The Pittsburgh Steelers' offense has been way better during the 2024 season than it was in 2023. It is clear the unit is being run by a more competent play-caller, and the quarterback position has been upgraded severely with Justin Fields running the show. Fields has been impressive, and he seems to improve every week. He has led Pittsburgh to a 3-1 record, and while there is still some question of whether or not he will continue to be the starter once Russell Wilson returns to full health, Fields has been backed as the starter by Ben Roethlisberger.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Justin Fields celebrates a touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024.
Fields has done some great things with the Steelers, and his athleticism clearly adds another layer to the offense that Pittsburgh fans haven't seen recently. They lost in Week 4 to the Indianapolis Colts, but Fields was able to lead his team out of a significant deficit, which is a promising sign. Roethlisberger went on The Pat McAfee Show on Friday, where he discussed the play of Fields. He specifically spoke about a weakness he has seen in the fourth-year quarterback.
"When you're on fourth down, and you're on the goal line, and [Mike] Tomlin actually alluded to it, I don't think Justin is comfortable under center and that comes from college."
Roethlisberger's comments would make a lot of sense, as even a casual fan can tell that Fields is a little bit nervous when he lines up under center. The center-quarterback exchange has been an issue ever since the start of the preseason, and it doesn't seem to be getting any better as time goes on.
Kyle Hess / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Justin Fields completes a QB sneak alongside Zach Frazier during the 2024 season opener.
During Pittsburgh's season opener against the Atlanta Falcons, the Steelers had two fumbles off of the quarterback-center exchange while Fields was lined up under center. Fields jumped on one of the fumbles and actually gained three yards, and the other one bounced off the turf and into Fields' hands as he was still able to complete the toss play to Najee Harris.
Fields and the Steelers are lucky that one of these plays hasn't resulted in a turnover. That could take all the momentum away for Pittsburgh's offense and ruin whatever drive they had going. It could also help put points on the board for the opponent. While Fields was in college at Ohio State, he rarely ever lined up under center. It was almost always shotgun or pistol. This is a big transition for the quarterback.
In the loss to the Colts, there were some more issues with the snap. On the first offensive play of the game for Pittsburgh, Fields cleanly got the snap from the center, but he got his foot stepped on as he was running back to hand the ball off to Harris. Pittsburgh's comeback effort also died on a botched exchange between Fields and the center when he wasn't even under center. Fields has been impressive overall, but the small fundamental things need to be improved quickly.
Peter Diana / Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Pittsburgh Steelers former head coach Bill Cowher screams at Ben Roethlisberger early on in the legendary quarterback's career.
Steelers Legend Ben Roethlisberger Thinks The College Game Is Ruining Quarterback Play
While Roethlisberger was on the show on Friday, he spoke about the passing statistics being down in the NFL as a whole. He suggested that a large reason for that is the way quarterbacks are operating at the college level. It's all up tempo offenses that don't use the huddle, and rarely do you see a quarterback line up under center.
"I think that the college game potentially is hurting quarterbacks. There's something to be said about getting in a huddle and looking your guys in the eye. When you don't get in the huddle in college, how are you looking your guys in the eye and challenging them?"
Spoken like a true leader, Roethlisberger clearly thinks this personal element of football has gone by the wayside. The huddle isn't used much at the college level, and every NFL season, some rookie quarterbacks are seen having issues getting plays in and directing their guys. Pat McAfee made the point while speaking to Roethlisberger that some college teams use the shotgun in victory formation. They would rather trust a ball flying through the air to kneel the clock than put their quarterback under center.
What do you think of Roethlisberger's critique of Fields? Let us know in the comments below!
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