The Russell Wilson revenge game against the Denver Broncos might have to be put on hold for Week 2. The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback was limited at practice with a calf injury that kept Wilson out of Week 1, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
When Wilson was out, backup quarterback Justin Fields took the reins and led the Steelers to an 18-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. While Fields's performance wasn't anything to dream about, it got the job done. He threw 17-for-23 with 156 yards and zero touchdowns or interceptions. He also rushed 14 times for 57 yards and no scores. Even though it was a kicker's game, the Steelers pulled out the victory.
With the former Seahawks signal-caller recovering from his injury, head coach Mike Tomlin is preparing like Fields will be his starter for Week 2. Tomlin is all about mistake-free football, and Fields had none in the Week 1 victory. Although his athleticism and playmaking highlight his skillset, Tomlin will substitute that for efficiency and no turnovers. Another Fields start appears imminent, so it's only curious what Tomlin will expect.
Will the Steelers continue to win without Russell Wilson?
The mistake-free football is certainly intriguing after Fields made plenty of them during his time with the Chicago Bears. He had his best year in 2023, throwing 2,562 yards, 16 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Fields has six games without any interceptions, where the Bears went 4-2 in those games. Even with those games, Tomlin tends to trust the veteran quarterback running the offense.
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After all, he did have Ben Roethlisberger for 15 seasons before figuring out who the next franchise quarterback would be. The last true mobile quarterback the Steelers had was Kenny Pickett. Since moving on from Pickett, he traveled east and joined the in-state rival, Philadelphia Eagles. Tomlin also brought in a new offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith. Although Smith didn't perform the best as head coach, he can certainly run an offense.
Smith had the same position with the Tennessee Titans and his success showed. In 2020, the Titans ranked in the top five in the NFL in plays of 50+ yards, pass plays of 50+ yards, offensive EPA, and total offense. Smith had weapons like running back Derrick Henry and wide receiver A.J. Brown, but Ryan Tannehill was the quarterback. Both Tannehill and Wilson are accurate, deep-ball passers that Smith could utilize very well.
Even with Wilson being more familiar with the system than Fields, the latter could be poised to start Week 2 in Denver if Wilson isn't cleared to play.
