Steelers QB Justin Fields secures win over Bengals
12/01/2024 05:38 PM
In an AFC North battle between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13, backup quarterback Justin Fields put the game on ice following his crucial third-down conversion. On third-and-4 with under two minutes remaining, the Steelers brought in the Fields package, hinting at a designed run by the athletic quarterback.
And that’s exactly what happened.
"A slide by Fields and that's gonna do it!"
The @steelers close out strong pic.twitter.com/jsJIMINvbW
— NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) December 1, 2024
Since Russell Wilson took over as the Steelers’ starter, Fields hasn’t seen the field much. However, head coach Mike Tomlin stated that the Steelers would have packages intended for Fields. One of those packages was showcased in their win over the Bengals.
While the Bengals couldn’t predict a quarterback run by Fields, CBS analyst Charles Davis essentially explained exactly what would happen before the ball was snapped.
“If I’m Cincinnati, I’m running everyone possible at Justin Fields,” Davis said before the snap. “If he goes zone read, he’s likely to keep it here.”
And, as Davis predicted, the Bengals all crashed inside, leaving a wide-open lane for Fields to run and get the game-icing first down.
Now, Davis wasn’t the only person who expected this. In their Week 11 win over the Baltimore Ravens, Fields was utilized late in the game to burn the clock. Then, just two weeks later, the Steelers utilized his athleticism again late in the game to get the game-icing first down against the Bengals.
So, even with Tomlin showing his hand the week before, Zac Taylor and his Bengals couldn’t make the stop.
QB Justin Fields remains important to Steelers offense, ices Bengals in Week 13
After starting the first six games this season, Fields seemingly had the starting job moving forward for the Steelers, as Wilson was still healing from a nagging calf injury.
However, once Wilson was healthy, Fields got demoted to the team’s backup quarterback, leaving many confused by the move. Fields led the team to a 4-2 record, though Tomlin was adamant about giving Wilson the keys to Pittsburgh’s offense.
While some were skeptical of Tomlin’s move, Wilson looks to have traveled back in time to his prime. Wilson has led the Steelers to a 5-1 record since taking over the starting job, though Fields is still seen as a valuable asset to the offense.
And that was apparent with his game-icing read option to defeat the Bengals, likely ending their playoff hopes.
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