The Pittsburgh Steelers' offense wasn't incredibly sharp with Justin Fields behind center, but hey, a win is a win. And win the Steelers did, knocking out the Atlanta Falcons by an 18-10 count in the season-opener.
Well, it appears Fields very well could start again. For the record, he was considered the backup to veteran quarter Russell Wilson, but Wilson has been dealing with a calf injury.
That seems as if it will still be the case heading into the second game (Sunday vs. the Los Angeles Chargers in Pittsburgh, 1 p.m. EST).
At least, that's the spin from Steelers coach Mike Tomlin.
"Tomlin said the team would monitor Wilson's level and quality of participation in practice and then analyze whether he can protect himself and be productive," wrote ESPN. "Then they'll 'ponder his inclusion,' Tomlin said.
"Wilson went through a 15-minute warmup prior to Sunday's game, testing his calf as he navigated a series of throws with Steelers equipment staffers before retreating to the locker room about 2½ hours before kickoff to tell Fields he would play."
Fields, who came over via a trade with the Chicago Bears, finished 17-of-23 for 156 yards against the Falcons. He also carried the ball 14 times for 57 yards. So, not a bad day overall. That said, Pittsburgh's offense didn't score a touchdown.
And hey, that's OK. The key for Fields really was to not be bad and put the Steelers in a tough spot. The defense has shown it can take it from there. So in that sense, Fields did his job.
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