The Steelers need a shake up on Saturday.
Pittsburgh gave away the AFC North, while mercurial wide receiver George Pickens was last seen shouting at fans in the stands.
GettyThis Steelers QB has game-changing potential[/caption]
Throw in a wild-card contest against the division rival Baltimore Ravens, and Mike Tomlin’s team must use every weapon within its possession to try and advance in the playoffs.
There’s no doubt that the No. 6-seed Steelers (10-7) will lean on veteran quarterback Russell Wilson as they attempt to grind out a road victory against the No. 3 Baltimore Ravens (12-5), who are led by MVP candidate Lamar Jackson.
But a third QB could play a key role in a potential Pittsburgh upset.
Wilson wasn’t the Week 1 starter for the Steelers.
And Pittsburgh began this season with a 4-2 record while it depended upon a former first-round draft pick who was coldly cast aside by the Chicago Bears as soon as Caleb Williams appeared on the NFL scene.
Justin Fields completed 65.8 percent of his passes this year for 1,106 yards, five touchdowns, a 110.6 rating and only one interception.
The dual-threat QB also ran for 289 yards and five TDs while averaging 4.7 yards per carry.
Tomlin, who rarely gives away company secrets, acknowledged that Fields is on his mind as Saturday’s wild-card game against the Ravens approaches.
“I’m certainly open to utilizing Justin,” Tomlin said.
“He has an awesome skill set. We’ve done some of that in the past. We’ve done less of it in recent weeks.
GettyLamar Jackson could win his third MVP award[/caption]
GettyFields could help Russell Wilson find a way to victory in Baltimore[/caption]
GettyThe Ravens are favorites and have offensive firepower[/caption]
“He experienced an injury a couple of weeks back that slowed some of that.
“But certainly in an effort to win this game, I am open to any combination or combinations of the division of labor in an effort to do so.
“And so I’m certainly open to that as we develop plans this week.”
Steelers fans have questioned Fields’ status in recent weeks.
“We looked untouchable with him (Fields) and we thought nah Russ can do even better,” one fan tweeted.
“Can’t wait to see if JF can actually play a full season next year with under 25 turnovers and 3,000 yards passing,” a second fan posted.
“We need fields in the playoffs,” a third fan wrote.
The concern has mounted as Pittsburgh ended the regular season with four consecutive defeats, blowing first place in the AFC North and falling into a playoff opener on the road.
“We certainly could hate our recent performances and the outcome of those recent performances,” Tomlin said.
“But I don’t think it’s reflected in terms of how we feel about ourselves or our ability to make plays or engineer victory and win games.”
Jackson is unmatched in the NFL when it comes to dual-threat explosiveness.
Baltimore’s franchise QB threw for 4,172 yards and 41 TDs this season, while running for 915 yards and four more TDs.
Yet the playoffs are often defined by exploiting matchups, and Fields could be a wild card for the Steelers at the perfect time.
“Going to Baltimore, particularly in playoff football, is something to be respected,” Tomlin said.
“I expect it to be a hostile environment. I welcome that.
“To be quite honest with you, it’s important that we smile in the face of that as a collective.
“It’s just simply a tax to pay for not winning the division, and we pay that.”
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