Quite a few NFL reporters and analysts have steered all through this week that Justin Fields ought to and can stay the Pittsburgh Steelers’ beginning quarterback even after veteran Russell Wilson is cleared to return from his lingering calf damage as a consequence of the truth that Fields has guided Pittsburgh to a 3-0 report.
Throughout Friday’s version of FS1’s “The Facility” program, former NFL operating again and two-time Tremendous Bowl champion LeSean McCoy poured chilly water over the Fields hype practice.
“We preserve speaking about Justin Fields as if he is, like, carrying his group, a game-changer,” McCoy mentioned about Fields, as shared by Josh Carney of Steelers Depot. “We discuss him greater than we discuss (Buffalo Payments star) Josh Allen carrying a group after which we actually break down the group and actually watch the tape and take a look at the stats. Any quarterback in America can do this.”
McCoy was referencing how, in response to ESPN stats, the Steelers are coming into Week 4 ranked twenty ninth within the NFL with a mean of 158.3 passing yards per sport and twenty fourth with a mean of 17.0 factors scored per contest. Pro Football Reference exhibits that Fields is ranked twenty second within the league amongst certified gamers with a 47.5 adjusted QBR and twenty first with a mean of 6.9 yards gained per move try.
Per the StatMuse website, Fields is eighth amongst quarterbacks with 90 speeding yards this season.
“Any quarterback can win on this system,” McCoy mentioned about what Fields has completed taking part in underneath offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. “…So no, I don’t imagine in Justin Fields, however I do assume on this system, you possibly can succeed.”
Whether or not McCoy’s factors are on the cash might not matter for a while contemplating ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler handed alongside on Wednesday that Wilson was nonetheless “merely not shifting at a excessive clip” as a consequence of his calf damage. Thus, Fields will obtain one other likelihood to impress when the Steelers play on the 1-2 Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
As of Friday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Steelers as two-point highway favorites in opposition to the Colts. It is unknown if Wilson can be good to go for the group’s Week 5 sport versus the Dallas Cowboys (2-2) on Oct. 6.