Steelers inside the ropes: Justin Fields, 1st-team offense struggles with consistency

For a third consecutive day to open Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, Justin Fields was leading the first-team offense. Saturday, the fourth-year NFL quarterback continued to show inconsistencies.

With Fields taking the snaps during the “seven shots” 2-point conversion style drills that traditionally begin the team portion of practices, the offense scored on just one of four snaps. Furthermore, even that one “score” — a shotput-style flip to Calvin Austin III in the end zone while Fields was running to his left — came after Fields had scrambled in the backfield long enough that it is fair to wonder whether a live play would have resulted in a sack.

Austin was the target on two other Fields incompletions during the drill — once when he was headed for the goal post in the back of the end zone, once when Donte Jackson knocked the ball down before it reached Austin following a Fields scramble to his left. On one other Fields-directed snap in seven shots, Cameron Heyward got his hand up and batted the attempted pass down at the line of scrimmage.

Though Fields had a nice back-shoulder completion to Roman Wilson of about 30 yards to open up an ensuing 11-on-11 period, his next two passes were incomplete. During the next full-team period, Fields badly missed on a swing screen pass to Jaylen Warren , firing the ball too hard and high. On the next snap, he missed on a connection with Van Jefferson . Fields — who is running with the first team while Russell Wilson tends to a calf injury — added another missed target on the first snap of another 11-on-11 session.

• Counting three “stops” when No. 3 QB Kyle Allen ran the offense, the defense prevailed in seven shots 6-1. Allen’s attempts were a shovel pass to running back Jonathan Ward , a completion to Connor Heyward at the right pylon after which Heyward made a futile attempt to reach for the goal line and when Allen scrambled before firing incomplete to Roman Wilson in the back of the end zone with Kalon Barnes in coverage.

• Allen’s best completions during team drills went to tight end Rodney Williams and wide receiver Marquez Callaway . Callaway was in 7-on-7 play when he was running down the left side and reached up in traffic amidst multiple defenders.

• The best completion of the day by No. 4 QB John Rhys Plumlee was to Connor Heyward in a soft spot in the zone during 7-on-7s.

• The best running play of the day came when Jaylen Warren ran 70 yards for a “touchdown” on what appeared a nicely designed misdirection leveraging Fields’ running threat. It had the offense hooting and hollering with pride.

• For the second consecutive day, play was halted briefly because of a mild skirmish. No punches or heavy shoves were thrown.

• With Isaac Seumalo getting a veteran’s day off, Spencer Anderson filled in as the first-team left guard. But Anderson also often kept his normal duties as the right guard on the second team. During one changeover in which Anderson was walking with tackle Dylan Cook along the sideline from one end of the field to the other, Anderson was huffing and puffing as he said, “I’m feelin’ this (running with the) 1s and 2s – eight (snaps) in a row!” Cook laughed in knowing response.

• As practice wore on, rookie Mason McCormick began rotating in with Anderson as the first-team left guard. McCormick’s regular work so far in this camp has been as the second-team left guard.

• Live placekicking was done for the first time this camp. Chris Boswell struggled, missing four of his nine attempts from distances varying from an extra point (33 yards) to 47 yards. At one point, Boswell missed four of six — three wide right and one wide left. He ended his day by making a 37-yarder during a “mayday” hurried attempt meant to simulate when the clock is running out at the end of a game or half.

• The other kicker, Matthew Wright , was perfect in making all of his attempts, including from 43 on a “mayday.”

• New punter Cameron Johnston also was booting balls during team special teams periods for the first time at Saint Vincent. Returners lined up 70 yards away from Johnston and often had to go back more than 10 yards to receive his punts. That equates to official punts of 65-plus yards.

• Plumlee again was part of the punt return line, joining Austin, Quez Watkins , Scotty Miller and Cameron Sutton .