The Steelers have only scored one offensive touchdown through the first two weeks of the season, but they are 2-0 and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said on Thursday that he’s happy with what he’s seen from quarterback Justin Fields.
Fields is 30-of-43 for 273 yards and a touchdown through the air and he’s run 22 times for 84 yards in the team’s two wins. He has not turned the ball over and he’s been sacked four times, which is a drop in frequency from his time in Chicago and Smith praised the quarterback’s awareness during his press conference.
“What’s been very encouraging to me is his pocket presence,” Smith said, via the team’s website. “He’s stood in there when the pocket gets dirty. He’s made some big throws down the field. I’m very encouraged.”
Fields’s numbers don’t include a couple of big throws to George Pickens that were wiped out by offensive penalties or some gains that came via defensive pass interference, so the fuller picture looks a little better than it does on paper. The Steelers’ lack of big mistakes has also allowed them to have a big edge in time of possession and that’s a good formula for a team with a strong defense to keep winning games.
