The Pittsburgh Steelers have been both the feel-good story and the talk of the town this season in the NFL.
Nearly every NFL expert and pundit picked Pittsburgh to finish last in their division heading into the season. The total opposite has taken place.
The Steelers’ victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday catapulted the team to 8-2 on the season and cemented their place atop the AFC North. While the Steelers are known for always having a dependable defense, their offense has been a welcome surprise this season.
What’s been most surprising about the Steelers’ offense is that they’ve used two different quarterbacks.
Russell Wilson was named the team’s starter heading into the season, but a calf injury kept him on the sidelines early. Justin Fields stepped up in Wilson’s absence, leading the Steelers to an impressive 4-2 start.
When Russell Wilson was healthy again, head coach Mike Tomlin inserted him back into the starting lineup, much to the surprise of analysts and fans across the country. Wilson has since gone undefeated in four games as the starter.
That doesn’t mean the team has forgotten about Fields though. The quarterback came in late against the Ravens and had two critical runs to help put the game on ice against Baltimore.
Now, Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is clearing the air on the team’s quarterback situation.
“There’s a fine line to it. I don’t view Justin in this role as a gadget guy. Justin to me, we’ve got two starting quarterbacks. Hell of a football player, so if he can help the team,” Smith said according to Bleacher Report.
“And there’s a fine line. I’ve done it a little bit in my past. We did it down the stretch with Ryan Tannehill and Marcus Mariota, but different situation.
“So when you have the opportunity to add things up, and just the way the game was going, throw something at ’em and put another dynamic football player out there, that certainly helps us.”
Naming both Fields and Wilson as the starting quarterback is an unorthodox move, but unorthodox has worked plenty for the Steelers this season.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.