Regardless of throwing his first interception of the season on a tipped ball, Pittsburgh Steelers QB Justin Fields performed his greatest sport of the season in Week 3 towards the Los Angeles Chargers. Fields was 25-of-32 for 245 yards and a passing and dashing landing, and former NFL security Devin McCourty stated it’s clear there’s development in Fields’ sport. He pinpointed a throw to Pat Freiermuth on the finish of the primary half and the landing cross Fields threw to Calvin Austin III as examples.
“Particularly if you return and watch the tape, it’s not simply the yard, three performs, like Justin Fields, proper earlier than the half, he threw a ball to Freiermuth that Freiermuth dropped, however he threw it between two defenders proper in the midst of the sector that will’ve arrange a subject objective. And it was an unbelievable throw of anticipation, that throw proper there to Austin. He’s hitting his again foot, he’s delivering the ball. It’s what they had been hoping to see down the road from Justin Fields,” McCourty stated on Professional Soccer Speak Stay.
The throw to Freiermuth was a magnificence, and it’s a ball Freiermuth ought to’ve caught. Fields stood within the pocket and waited for Freiermuth to clear one defender and fired it within the seam, however Freiermuth dropped it, and the Steelers ended up settling for a 62-yard Chris Boswell field-goal try that was no good.
These are the throws a beginning quarterback within the NFL makes, and Fields has progressed rather a lot this season by way of making the sensible learn and going by way of his progressions from his time with the Chicago Bears. He’s enjoying sensible soccer and never forcing the ball, staying affected person and hitting the examine down if wanted.
As for the landing cross to Austin, Fields once more stood tall within the pocket, waited for Austin to interrupt into house, and threw a superbly thrown ball that allowed Austin to make use of his velocity to interrupt away for the landing.
With the Steelers at 3-0 and Fields displaying marked enchancment as a passer, it’s going to be laborious to show away from him as Pittsburgh’s starter even when Russell Wilson is wholesome. He provides one other ingredient together with his legs, and if he can sling the rock he did towards the Chargers whereas additionally having the ability to create together with his legs, the Steelers’ offense goes to be powerful to cease.
The Steelers aren’t placing up gaudy numbers, however they’re controlling the ball and carrying out defenses, and it’s been a profitable method thus far. The run sport wasn’t working for a lot of the primary three quarters on Sunday, and in previous seasons, that will be a demise knell to Pittsburgh’s probabilities. However Fields stored them within the sport, enjoying sensible, situational soccer, and the Steelers had been capable of dominate within the second half and are available away with a win over the beforehand unbeaten Chargers. It was actually spectacular, and proper now, all indicators level to Fields being the man in Pittsburgh.
