Steelers' QB Controversy: Fields vs. Wilson Dilemma

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00:00The Pittsburgh Steelers seem to be at a crossroad, Joe Lisi, four and two on the season.

00:09Let's set the table once again.

00:11In the all-season, Mike Tomlin said, over my dead body is Justin Fields ever going to

00:15be a starting quarterback here for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

00:17No, he actually didn't say that.

00:19I'm just paraphrasing here.

00:20But he wanted Russell Wilson to be that starter quarterback.

00:24Day one in the NFL, Joe Lisi was right.

00:26It was Justin Fields.

00:27Because why?

00:28Russell Wilson's calf injury would not allow him to play over the first month of the season.

00:32He is ready now.

00:33He is practicing.

00:34He is expected to take first team reps this week.

00:37So let's start here.

00:39Does Justin Fields start this weekend or is it Russell Wilson, Joe?

00:45I think it's still Justin Fields.

00:48And I know Mike Tomlin came out and made some mention about Russell Wilson.

00:52I'll just say this, Donnie.

00:54I understand from a passing perspective, Justin Fields isn't Pat Mahomes.

00:59He's not Joe Burrow.

01:00He might not even be Jalen Hurts.

01:02But the guy wins games.

01:03He's four and two overall, has won three road games for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

01:08He's won over the locker room, battle-tested.

01:11And he brings an added dimension that Russell Wilson does not give that offense.

01:16And that's the ability in regards to the RPO game to take games over.

01:20He did have 50-plus yards again on the ground.

01:23Two touchdowns.

01:24They win and put up 30 points in that victory against Las Vegas this past weekend.

01:29And now you're going to turn to Russell Wilson.

01:31I just don't see it.

01:33And if they do do that, and the Pittsburgh Steelers, let's say, lose two games back-to-back,

01:38what happens to the locker room and what happens to the continuity then?

01:43Here's what we're looking at from the Steelers, because I'm not here to actually slander Justin

01:47Fields.

01:48If you tell somebody, like, hey, you're supposed to be the backup, and the backup's only role

01:51for me is, when you play, give us a chance to win football games.

01:55He absolutely did that.

01:56Was the competition fantastic?

01:58Not necessarily, but that's out of the equation.

02:00You only play who's on your roster.

02:01Ten total touchdowns, one interceptions.

02:03I like that.

02:04He has fumbled quite a bit, yes.

02:05But for me, the best version of the Pittsburgh Steelers would come with Russell Wilson as

02:10their passing game guy.

02:11Now, I also want to say, this doesn't mean as we—he's going to be Patrick Mahomes.

02:14Hey, Russell, what's going to start this weekend?

02:16Joe, 30 for 40, 355 yards and four touchdowns.

02:19No.

02:20It's going to be, like, the passing game ease, where it's like, just hit the play point

02:24guard.

02:25That's what I want to talk about.

02:26Hit the seven-yard pass.

02:27Hit the 10-yard pass.

02:28The 15-yard intermittent route.

02:29But also, this doesn't mean that Justin Fields goes to the bench, is never to be seen again.

02:34He can be such an integral part of this team moving forward, because he is electric in

02:38short yards.

02:39He can be Taysom Hill times three in the red zone, passing and running.

02:44There is a place for him.

02:45I just think the Steelers, the version of themselves where they expect to make the playoffs

02:49and possibly win a game or two, I just think Russell Wilson gives them the best chance

02:53to actually do that, Joe.

02:55See, that's what Tomlin believes, and I disagree, Donnie, and this is where we could talk it

03:00out is, yes, you're right in regards to the passing game, right?

03:05Maybe Russell Wilson is a better facilitator of the football.

03:08He could go through the passing tree a little bit better and know where he has to go in

03:13terms of the options, you know, wide receiver one, two, depending upon the routes.

03:17The thing and the attribute that you don't get with Russell Wilson, especially now, later

03:23in his career, is that if the pocket does break down, can he take it off and run the

03:28way Justin Fields has done in multiple games and then still keep his eyes down the field

03:33and hit a wide open wide receiver?

03:36You know, that is something that we're not really taking into account.

03:41And then here's the other thing.

03:42All right.

03:43You realize, according to your philosophy, Russell Wilson for 80 percent of the snaps

03:48and 20 percent, let's say, will give, you know, Justin Fields.

03:51Now you're one dimensional.

03:53Once Justin Fields comes in, you know he's getting the football in the RPO game.

03:57That really cuts down his ability to really keep the defense guessing.

04:02So that's the other attribute.

04:03And I'll go back to this.

04:05He's won four games, three on the road.

04:08That's something that can't be taken lightly, especially if you're making a playoff run.

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