Justin Fields has had a topsy-turvy debut season in Pittsburgh, but he may get his chance to shine in the playoffs if Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is to be believed.
While speaking to media ahead of the Steelers’ postseason clash with the division-rival Baltimore Ravens, Smith was asked if the team anticipated using the backup QB at all. His response — layered in reams of coach-speak — seems to indicate that Fields should be prepared to step foot on the field come Saturday.
Justin Fields Gives Steelers’ Offense Explosiveness it Lacks
The Steelers are in a tailspin right now, going 0-4 over the final month of the season after starting the season 10-3. Their losses came against fellow playoff participants like the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, as well as divisional foes like the Cincinnati Bengals and Ravens.
In order to beat Baltimore and earn their first postseason win since 2016, the Steelers are going to have pull out all the stops, which may just mean taking the training wheels off of Fields.
Fields notoriously started the season 4-2 as the team’s starter before head coach Mike Tomlin handed over the reins to veteran signal-caller Russell Wilson. Though Wilson lifted the team to a 6-1 record in his first two months at the helm, the offense has disappeared in recent weeks.
Asked if they will use Justin Fields, #Steelers OC Arthur Smith said it’s burn the boats time pic.twitter.com/c9X7eISdxb
— 93.7 The Fan (@937theFan) January 8, 2025
As PFN explored earlier this week, the veteran appeared rejuvenated in Weeks 7 through 14, producing 1,784 yards and 12 touchdowns (three interceptions) with a 64.2% completion average. But when faced with three playoff teams and the resurgent Bengals to close out the season, Wilson fell off a cliff — and the offense went right along with him.
Per PFN’s QB+ metric, Wilson (75.7, C) slid below Fields (78.1, C+) in the final QB rankings of the 2024 regular season.
“Wilson has been fine since taking over as the starter, but he hasn’t elevated Pittsburgh over what Fields provided or proven to be any ‘safer,’ Ben Rolfe wrote. “He finishes the year with a -0.00 EPA/DB (23rd) and ranks outside the top 20 both from a clean pocket (0.23 EPA/DB) and when pressured (-0.38 EPA/DB).”
Rolfe observed what Steelers Nation has suffered: Wilson has struggled to close out games in the fourth quarter (28th) and has a 38.8% conversion rate on third down (17th).
Although a limited 161 passes technically disqualifies him from a QB+ grade, Fields was left in PFN’s final rankings with the debate over who should start in the playoffs.
Fields offers something that Wilson, 36, simply cannot anymore: He extends plays with his legs, keeping defenses guessing. With that dual-threat capability, a top defense, and one of the best kickers in the NFL, Pittsburgh has an identity that it can ride throughout these playoffs.
Now, the Steelers aren’t going to bench Wilson ahead of their game against the Ravens. He piloted the team to an ugly 18-16 win in Week 11 against Baltimore, in which he threw for 205 yards on a gritty 63.9% completion rate.
However, he’s tallied a 2:2 touchdown-to-interception ratio against the Ravens this year, and he struggled in the second half when the team lost by a 34-17 margin against them in Week 16 (in a game that ultimately cost them the AFC North).
Fields isn’t going to magically turn around an offense that averaged just 14.25 points per game during its four-game skid to close out the regular season, but his rushing ability could prove valuable against a Ravens team that allowed a league-low 80.1 rushing yards per contest.
If nothing else, expect Smith to get creative with his quarterbacks as the Steelers attempt to upset their biggest rival in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.