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Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was important of quarterback Justin Fields’ function in two fumbled snaps throughout the group’s 20-12 preseason loss to the Houston Texans on Friday.
In line with ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, Tomlin prompt that a lot of the success Fields had was canceled out by the miscues, saying: “I assumed he did some good issues. However clearly he was a part of the C-Q trade, and from my perspective that is twin accountability on the middle and the quarterback. It negated plenty of good issues happening in these first couple of drives.”
Fields, who received the beginning with Russell Wilson out resulting from a calf damage, fumbled a snap on every of his first two drives. The offense recovered each instances, however they needed to punt shortly thereafter.
Apart from the fumbles, Fields went 5-of-6 for 67 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions, and he was sacked twice.
Following the sport, Fields confirmed high quality management by taking the blame for the trade points, saying:
“We have been simply capturing ourselves within the foot. Fumbled snap, I feel all three phases, so we are able to undoubtedly be higher in that half.
“And I feel the snapping half, we simply received to be on the identical web page. I am going to put that on me to simply be on the identical web page and know who’s in that middle or know find out how to modify and what I have to do.”
Nevertheless, middle Nate Herbig absolved his quarterback of any blame, saying it was “one hundred pc” his personal fault.
The 25-year-old Fields was initially the No. 11 total choose within the 2021 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears, however they traded him this offseason after they had the possibility to take USC quarterback Caleb Williams first total.
Pittsburgh utterly reshaped its quarterback room by releasing Mitchell Trubisky, buying and selling Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles and letting Mason Rudolph depart in free company, whereas buying Fields and signing Wilson.
Fields has but to show himself as an excellent passer over the course of a complete NFL season, however he confirmed some flashes for the Bears in 2023, finishing 61.4 % of his passes for two,562 yards, 16 touchdowns and 9 interceptions, whereas additionally speeding for 657 yards and 4 scores in 13 video games.
The expectation is that Fields would be the backup at first of the 2024 season behind the nine-time Professional Bowler, one-time Tremendous Bowl champion and potential future Corridor of Famer in Wilson, however Wilson’s absence Friday left the door open.
Fields did not do something close to sufficient to knock Wilson from his perch because the starter, though each gamers determine to get an opportunity to point out what they will do subsequent week in opposition to the Buffalo Payments.
Tomlin stated he expects Wilson to be obtainable to play in Pittsburgh’s subsequent preseason sport, so will probably be fascinating to see if the spirit of competitors brings the most effective out of each him and Fields.