OT: The Pittsburgher Thread: Oh no! They are 3 and 1. Panic!

[Buddy Bizarre]

Well, perhaps you should pass it along to your favored coaching staff that refuses to ever blitz.

I'm meh on this kind of thing.
If I have a gripe about how the defense is run, it's that the best player in the leauge on defense lines up in the same spot over and over and over again. It makes it easier for the offenses to gameplan around him.

Imagine if they flipped him. That would really throw the defenses off, but I think Tomlin believes such a formation is illegal as it wouldn't be fair to the rest of the league.

Edited for spelling

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

I'm meh on this kind of thing.
If I have a gripe about how the defense is run, it's that the best player in the leauge on defense lines up in the same spot over and over and over again. It makes it easier for the offenses to gameplan around him.

Imagine if they flipped him. That would really through the defenses off, but I think Tomlin believes such a formation is illegal as it wouldn't be fair to the rest of the league.

Watching Crosby do it in the last game should have pounded the message home. Yet TJ still had a massive impact on the game. Imagine how much more impactful he could be if they actually schemed anything.

 

[JTG]

Watching Crosby do it in the last game should have pounded the message home. Yet TJ still had a massive impact on the game. Imagine how much more impactful he could be if they actually schemed anything.

If you put TJ in the 2000's zone blitz schemes, he is probably a perennial 20 sack guy where he'd be getting free runs into the QB.

 

[MrBrightside]

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Say you've decided to start Russell Wilson without saying you've decided to start Russell Wilson.

 

[MrBrightside]

Say you've decided to start Russell Wilson without saying you've decided to start Russell Wilson.

 

[xlm34]

The Jets when Russell Wilson starts:



You’re really fooling everyone here Mike!

 

[cookthebooks]

george really cannot do much right this season can he?

 

[TooManyHumans]

Could be total BS but this decision is apparently not a unanimous one. I just hope he either balls out or falls flat on his face and makes the future decision an easy one.

So what? Fields is 20th in QBR, 15th in rating, and 27th in yards per game. I appreciate that he has protected the ball better than he did in Chicago (albeit with some good luck to help that), but he has played nowhere near well enough to think he can't be replaced. I am not even a Wilson believer or fan but it makes total sense to see what is behind door #2.

 

[bigdaddyk88]

So what? Fields is 20th in QBR, 15th in rating, and 27th in yards per game. I appreciate that he has protected the ball better than he did in Chicago (albeit with some good luck to help that), but he has played nowhere near well enough to think he can't be replaced. I am not even a Wilson believer or fan but it makes total sense to see what is behind door #2.

The fields played well was because the bar was so low for him coming from the bears.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I don't understand why people keep only bringing up Fields' passing stats, as if his running game isn't a massive part in his value. Yes, his pure passing game isn't anything special, he's like a Daniel Jones caliber passer. However, what makes him better than that is he's a lethal running threat. Just posting the passing stats non-stop completely ignores the other half of the value that Fields is providing.

If you completely took out his running abilities, he's not anything better than a backup QB. But taking out his running abilities is completely disingenuous.

 

[pistolpete11]

I say put them both out there at the same time. Make the defense guess who's going to get the ball snapped to them.

 

[Peat]

I'm going to guess that for a lot of people, the bar being low for Fields was less about Chicago and more about the paucity of talent and ambition in Pittsburgh.

 

[TooManyHumans]

I don't understand why people keep only bringing up Fields' passing stats, as if his running game isn't a massive part in his value. Yes, his pure passing game isn't anything special, he's like a Daniel Jones caliber passer. However, what makes him better than that is he's a lethal running threat. Just posting the passing stats non-stop completely ignores the other half of the value that Fields is providing.

If you completely took out his running abilities, he's not anything better than a backup QB. But taking out his running abilities is completely disingenuous.

Throw in his running as well. It still adds up to someone who is far from irreplaceable. The Steelers are 26th in yards per game and 21st in points per game. I truly do appreciate what Fields has done and acknowledge that he has mostly crap to work with, but the bottom line is that he is not doing so much that he has to remain the starter when there is a viable alternative who was expected to be the starter and wasn't simply due to injury. I have no issue with giving Wilson a look. They can go right back to Fields if the offense is even worse with him in there, which is certainly a possibility.

 

[bigdaddyk88]

I don't understand why people keep only bringing up Fields' passing stats, as if his running game isn't a massive part in his value. Yes, his pure passing game isn't anything special, he's like a Daniel Jones caliber passer. However, what makes him better than that is he's a lethal running threat. Just posting the passing stats non-stop completely ignores the other half of the value that Fields is providing.

If you completely took out his running abilities, he's not anything better than a backup QB. But taking out his running abilities is completely disingenuous.

Right so its in his best interest to explore a slash role where can be an athlete. He can line up at wr rb. You can give him wildcat packages double passes screens

 

[xlm34]

Right so its in his best interest to explore a slash role where can be an athlete. He can line up at wr rb. You can give him wildcat packages double passes screens

I just hope Wilson is able to put up the bare minimum acceptable QB stat line of 300 yards and 3 TDs.

 

[bigdaddyk88]

I just hope Wilson is able to put up the bare minimum acceptable QB stat line of 300 yards and 3 TDs.

I wanted Fields to match nix 200 2 tds and a rushing td against Vegas. The 300 3 td was Dalton against Vegas

 

[Peat]

I don't understand why people keep only bringing up Fields' passing stats, as if his running game isn't a massive part in his value. Yes, his pure passing game isn't anything special, he's like a Daniel Jones caliber passer. However, what makes him better than that is he's a lethal running threat. Just posting the passing stats non-stop completely ignores the other half of the value that Fields is providing.

If you completely took out his running abilities, he's not anything better than a backup QB. But taking out his running abilities is completely disingenuous.

I am being a bit harsh given this is not even remotely all his fault, but red zone aside, I've been a bit disappointed in Fields' running game. His 6.3 yards per scramble is... uh, 29th in the NFL*. His 3.2 yards per designed carry is in line with the RBs so not a whole lot of value added. He's got some important downs with his legs but I don't know how many more he's got compared to other guys in similar situations (particularly if you include passing third downs on scrambles with rushing). We haven't seen the bounce to RB stats that having a running QB normally causes (at least, I hope we haven't).

Being tied for the 5th most rushing touchdowns this year is really valuable but beyond that, it's... whelming?

Now obviously he'd rush better if the team's rushing game was better. But what we've got in front of us is, well, not Chicago Fields.

*Jackson is 26th. I think opposition DCs have figured out a lot of how to keep guys like this in check, even if the process is a bit swingy because these guys peel off big gains when they're not.

 

[SomeDude]

The Jets when Russell Wilson starts:



You’re really fooling everyone here Mike!

He’ll probably still fool Rodgers. He’ll do his own research and plan on facing Fields.

 

[WickedWrister]

So what? Fields is 20th in QBR, 15th in rating, and 27th in yards per game. I appreciate that he has protected the ball better than he did in Chicago (albeit with some good luck to help that), but he has played nowhere near well enough to think he can't be replaced. I am not even a Wilson believer or fan but it makes total sense to see what is behind door #2.

First off, it's wild to me that we're scoffing at someone being 15th in passer rating. How often last year did we say, "If only we could get league average QB play...". If there is a low bar, it's because of Pickett and Trubisky's play from last year.

Fields' biggest flaw in Chicago was the sacks and turnovers, and for the most part those haven't been an issue here. I really don't think people are giving him enough credit here for this, especially behind a patchwork OL.

You're right that he hasn't played well enough that he should be the unquestioned starter, but I feel it's been in the "good enough" tier with these guys.

I am being a bit harsh given this is not even remotely all his fault, but red zone aside, I've been a bit disappointed in Fields' running game. His 6.3 yards per scramble is... uh, 29th in the NFL*. His 3.2 yards per designed carry is in line with the RBs so not a whole lot of value added. He's got some important downs with his legs but I don't know how many more he's got compared to other guys in similar situations (particularly if you include passing third downs on scrambles with rushing). We haven't seen the bounce to RB stats that having a running QB normally causes (at least, I hope we haven't).

Being tied for the 5th most rushing touchdowns this year is really valuable but beyond that, it's... whelming?

Now obviously he'd rush better if the team's rushing game was better. But what we've got in front of us is, well, not Chicago Fields.

*Jackson is 26th. I think opposition DCs have figured out a lot of how to keep guys like this in check, even if the process is a bit swingy because these guys peel off big gains when they're not.

Leads me to believe yards per scramble isn't a very insightful stat lol. I don't even know how many true scrambles he's had in 6 weeks, as I feel like most of his rush attempts have been designed. I think dropback EPA and rush EPA are better measurements personally. I would guess he's only behind a handful of guys in the latter.

 

[UnrealMachine]

I am being a bit harsh given this is not even remotely all his fault, but red zone aside, I've been a bit disappointed in Fields' running game. His 6.3 yards per scramble is... uh, 29th in the NFL*. His 3.2 yards per designed carry is in line with the RBs so not a whole lot of value added. He's got some important downs with his legs but I don't know how many more he's got compared to other guys in similar situations (particularly if you include passing third downs on scrambles with rushing). We haven't seen the bounce to RB stats that having a running QB normally causes (at least, I hope we haven't).

Being tied for the 5th most rushing touchdowns this year is really valuable but beyond that, it's... whelming?

Now obviously he'd rush better if the team's rushing game was better. But what we've got in front of us is, well, not Chicago Fields.

*Jackson is 26th. I think opposition DCs have figured out a lot of how to keep guys like this in check, even if the process is a bit swingy because these guys peel off big gains when they're not.

I suppose if one doesn’t value 1st downs or TDs then Fields’ run game so far has been no big deal?! You are well spoken but dear god I wish you could see how harsh you are in your assessment of Fields. While you have certainly softened your tone/approach, maybe try zooming out and appreciating the forest instead of zeroing in on one goalpost tree after another.