Justin Fields throws Steelers offensive line under the bus instead of fixing his own flaws

Justin Fields has been one of the league's most polarizing quarterbacks over the past three seasons.

Fields displayed remarkable physical talent and playmaking ability during his time at Ohio State, which convinced the Chicago Bears to select him with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Expectations were high for the talented quarterback, but his potential never materialized and his talent never translated to the professional level.

With the opportunity to draft quarterback Caleb Williams in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Bears traded their struggling starter to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for pennies on the dollar.

Fields arrived in Pittsburgh alongside veteran quarterback Russell Wilson, and both quarterbacks were given the opportunity to compete for the starting position throughout training camp and the preseason.

Fields had one last chance to seize the job away from Wilson in Pittsburgh's preseason finale against the Detroit Lions on Saturday, but the 25-year-old posted another lackluster performance. Although Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin decided against naming a starting quarterback after the game, Wilson has clearly emerged as the better option.

Justin Fields implies Steelers offensive line is to blame for his sacks

Fields offered some constructive criticism for the Steelers offensive line after the game, according to ESPN's Brooke Pryor.

"They did all right, but there's also room to grow," Fields said of the offensive line. "So just going to look at the mistakes that we had and what plays we could have done better on and get better."

It's never a great idea to critique teammates, but it's certainly not something Fields should be discussing after his own disappointing preseason performances. Although Fields led a scoring drive on his first series against the Lions, he had a fumbled snap exchange with center Zach Frazier on his second series and a drive-ending sack on his third series.

Fields has struggled to process information or throw with anticipation, which frequently caused him to hold onto the ball for far too long throughout his career. In Chicago, the 25-year-old was unable to sustain drives because the pass rush hunted him down before he could pull the trigger. As sacks began to pile up, so did the losses and injuries.

Fields' staunchest supporters will blame his offensive linemen for the pressure and turnovers, but quarterbacks are to blame for sacks more often than most fans realize. According to ESPN Analytics, the Bears offensive line was able to sustain blocks for at least 2.5 seconds on 64 percent of passing plays in 2023, fifth-best in the NFL. Fields still registered an average time to throw of 3.12 seconds last season, which was the highest in the league. The inability to throw on time resulted in Fields taking 44 sacks through 13 regular season games.

Fields completed 19 out of 27 passes for 199 yards in his three preseason games with the Steelers. He finished with five sacks, which resulted in a total loss of 33 yards. He was also a part of three fumbled snaps which came with two different centers.

While the Steelers offensive line is far from perfect, Fields should probably think about why the sacks have followed him from Chicago to Pittsburgh. He'll likely have plenty of time to evaluate those issues while he sits on the bench behind Wilson to start the season.