Pittsburgh Steelers Steelers Gameday
Tomlin: Justin Fields Healthy Despite Zero Snaps vs. Bengals
PITTSBURGH — Justin Fields was healthy for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ regular season finale against Cincinnati on Saturday night.
Still, the field was as absent of him as the inactives list was. Along with offensive lineman Max Scharping, Fields was one of two Steelers not to play in the 19-17 home loss to the Bengals.
Tomlin said that Fields was available for his team’s short-yardage and red zone situations.
“Not really, no,” Tomlin answered when asked if he considered swapping Wilson out for Fields at any point. “Because our failures were collective. I think at this juncture, the most prudent thing for us to do was to stick with those that were on the field and work through it.”
Justin Fields started the Steelers’ first six games this season, guiding the team to a 4-2 record before Wilson recovered from a calf ailment. Since then, Fields has attempted only one pass, a somewhat questionable incompletion late in the team’s snowy loss at Cleveland. Very sporadically, he’s also carried the ball seven times for 58 yards, most notably late in the Steelers’ road win against Cincinnati in November.
For the better part of three quarters during the rematch, the Steelers’ offense sputtered while operated by Russell Wilson. For the fourth outing in a row — all losses — Pittsburgh was kept from scoring at least 20 points.
Wilson finished 17 of 31 for 148 passing yards and one touchdown.
“I don’t really wanna talk about the past just because I think we have been in that for a little bit here,” Wilson said, deflecting a question. “I think the best thing we can do is get ready for the playoffs. … The only thing that really matters anymore at this point, right?”
From the sounds of it, the veteran Wilson has Tomlin’s backing, at least through the end of the season.
Read This Next
