The Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) suffered their second straight loss of the season to the Dallas Cowboys (3-2) on “Sunday Night Football.”
It was yet another poor showing by the offense, which had just 226 total yards and only converted 25 percent (3-of-12) of its third downs.
That, of course, has led to the discussion about whether the Steelers should send quarterback Justin Fields back to the bench and turn to veteran Russell Wilson.
Wilson hasn’t made his regular-season debut since reaggravating his calf injury, but last week, he hinted he’s nearing his return.
“We’re definitely ramping it up. It’s been good,” Wilson said. “I feel great, and just keep getting better every day.”
It remains to be seen whether he’ll complete his comeback this week, but if he does, should he start?
Former quarterback and ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky doesn’t think so.
“I would say that’s the wrong decision,” Orlovsky said on “Get Up.” “I would say that Pittsburgh has an offensive problem and it’s not the quarterback. The offensive line’s not very good. They’re not running the football nearly as well as I thought they would.”
Orlovsky has a point. While Pittsburgh’s offense has been painful to watch, Fields has been one of the few bright spots. On Sunday night, he threw for 131 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 27 yards. Those stats don’t jump off the screen, but he didn’t lose his team the game.
On the other hand, running back Najee Harris rushed for just 42 yards on 14 carries (three yards per carry) while also leading the team with 35 receiving yards.
That’s why Orlovsky thinks the Steelers must fix their other problems before placing the blame on Fields.
“There’s no one getting open that much for this offense,” Orlovsky added. “George Pickens is unbelievably talented, but he’s not winning that much, and they’re certainly not getting him the football enough early on in the football games. This is a football team, offensively, that they’re number one issue is when they get into those obvious passing situations … they cannot beat man coverage.”
Pickens was targeted seven times on Sunday, but he was only able to reel in three catches for 26 yards. That is not the type of production anybody expected for Pittsburgh’s so-called No. 1 wide receiver. So what’s the fix?
“If you asked me really what’s the fix for Pittsburgh’s offense, it is not the quarterback,” Orlovsky finished. “It is they need a pass catcher opposite George Pickens that can become a viable threat.”
The Steelers are reportedly interested in trading for Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams. However, it’s safe to say he’d prefer to go elsewhere after their Week 5 performance.
Only time will tell if Pittsburgh does add another playmaker to its offense, but for now, the team must decide if it’s going to stick with Fields or turn to Wilson ahead of its Week 6 matchup against Las Vegas.
