In a highly anticipated showdown between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields for the starting quarterback position for the Pittsburgh Steelers, fans were left disappointed as both quarterbacks struggled in Saturday’s preseason game against the Buffalo Bills.
Despite Wilson’s return from a calf injury, the offense failed to get going with either quarterback at the helm. Head coach Mike Tomlin expressed his disappointment after the game, stating, “You know, still not what we’re looking for. It was better in some areas but still JV in too many others.”
Wilson, making his preseason debut as a Steeler, faced a tough Bills defense in the five drives he played. The offense struggled to move the ball, only managing to get one first down in the first four possessions. Wilson’s best drive came towards the end of his outing, where he connected with Van Jefferson for an 11-yard pass and nearly completed a deep throw to George Pickens. However, the drive ended in a missed field goal, and Wilson finished with 47 yards on 8-for-10 passing, along with three costly sacks.
“When you’re not winning possession downs in the early portions of the game, all of those things really get stymied,” Tomlin remarked. “Included in that but separate from it, I thought we didn’t do a good enough job at protecting the quarterback. We’ve got to do a better job in pass protection than we did — not only in possession downs but just in general.”
The battle for the starting quarterback role in Pittsburgh remains unresolved, as neither Wilson nor Fields were able to distinguish themselves with a standout performance in the preseason game. The competition between the two quarterbacks is expected to continue as the Steelers move closer to making a decision on their starting signal-caller for the upcoming season.
