Alarm bells went off as the Pittsburgh Steelers suffered their second straight loss, stumbling 17-20 to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5 of the 2024 NFL season. All eyes are on the starting role of quarterback Justin Fields, who received a tough analysis from former player Charlie Batch.
Fields completed 15 of 27 attempts for 131 yards and two touchdowns in the loss to the Cowboys. He was even replaced by backup Kyle Allen. The 25-year-old quarterback has been the lynchpin of Mike Tomlin’s team this season and is not exempt from criticism like Batch, who shared his position in his time as a Steelers player.
“It was Justin Fields’ worst game of the season. He missed some big passes, especially one early to Connor Heyward down the left sideline. There was a little bit of pressure, but he should have been able to complete that pass,“ Batch criticized in the DVE Morning Show, sending a strong message to quarterback Fields, who has started the first five weeks of the 2024 NFL.
“When you miss those kinds of passes, sometimes it’s hard to get into a rhythm because you don’t want to make any more mistakes,” Batch sentenced of Fields’ game against the Cowboys. The former Steelers quarterback played two stints in a total of five years and was part of the team that won Super Bowl XL in 2005. His opinion is legitimized by his experience.
Former quarterback Charlie Batch of the Pittsburgh Steelers throws a pass while warming up in the 2012 NFL.
What is certain is that Fields has a lot of responsibility, as the Steelers rely heavily on the former Chicago Bears player’s level of play. The Pittsburgh franchise ranks 26th in offensive scoring so far, with the fourth-fewest number of total touchdowns in the NFL, all at the hands of the quarterback battling for the job with Russell Wilson, who is on his way to a full recovery.
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Pittsburgh Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger sent strong statement about Fields
Despite Batch’s criticism, the Steelers legend Roethlisberger chose to defend Fields. “I like that he’s getting involved. I like that he’s picking up the pace. If you told me they were 1-1 or 0-2 and this is happening, I’d say, ‘Yeah, we’ve got to do something.’ But, again, he’s not losing the ball,” said Big Ben.
Justin Field’s performance in the 2024 NFL
In the current NFL, Fields has completed 92 of 136 pass attempts for 961 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. He has had solid performances, most notably against the Indianapolis Colts when he became the first player in Steelers history to record 300 passing yards, 50 rushing yards and 2 ground touchdowns in a game.
