When asked about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ controversial usage of the “Justin Fields package” in Week 12, head coach Mike Tomlin didn’t back down.
“Certainly, there’s a potential of [disrupting the rhythm of the offense] but we’re more excited about the challenges that it presents the opposing unit, and I think that’s reflective of our general attitude — we live in our hope as opposed to our fears,” Tomlin told reporters on November 26.
Earlier, Tomlin also confirmed that the Fields package is now “a component of what [the Steelers] do” offensively, although he would not say how often Pittsburgh would call upon the dual threat quarterback in the future.
“Once Justin [Fields] got healthy, he’s a viable and capable dude,” Tomlin said. “It’s something that our opponents have to be aware of. When we use it or how much we utilize it will be dependent on plans week to week.”
As for Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s usage of Fields against the Cleveland Browns, the Steelers head coach simply noted that “there’s a strategic component that I won’t get into detailing.” He added that the coaching staff feels “comfortable” with the decisions they’ve made so far.
Steelers QB Russell Wilson Says He Has ‘Great Trust’ in Justin Fields & Coaching Staff
Steelers’ QB1 Russell Wilson spoke after Tomlin on November 26, and a reporter asked him if he was “surprised” that he wasn’t in the game for the key third down that Fields was given versus the Browns. Wilson didn’t bite at the question, however, providing a team-first response instead.
“I think that we all as a team are trying to make plays, are trying to do different things,” Wilson replied. “Obviously we have trust in Justin [Fields] too, and what he can do and what he’s capable of.”
“Listen, I always want to be in there, that’s just the competitor in me,” the veteran signal-caller admitted with a smile, “but at the same time, I think that — like I said — we have great trust in Justin [Fields] and our team and our coaches and everything that we’re doing.”
“We should have won that game. We felt like we battled,” Wilson concluded. “Unfortunately, we came up short.”
