Fields at peace amid 3-game winning streak
He appears set as the starting quarterback after another strong outing.
This past week marked six months since the day Justin Fields was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Only human, Fields surely could be excused for experiencing angst knowing the Chicago Bears had elected to move on from him for a mere third-day draft choice after he’d served as their starter for three seasons.
With the Steelers, though, Fields has found his inner peace.
Fields has won three consecutive starts for the first time as a pro, having arguably his best outing as a Steeler in a 20-10 victory against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
“I feel like I’m just very calm out there,” Fields said in explaining in what areas he has experienced the most growth. “Cool, calm and collected on the field, and really just that sense of peace out there on the field and not really rushing things and turning in my brain.
“I’m staying calm in the pocket, just making plays when I can and just doing my job.”
On Sunday, those plays included a 5-yard rushing touchdown and a precisely delivered pass to Calvin Austin III for a 55-yard touchdown.
Though Fields did throw his first interception of the season, only six other passes among the 32 he threw fell incomplete.
With one turnover, three passer ratings north of 91.0 and three victories, Fields has been just about everything the Steelers need while stepping in for an injured Russell Wilson (calf) to begin this season.
“He’s doing a good job doing what we’re asking him to do,” coach Mike Tomlin said, “playing and playing to win, and so that’s appreciated.”
The No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 draft, Fields’ talent was never in question. Inconsistencies, though, plagued three seasons with the Bears in which he went 10-28 as a starter and never won more than two starts in a row.
But Fields is avoiding turnovers and sacks, something he rarely achieved in Chicago. On a per-start basis with the Bears, Fields averaged taking 3.6 sacks with roughly one fumble and one interception each game.
He also has upped his completion percentage from 60.7% over his time with the Bears to 73.3% since joining the Steelers.
“I think he’s been doing a really good job leading this offense,” left tackle Dan Moore Jr. said. “He’s staying poised in the ‘weighty’ moments, keeping us engaged, keeping us together and just bringing energy. He’s been bringing confidence in the huddle that we have all been feeding off of. He’s really been bringing this offense forward.”
Fields described himself as “definitely feeling more confident and feeling more comfortable out there on the field” this year. Of course, by most objective measures he’s on a better team now than he was with Chicago from 2021-23.
It was over that tenure that Fields’ reputation took a hit. A five-star recruit coming out of high school who ended up a Heisman Trophy candidate while leading Ohio State to Big Ten titles and College Football Playoff berths, Fields’ stature in the industry as a pro had fallen so precipitously that the Steelers submitted only a sixth-round pick to acquire him.
Albeit, that compensation reverts to a fourth-rounder if Fields plays at least 51% of the Steelers’ offensive snaps this season.
Chaz Palla / TribLive
