled Cowboys defense. Sure, coaching wasn't great, but Fields' ineptitude contributed to that wasted first half.

WHAT!?!? JF gave the Steelers a 4 point lead with around 2:00 minutes left in the game. Tomlin & The D (highest paid in the league) craped the bed. The D gave up a 70yrd drive to lose the game. There's no way the Cowboys loss was on JF.

The defense gave the dynamic and amazing Justin Fields led offense 3 turnovers and a blocked field goal, and all the Justin Fields led offense could manage was 17 points against an injury riddled Cowboys defense missing its best players. That same Cowboys defense gave up more than 40 points the next game.

The Cowboys loss is primarily on the offense. If a defense can force 3 (really 4) turnovers and limit the other team to 20 points, then that should be enough for a win. The Steelers should have won that game by 10+ points. But Justin and the offense couldn't take advantage of the multiple turnovers and injury depleted Cowboys defense, in large part because Justin Fields isn't a very good quarterback.

[Havoc]

In today's league you can't score 17 points and give the opponent the football at the end with a chance to win and think the offense has done it's job.

It's SO MUCH EASIER to engineer a game winning drive when a team really needs it compared to past eras. All the protections for the QBs and WRs taking the teeth out of defenses, most of the fear removed, often an invisible protective cone around the QB, all the penalties called extending drives when in eras past the defense did it's job, the seas parting near the end of a QB run with a sometimes late slide or half slide leaving the defense in a competitive disadvantage and sometimes having to guess.

Your offense has to give you cushion, has to put the game away.

The fact the 2-4 mess of a Jets team in our house is favored shows what people think of our offense, and of the ability of our defense (or maybe any defense) to hold a lead late.

[gojira5150]

I don't see how you can absolve JF from blame for the Cowboys debacle. He had less than 160 combined yards against an injury-riddled Cowboys defense. Sure, coaching wasn't great, but Fields' ineptitude contributed to that wasted first half.

WHAT!?!? JF gave the Steelers a 4 point lead with around 2:00 minutes left in the game. Tomlin & The D (highest paid in the league) craped the bed. The D gave up a 70yrd drive to lose the game. There's no way the Cowboys loss was on JF.

The defense gave the dynamic and amazing Justin Fields led offense 3 turnovers and a blocked field goal, and all the Justin Fields led offense could manage was 17 points against an injury riddled Cowboys defense missing its best players. That same Cowboys defense gave up more than 40 points the next game.

The Cowboys loss is primarily on the offense. If a defense can force 3 (really 4) turnovers and limit the other team to 20 points, then that should be enough for a win. The Steelers should have won that game by 10+ points. But Justin and the offense couldn't take advantage of the multiple turnovers and injury depleted Cowboys defense, in large part because Justin Fields isn't a very good quarterback.

So, none of the Offensive woe's belong to Jibba. Gotcha. That Cowboys game is exactly the way Jibba wants to play. Get a lead late and let the D win it at the end (where have you been for the past 6 years). The 1st drive of the game shows you just how Jibba wants to play. JF was doing a very good job marching the team down the field. 3rd & 8 on the 28 and Jibba had a toss sweep left to the short side of the field with a 3rd stringer. That's NOT JF fault. Jibba played for a FG.

I get it you Hate JF and everything on the Offensive side is his fault. He has exactly 1 NFL WR, a sieve of a O-Line (right now because of injury) and a slow poor visioned RB. We will see if your boy RW can overcome Jibba, Smith, bad O-Line and barely any offensive weapons. We will see. At least JF can make something out of nothing when the D comes thru like a flood.

[W&M_Steeler]

So, none of the Offensive woe's belong to Jibba. Gotcha. That Cowboys game is exactly the way Jibba wants to play. Get a lead late and let the D win it at the end (where have you been for the past 6 years). The 1st drive of the game shows you just how Jibba wants to play. JF was doing a very good job marching the team down the field. 3rd & 8 on the 28 and Jibba had a toss sweep left to the short side of the field with a 3rd stringer. That's NOT JF fault. Jibba played for a FG.

I get it you Hate JF and everything on the Offensive side is his fault. He has exactly 1 NFL WR, a sieve of a O-Line (right now because of injury) and a slow poor visioned RB. We will see if your boy RW can overcome Jibba, Smith, bad O-Line and barely any offensive weapons. We will see. At least JF can make something out of nothing when the D comes thru like a flood.

Yes, the starting QB of a team that can only turn 4 turnovers into 17 points against an injury ravaged defense bears significant blame for the loss. I don't think that's some outlandish idea. The offensive performance versus the Cowboys was absolutely pathetic. "Jibba" bears some blame of course, but not all if it. Fields is not some superstar shackled by Tomlin. He's a first round bust reclamation project who is playing like a good back-up qb.

Russell Wilson isn't "my boy." I think chances are that he'll also be crappy. But Russ has at least shown that he is capable of great play. Fields hasn't. He had one good half this season. The rest has been ok at best.

The worst outcome of this season would be for the Steelers to sign Fields to some large starter's contract. I feel a little relieved to hear the talk about Wilson starting because it might indicate that the Steelers also aren't sold on Fields, unlike some of you who have apparently been watching alternate reality versions of these games in which Fields has played like something more than a back-up. What has Fields ever done to deserve the benefit of the doubt or indicate he can be a top 15 NFL QB? Nothing. I don't care that he can run fast- if that's his only real strength, then switch him to RB and get a real QB.