Fields Staves Off Wilson in Steelers Win

In the Pittsburgh Steelers’ pursuit of perpetually above-average play, it seemed inevitable that quarterbacks Justin Fields and Russell Wilson would both see the field by season’s end.

But after Wilson’s calf injury held him out of training camp, Fields was given the green light and has largely made the most of the opportunity.

It hasn’t been perfect, but it has been good enough . And Fields was better than that on Sunday, when the Steelers escaped Sin City with a 32-13 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

Frankly, the box score wasn’t pretty in Week 6. Fields completed 14 of 24 passes for 145 yards, adding another 59 yards and two scores on the ground. He was sacked just three times, didn’t turn the ball over, and used his legs to make the most of opportunities on broken plays and in the red zone.

In other words, it was everything the Steelers needed under center.

Head coach Mike Tomlin was satisfied with his quarterback’s performance.

"I thought he did a nice job, particularly making some things happen with his legs, managing the circumstances and taking care of the ball,” Tomlin said, via Brooke Pryor . “Obviously he took a few hits but he's a tough guy. I'm glad he's okay and we'll keep moving."

For those hoping to see Fields start the rest of the way – either for Pittsburgh or one’s fantasy team – Wilson getting the elevation to backup quarterback instead of a Sunday inactive was an unwelcome sight.

But the Steelers got back on track, the playbook remained open, and Fields continued to produce, despite the well-established issues at receiver. By expected points added , it was a 65th-percentile performance. Pittsburgh would’ve paid a lot more than a conditional Day 3 pick for a season’s worth of that play.

Related: Steelers Run Over Raiders, Fields and Harris React

It remains possible that Tomlin pivots if the Steelers hit some adversity or Fields reverts back to his bad habits. Through six weeks, though, Fields has given the offense its best quarterbacking of the post-Ben Roethlisberger era.

Simply put, he earned himself additional breathing room atop the depth chart on Sunday. The Steelers will have another chance to reap those benefits against the New York Jets in Week 7.