Justin Fields admits he’s been his worst enemy during Russell Wilson‘s injury
PITTSBURGH — Although Justin Fields He said he doesn’t know if he or Russell Wilson will be the headlines for the Pittsburgh Steelers against the New York Jets on Sunday, the quarterback acknowledged Thursday that It hasn’t been good enough. in six starts.
“I don’t think I played well enough, if I’m honest,” Fields said. “If I’m honest with myself, I think if I had played well enough, I don’t think there would have been any kind of distinction between who should play and who shouldn’t.”
“In the end, I got some wins. Of course, I’m glad about it, but there are areas where I could improve and I’ll just keep working on them and keep getting better.”
Fields was 4-2 in those games as a starter, and while he leads the league’s quarterbacks with five rushing touchdowns, the Steelers’ offense ranks 28th in passing and 20th in points per game. Fields’ completion percentage has also regressed to 57% over the last two games after he began completing 69% of his pass attempts in the first four games.
However, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith didn’t necessarily agree with Fields’ assessment of his play.
“I think sometimes some players are too hard on themselves,” Smith said. “…You appreciate that about him. That’s why he works so hard, and no one wants to be a martyr, but I mean I’m guilty of those times myself. …It’s never as bad as you think, and sometimes you think who plays well and comes back and says, ‘Hey, we have to wait on some things.'”
“I think that’s why you love working with Justin, because that’s real. It’s not some cliché that some quarterback guru or someone along the way told him to say. I mean a lot of these guys are demanding of themselves. and there’s a lot to play the quarterback position, obviously the physical tools or you wouldn’t be at this level, but the mental component to me is what separates the greats from the other starters in this league, and that’s what that he is striving to be.”
Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that Wilson was “in consideration” to start now that he is healthy from a lingering calf injury. Wilson, who was not on the practice injury report for the first time all year, took first-team reps and led the quarterback rotation in individual drills Wednesday.
“I want to be 6-0 right now, but it was a great opportunity for me,” Fields said when asked if he got what he wanted from his starts. “Of course, I’m grateful for the opportunity. I had those first six weeks and we’ll see what happens this week.”
With Wilson as the starter, the Steelers could gain a quarterback who has historically been more prolific at stretching the field with deep passes, but they would also lose the mobility component of Fields’ quarterback. Smith said that sacrifice is part of the calculation when determining who will be the starter.
“They’re at completely different points in their careers and I would say they’re different players,” Smith said. “So there’s the crux of the matter. I mean, obviously, everyone has seen [la movilidad de Fields]. He’s been a weapon for us, for sure, especially in situational football, but that’s okay. You just adapt and lean towards something else and that’s what you do. That’s our job.”
Fields said that regardless of his role in Sunday’s game, his preparation and approach are not changing, even if that means coming off the bench for certain packages.
“I just do the same thing as before,” he said. “At the end of the day, I just do my job, whether it’s playing, helping guys on the sideline, telling them what I see, helping Russ if he’s there. It’s little things like that.”
Fields also praised Smith, who helped Fields reduce the turnovers that plagued him in Chicago. This season, Fields has five touchdown passes and one interception, along with 16 sacks and a lost fumble.
“He pushed me every day to get better as a quarterback, as far as my development,” Fields said of Smith. “Actually, he’s a person too. I love Arthur. He knows that and yeah, I’m glad he’s our offensive coordinator.”
Smith, who previously had to deal with several quarterback changes during his tenure as Atlanta’s head coach, acknowledged the emotional component of a change and how it could affect Fields’ confidence. He said that’s something coaches should consider when making a change.
“You look at everything,” Smith said. “You try to look at it from all points of view, but that’s why you have to have conversations. No decision is easy. … When you become desensitized to it or numb, you should probably get out of it, but I think trust [de Fields] It should be high. “He’s 4-2, he’s been pretty productive, and whatever Mike tells us to do, like I said, I’ve got it up and running anyway, and that’s my job.”
And while his role could be reduced on Sunday, Fields isn’t ruling out the opportunity to contribute to the team all season long. “I guess you never know what can happen,” Fields said. “…It’s a long season and life is crazy in general, so you never know.”
