Steelers’ Russell Wilson Absolutely Gives Pittsburgh “The Better Opportunity To Win Right Now” Ahead Of Week 6 Battle In Las Vegas

The Pittsburgh Steelers seemed to improve each week under quarterback Justin Fields, but the offense fell apart in Week 5 against the Dallas Cowboys. It is impossible to place blame just on Fields, however. There is plenty of blame to go around, starting with the coaching staff. Head Coach Mike Tomlin and Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith seem insistent on running a very conservative offense. It is as if they do not trust Fields quite yet. That has led to questions about when Tomlin will choose to start Russell Wilson instead. 

Mark Kaboly, from The Pat McAfee Show, recently joined the 93.7 The Fan Morning Show to discuss the possibility of Wilson returning sooner rather than later from his injury. Show co-host Adam Crowley asked Kaboly if he believes Wilson will start in Week 6 against the Las Vegas Raiders if he is medically cleared.

"Yeah," admitted Kaboly. "It's not like Justin Fields had his best outing of the season last night. He struggled. Russell Wilson gives you the better opportunity to win right now, this year, and I still think that's true. Will he play against Vegas? Could be close. If not, I would say pretty doggone sure he will be playing against the Jets."

Kaboly said that while everyone is hammering the defense for giving up that final touchdown, the bigger issue is the "offensive futility." He said he is more concerned with Fields' struggles to move the ball down the field and is particularly upset about early ineffective passes.

It is hard to blame the defense when the offense cannot sustain drives that allow them time to rest. On top of the injuries the defense has suffered, they were out there 70 or 80 plays, said Kaboly. While this team wants to win with their defense, this isn't how it happens. 

As for Wilson, Kaboly said he was essentially a full participant in practice last week. Wilson "looks fine," but he added that there are other concerns about playing him. Kaboly said that what has happened this season has given him mixed feelings about who they should start.  

"I don't know if Tomlin wants to go down that route quite yet because if you put Russell Wilson in, you're pretty much gonna have to say that's your guy for the rest of the season, at least in my opinion," added Kaboly. "So the last thing you want to do is put him in, and then all of a sudden, another tweak happens, and here comes Justin Fields with absolutely zero confidence. I'm a little torn. I think Russell's better for what they wanna do and will provide them with a better opportunity to win, but in some regards, I do think Justin deserves another chance."

Kaboly doesn't think they trust Fields to run this offense yet. There hasn't been any loosening of the leash yet. Tomlin has been handling this situation with kid gloves all season. When they first signed Wilson, it was clear they planned to start him; he even had "pole position," but that's changed as the season has gotten underway. While Fields has been far from perfect, he started winning games. They were 3-0, but now at 3-2, Tomlin would need to be certain that Wilson provides a better shot at finally winning a playoff game. 

Is Steelers QB Justin Fields Not Playing Well After All?

Kaboly said that the one thing that gives him pause is that Fields hasn't played excellent football. He said that in the game against the Colts, he only played a quarter to a quarter and a half of good football. In the past few games, he's performed poorly in six out of eight quarters. 

Fields was known for turning the ball over during his time with the Chicago Bears. He has been praised for doing a much better job of protecting the ball in Pittsburgh, but according to Kaboly, that is just luck. He said Fields has had a fumble in every game, but they've won in recovering those. He said Tomlin would look at those near misses even more than Xs and Os and think, "That didn't hurt us yet, but it will."

Who should start in Vegas if fully healthy: Wilson or Fields? Click to comment below. 

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