The Pittsburgh Steelers got a road win against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1 with quarterback Justin Fields stepping in for starter Russell Wilson, who was unable to play due to a calf injury.
Fields had a solid day as he went 17-for-23 passing for 156 yards while also running 14 times for 57 yards.
Pittsburgh won the game by not turning over the ball and playing elite defense.
However, FOX Sports host Colin Cowherd was not impressed with the performance.
“If you’re getting excited about Justin Fields … come on. That’s not what the league is now,” Cowherd said on “The Herd.”
"If you're getting excited about Justin Fields… Come on. That's not what the league is now."
— @ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/jyKGqaScFV
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) September 11, 2024
To be honest, this take from Cowherd doesn’t reflect how the Steelers view things.
They started Fields because Wilson was unable to go.
In all likelihood, Wilson will be the starter when he returns because he was given the job after the preseason ended.
The point of Fields being in Pittsburgh is to provide it with a reliable backup, and he just proved exactly that by leading the Steelers to victory on the road.
The NFL is a week-to-week league. When the starting quarterback gets injured, the team has to find a way to get consistency out of the position.
The Steelers did that because all they care about is winning.
They aren’t operating under the notion that they can win the Super Bowl with Fields as their starter.
But they are operating under the notion that they can win a regular season game with a reliable backup such as Fields.
NEXT: Steelers Have Reportedly Made A Decision On Starting QB This Week
