Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields played his best game of the season in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers, despite throwing his first interception of the season on a bounced ball. Fields completed 25 of 32 passes for 245 yards and a touchdown on both the pass and run. Former NFL safety Devin McCourty said Fields’ play has clearly improved. He cited Fields’ pass to Pat Friarmuth at the end of the first half and Fields’ touchdown pass to Calvin Austin III as examples.
“Specifically, looking back at the video, not just in the backyard, but Justin Fields tossed the ball to Friarmouth just before halftime and Friarmouth dropped it, but he threw it between two defenders in the middle of the field and it led to a field goal. And that pass to Austin was an incredibly predictable pass. He was kicking the ball off his back foot and throwing the pass. That’s exactly how they were expecting Justin Fields to come down the line,” McCourty said. He spoke at Pro Football Talk Live.
The pass to Friarmouth was a neat one, one that Friarmouth should have caught. Fields stood in the pocket, waited for Friarmouth to dodge one defender, then fired a pass down the seam, but Friarmouth dropped the pass and the Steelers were ultimately content with Chris Boswell’s 62-yard field goal attempt, which fell short.
These are passes that starting quarterbacks in the NFL throw, and Fields has made big strides this season in terms of making smart reads and improving since his time with the Chicago Bears. He’s playing smart football, not forcing the ball, being patient and hitting checkdowns when necessary.
On the touchdown pass to Austin, Fields again stood tall in the pocket, waited for Austin to break out into space, and then threw a perfect pass that allowed Austin to use his speed to break out and score the touchdown.
The Steelers are 3-0 and have shown impressive progress with his passing ability, so it would be hard to pass Fields up as the starter in Pittsburgh even if Russell Wilson is healthy. He’s added something new with his feet, and if he can create opportunities with them and not just throw the ball, like he did against the Chargers, the Steelers’ offense will be tough to stop.
The Steelers aren’t putting up outstanding numbers, but controlling the ball and wearing down the defense has been a winning formula so far. The run game barely worked in the first three quarters on Sunday, and in past seasons, that would have meant the end of Pittsburgh’s chances. But Fields played smart, situational football to keep them in the game, and the Steelers dominated the second half to beat the previously unbeaten Chargers. It was truly impressive, and right now, all signs point to Fields being Pittsburgh’s guy.
