If there really is a quarterback competition for the Pittsburgh Steelers, it should still be wide open after Saturday night.
Russell Wilson got his first preseason action with the Steelers after being sidelined last week. The offense struggled with Wilson in the game.
The Steelers had four punts and a missed field goal on Wilson’s five drives Saturday against the Buffalo Bills. Justin Fields took over just before the two-minute warning of the first half. Wilson finished 8 of 10 passing for 47 yards, and many of those yards came on three third-down passes that fell well short of first downs. It was not a pretty outing.
Wilson suffered a pair of sacks on third down. One problem Wilson had with the Broncos was holding the ball too long and getting sacks too many times. That will frustrate the Steelers’ coaching staff if it continues. Both sacks ruined drives and led to punts. On the Steelers’ first four drives, they had 12 net yards, one first down, four punts and did not pass their own 34-yard line.
Fields also gets sacks a bit too much, but he can at least make up for it by fighting for big gains. That used to be a big part of Wilson’s game, but it’s diminished with age.
Fields immediately showed off his running ability and the Steelers got their first points. In the final minute of the first half, he ran for 20 yards. After completing a 5-yard pass, Chris Boswell kicked a 43-yard field goal. That ended up being Pittsburgh’s only score in a 9-3 loss.
Fields completed seven straight passes and the offense seemed to get into a better rhythm with him in the game. It wasn’t perfect, but it looked better than when Wilson was in the game. We’ll see if that matters to the Steelers coaching staff with just one preseason game left. Fields completed 11 of 17 passes for 92 yards and also had 42 rushing yards. He and Wilson each had five series.
One play got the Steelers crowd going. Fields was wrapped up for a sack, somehow managed to get out, adjusted his helmet as he rolled to the left and connected with Dez Fitzpatrick for 19 yards on the sideline. That was the Steelers’ most exciting offensive play of the night.
In the first preseason game, Wilson did not play due to a calf injury he suffered early in training camp. Fields played fairly well, but a couple of fumbles on the field overshadowed his positive plays. The offense at least got moving a little in that game.
The Steelers did very little against the Bills defense with Wilson in the game. Wilson was content to control the ball too often or get sacked. Three times on third down and long, he threw a short pass that ended up short of the first-down mark.
After an interception by Steelers safety Miles Killebrew, the offense showed some life, but not enough. Wilson hit Van Jefferson for an 11-yard gain on third-and-2. A deep pass down the sideline to George Pickens was nearly caught, but was out of bounds. On third down, another pass fell short, but that one put Boswell in better position for a field goal. Boswell missed, however, and hit the upright.
Wilson has been the favorite to be the starter since signing with the Steelers. Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin has said it’s a competition, but all signs point to Wilson being the starter in Week 1. That’s not an exciting proposition after what we saw in Wilson’s first few preseason snaps for the Steelers.