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The time is coming for Mike Tomlin to make a decision.
For weeks, with Russell Wilson nursing a calf injury, the Pittsburgh Steelers coach has danced around naming a starting quarterback. And it hasn’t been an issue. With Wilson sidelined, Justin Fields has been the starter by default. There’s been no need to name a QB1 one way or the other, and that has avoided a potential distraction.
But Wilson could be active for the first time this weekend, when the Steelers (3-2) play Sunday at the Las Vegas Raiders (2-3). The nine-time Pro Bowler participated fully in practice Wednesday for the first time since Sept. 5.
“I think the fact that he’s a full participant is a door that’s ajar,” coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday of Wilson. “But to say any more than that is to speculate, because he’s got to get through the day. He’s got to show up on Thursday and see where the roads lead us in terms of that.
“Until Russ gets to a point where we’re comfortable with what we’re looking at, and he’s able to execute all schematics, he’s able to put together back-to-back consecutive days and so forth, I just think that’s a hypothetical conversation,” Tomlin added of the QB1 debate. “We’re going to continue to push forward with Justin until those things are legitimate, and then we’ll make decisions accordingly.”
But when Wilson is 100 percent healthy and ready to go, he should be QB1.
One reason is that the evidence is building against Fields. After a 3-0 start, the Steelers have lost back-to-back games in what’s shaping up to be a neck-to-back battle with the Baltimore Ravens (3-2) in the AFC North.
In last week’s loss to Dallas, Pittsburgh’s longest completion was 21 yards. Its longest run was eight yards. The Steelers, who went 3-of-12 on third down in the game, had 226 yards of offense to the Cowboys’ 445.
The performance spoke to a Pittsburgh offense that is plagued by inconsistency, low-scoring and slow starts. The Steelers rank in the bottom half of the league in several…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/russell-wilson-should-steelers-qb1-over-justin-fields
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Publish date : 2024-10-10 17:56:05
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