The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a devastating and unexpected loss to the Dallas Cowboys during Week 5. This felt especially frustrating because all week leading up to the game, the media hammered home how quarterback Justin Fields had nearly brought the Steelers back from the brink of losing during Week 4 against the Indianapolis Colts. There was even talk about how Fields was performing better than Patrick Mahomes. However, there were also questions about the offense and the play-calling.
Taylor Ollason / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Justin Fields gets brought down against the Dallas Cowboys in 2024.
After dealing with Matt Canada for several seasons, new Offensive Coordinator, Arthur Smith has felt like a breath of fresh air. However, it also feels as if Smith and Head Coach Mike Tomlin have handcuffs on Fields. The offense has felt extremely conservative, which has caused Steeler Nation to lose its patience.
These conservative and, at times, bizarre play-calls (like relying on two practice squad running backs on critical third downs), were only spotlighted by the numerous mistakes and penalties. If Tomlin thinks that the Steelers can still win solely with his defense, then this game should showcase how wrong that idea is. The Steelers dominated the turnover battle, yet Tomlin and Smith couldn't form an aggressive enough plan to capitalize upon that.
All of this has people questioning the identity of this offense. Fields is still technically a backup, playing for an injured Russell Wilson. Tomlin has refused to name him the starter or even be transparent about how he will handle the situation if and when Wilson is fully healthy. After the game, Fields was insistent that an offensive identity exists, but contradicted himself.
"What are the identity options in football," asked Fields. "I've never heard of a team having an identity. I think we have an identity. I just don't know what it is. Like, I never heard, necessarily an option for an identity. We ran the ball well today. Like I said, we just missed shots. We shot ourselves in the foot again. I don't think we're one of those teams looking for an identity. I think we know who we are; we're a team that predicates on running the football, staying on schedule first and second down, and then executing on third down. We just didn't get the job done. I don't know the words to necessarily label the identity, but those are some intangibles and characteristics of who we are as an offense."
The Steelers have long defined themselves as a team that plays smashmouth football by running the ball. Considering that and the weather conditions in Pittsburgh prior to kickoff, it seemed obvious that we would see a heavy dose of running back Najee Harris. What didn't make sense was the total lack of targets for wide receiver George Pickens.
Pickens had a solid performance in Week 4 against Indy and is the Steelers' best receiving option, yet his stats matched those of backup Van Jefferson. When asked about it, Tomlin wasn't very forthcoming about why the young receiver only had three catches for 29 yards. Harris had more receiving yards than Pickens, with 35.
Steelers.com
Steelers' George Pickens.
The toughest part of the Steelers' schedule is still ahead of them, and if they are struggling with beating teams like the Colts and Cowboys, it is hard to imagine how they will fare against the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens.
Steelers’ Justin Fields Did Get An Endorsement From The Enemy
The Cowboys were without their star edge rusher, Micah Parsons, for the game at Acrisure Stadium. However, before the game, Parsons had high praise for the fourth-year quarterback. On his podcast, Parsons said that he believes Fields has done enough to prove himself as the Steelers' quarterback. He also said that he feels the Chicago Bears damaged Fields' psyche by stripping him of his confidence.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Justin Fields looks to pass against the Dallas Cowboys in 2024.
It would be ideal for Fields to regain that confidence and become the future face of the franchise. He is young and incredibly athletic. If Smith and Tomlin could find the balance between letting him cut loose while still protecting the ball, they could be a force in this league.
Do you think the offense has an identity? Click to comment below.
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