Stats Show Steelers Offense Is An Unmitigated Disaster With Both Russell Wilson And Justin Fields Under Center

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Heading into the preseason, Pittsburgh Steelers fans and the NFL world at large were wondering which quarterback would be more equipt to lead the team’s offense: veteran Super Bowl winner but clearly-washed Russell Wilson or inconsistent yet talented 4th-year signal-caller Justin Fields.

As it turns out, the answer may be neither as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offseason during the preseason has been downright atrocious with either of the pair under center.

As pointed out by CBS Sports reporter Doug Clawson, the Steelers have been quarterbacked by either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields for 13 drives this season and have scored just once: a field goal. The other 12 possessions are broken down like this: eight punts, three turnovers on downs, and a missed field goal.

The Steelers acquired both Wilson and Fields this offseason after moving on from 2022 first-round draft pick Kenny Pickett.

Wilson, 35 years old, signed a one-year contract with the Steelers in March, while the iconic NFL organization traded for Fields from the Chicago Bears just a day later.

Pittsburgh’s likely hope is that they’d be able to turn Fields into the quarterback that his talent suggests he can be but that he never was in Chicago.

While a member of the Bears, who selected him with the #11 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Fields posted a record of 10-28 while completing 60.3% of his passes or 6,674 yards, 40 touchdowns, and 30 interceptions.

A massive threat in the running game, Fields has also carried the ball 356 times for 2,220 yards and 14 touchdowns during his three seasons in the NFL.

As for Wilson, his career is likely on the brink of retirement as his two disastrous seasons in Denver look likely to be followed up by an equally disappointing one in Pittsburgh this year.

At his peak, in the 2010s, Wilson was one of the most effective quarterbacks in the NFL as he led the Seattle Seahawks to nine straight winning seasons from 2012 and 2020, in addition to a Super Bowl title in 2013.