The Pittsburgh Steelers could turn to Russell Wilson instead of Justin Fields

The Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback situation will be a point of contention going forward after Sunday night's performance against the Dallas Cowboys.

A game delayed more than an hour due to weather in Pittsburgh ended in a 20-17 loss for the Steelers.

Dak Prescott led the Cowboys down the field on a game-winning drive that culminated in a touchdown pass to Jalen Tolbert. This came after Prescott committed three giveaways early in the game.

Although Pittsburgh's game-winning 70-yard touchdown drive was successful, Pittsburgh's defense was not responsible for this loss. It was all about the lack of offense led by quarterback Justin Fields.

The former first-round pick of the Chicago Bears simply didn't have a chance in his fifth start as a member of the Steelers. Fields completed 15 of 27 passes for 131 yards with two touchdowns. He only managed 27 yards on six rush attempts.

This performance comes against the backdrop of fellow quarterback Russell Wilson's likely return next week. The free agent signing missed the first five games due to a calf injury he suffered over the summer. Wilson was surprisingly the No. 3 emergency quarterback on Sunday night after ramping up practice activities during the week.

Fields and Wilson were recruited last offseason to help reshape the Steelers' quarterback room. They were involved in a fight in training camp before the latter suffered the aforementioned calf injury. This led to Fields getting the QB1 job early in the season.

Now, more than a month later, the 3-2 Steelers may be back to the drawing board when it comes to that position. Fields had led them to a 3-0 record before problems arose during their current two-game losing streak.

Russell Wilson returns and renews the Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback competition

Wilson, 35, signed a one-year, $1.21 million contract in March after a two-year stint with the Denver Broncos. For Pittsburgh, the hope was that he could relive his days with the Seattle Seahawks, where Wilson led them to two Super Bowl appearances and a Lombardi Trophy.

Obviously, Wilson's injury had an impact in that regard. This resulted in Fields “earning” the starting gig by default. Ahead of Week 6 against the Las Vegas Raiders, Pittsburgh's attention will now turn to what head coach Mike Tomlin has planned at quarterback. Less than 24 hours after the second straight loss, he has yet to comment one way or the other.

Fields knows Sunday's performance just wasn't enough.

“We just missed our shots and shot ourselves in the foot again,” Fields told reporters on the Steelers’ official website. “That's why I don't think we're one of the teams looking for identity. I think we know who we are. We're a team that's all about playing the football and staying on schedule in the first and second half and then performing in the third half down, but we just didn't get it done.”

Pittsburgh's biggest offensive plays were a 28-yard pass from Fields to George Pickens and a 20-yard screen to running back Najee Harris. Aside from that, Fields continued to have trouble getting the ball down the field. It's been an ongoing problem for the former Ohio State star since Chicago selected him No. 11 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.

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Looking at it from a broader perspective, clearance and distance played a role in Pittsburgh's offensive deficiencies on Sunday night. It converted just 3 of 12 third-down opportunities while averaging just 4.0 yards per play. That simply won't be enough in today's NFL.

This is where Wilson's likely return comes into play. His veteran experience would change the dynamic when it comes to pre-snap penalties, dealing with down and distance issues, and finding better options on third down.

Pittsburgh Steelers don't have a quick fix at quarterback

Experts can place most of the blame for Pittsburgh's performance on Sunday night on Fields. He's the quarterback. It comes with the job title.

However, there is much more at play here. This offense lacks elite talent at the skill position. And when someone like the aforementioned Pickens retreats during a game, that is magnified. The young wide receiver was on the bench at times Sunday night, which is a clear sign that something is wrong on that front.

“You know, we just wanted to minimize his reps to increase productivity,” Tomlin said of Pickens after the loss.

Will things magically change if Tomlin decides to start Wilson instead of Fields in Week 6? The indicators mentioned above seem to paint a skeptical picture in this regard.

Wilson came to Pittsburgh after being traded to Denver at the end of last season. After leaving Seattle after ten brilliant seasons in the Pacific Northwest, he didn't exactly seem like a starter-caliber quarterback. During those two years with the Broncos, he compiled a record of 11-19 with 42 touchdown passes in 30 games.

For the Steelers, the main issue will be whether they believe playoff contention is the be-all and end-all for the future. If so, starting a more experienced Wilson makes sense. If not, going the youth route with the 25-year-old Fields should be considered.

For now, we wait to see what Tomlin plans to do. But I know that the status quo doesn't work.