Fields Growing Confident As Steelers' Starter

The Pittsburgh Steelers have managed to come out to a fairly surprising 3-0 start after Sunday’s 20-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

For that, they largely have an elite defense to thank. Pittsburgh has given up just 26 points through three weeks and has posted easily the best expected points added mark in football. It’s been nothing short of special, but shouldn’t take away from an offense that is exceeding expectations.

Despite entering camp as the backup, quarterback Justin Fields has taken the reins of the offense and refused to hand them back to veteran Russell Wilson.

His play in the early going has made it increasingly difficult to justify Wilson taking the job back, even if he’s fully healthy. His growth as a passer has been noticeable, and his mobility allows offensive coordinator Arthur Smith to access every portion of the playbook.

Part of Fields’ improvement has been intangible. Taking fewer sacks and keeping the ball safe, he seems more confident than he was at any point as the starter in Chicago. He’s operating the quick game more effectively and taking what the defense gives him.

"I've grown a lot over the past year, the past few months so I'm definitely feeling a lot more confident when I'm out on the field," Fields said, per PennLive.com's Austin Hertzog .

"It means a lot, but at the end of the day it's not just me winning games. I'm just happy to be a part of this team, this organization. I'm definitely looking forward to keeping it going versus Indy."

Pittsburgh’s passing offense is off to the ninth-best start by expected points added, despite ranking 20th in success rate – suggesting that the offense is finding a promising amount of explosive plays.

Related: 'Smart Football!' Steelers Happy With Fields' Performance

There are some circumstantial factors at play here. The Steelers are yet to play from behind for an extended period, and Pittsburgh isn’t scoring in bunches. But as far as doing what he’s been asked to do, Fields has more than fulfilled his responsibilities.

He’s played well enough to put the Steelers in (very early) playoff conversations. Adversity will come – it always does in the NFL – but by banking wins and improving in the process, Fields has made a strong case to keep his job even when the schedule gets tougher after September.