Cleveland Browns pulled off an upset and snapped the Pittsburgh Steelers’ streak of five straight wins on a snowy Thursday Night Football in Week 12 of the 2024 NFL season. It was an unexpected loss for Mike Tomlin‘s team, who used Justin Fields in the final minutes.
The Steelers were unable to build on last Sunday’s magnificent victory over the Baltimore Ravens. The proximity of the games may have affected the physicality of the players, but the truth is that, just like last weekend, offensive production was low. With that in mind, Tomlin and his coaching staff had already signaled that they would start Fields in place of Russell Wilson if the game warranted it.
Wilson’s contribution to an offense that needs to polish its resources is down. The difficult snowstorm weather in Cleveland may be a reason for the physical activation, but the Steelers have only scored one touchdown between the last quarter of Week 10 and the final quarter of the loss to the Browns. In that context, Tomlin made it clear why, under those weather conditions, he decided to use a Fields who had been waiting cold on the bench.
Tomlin made it clear why he used Fields against Browns
“I don’t think the weather was a factor in putting Fields in the game. We intended to use him and we did, we didn’t think about the snow in making that decision,” Tomlin said in his press conference following the 24-19 loss to the Browns.
Justin Fields spoke about his participation in the match
Fields was involved in six snaps against the Browns, throwing once and rushing for 26 yards, sparking a potential comeback. As Tomlin said, his usage corresponded to a decision to strengthen the offense. “I should have scored on the long run, but I was feeling stiff after being off the field for so long. Inconsistent playing time affects my rhythm, but at the end of the day, that’s my job,” said backup quarterback Fields.
George Pickens sends strong message to Browns
Steelers wide receiver George Pickens didn’t hide his frustration after the loss to the Browns and unlike Tomlin, he did blame the weather. “I really don’t think the Cleveland Browns are a good team at all. I think the conditions saved them today,” the Pittsburgh offensive player harshly criticized.