Film Room: How Justin Fields Can Make Steelers’ Short-Yardage Game Shine

Despite the media chatter, Russell Wilson will be the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback in Week 1. Anything to the contrary is just noise. That makes Justin Fields the Steelers’ backup. But he’s too talented to glue to the bench and Pittsburgh should get him packaged plays, taking advantage of his athleticism.

In Saturday’s preseason finale against the Detroit Lions, concepts the Steelers could run with Fields were on full display. Let’s break them down.

Split Zone (QB Read)

3rd and 3. A variation off traditional split zone with a running back on the carry, the Steelers adding a read component to the play. TE Connor Heyward, aligned as the Y-off on this play (often an indicator of split zone/flow action). On the snap, Heyward moves across the formation as he would on traditional split zone and block the end man on the LOS (EMOL). Fields can either give to the back or pull the ball and keep it himself.

That’s what Fields does here as Heyward cuts the EMOL. The WR is also cracking down to take the safety if he scrapes around, though he gets sucked up by the RB on this play.

Fields falls ahead to pick up the first down.

QB Power

Later in the drive. Low red zone/goal line. QB power to the boundary out of empty. TE MyCole Pruitt, lined up in the slot to the offense’s left in the below clip, looks like he wants to wall/crack the play-side DE. But the RDE gets up field and engages LT Dan Moore Jr., perhaps throwing off this play.

LG Isaac Seumalo climbs to the second level as Fields takes the designed run to the left. Unfortunately, backside pursuit from the B gap flies in to chop Fields down short of the goal line. Tough reach for RT Broderick Jones but he could’ve gotten a little more lateral off the ball here.

Still, it puts the ball inside the 1 and is a good concept to force the defense to defend everything out of empty. Not just the pass but the designed QB run, something Pittsburgh hasn’t had in a long time.

Zone Read

Traditional zone read. Read the end, make him wrong. In this case, eyes on the ROLB, No. 95. Intentionally left unblocked as Fields reads him. The ROLB doesn’t squeeze down and attacks Fields up field, prompting the “give” read at the mesh point to RB La’Mical Perine.

With everyone else blocked up, TE Pat Freiermuth sealing down the RDT, it’s a walk-in touchdown for Perine.

Also like the release from TE Darnell Washington to sell pass and keep the DB, No. 17, from crashing down into the play.

Had the ROLB squeezed down on the back, Fields would keep the ball and walk it in himself.

That’s big in the red zone. It’s real estate that’s hard to win in with the field condensed and space at a premium. Forcing defenses to deal with the QB as part of their run fit makes their life harder. Being able to read these players without blocking them makes the offense’s life easier. That combination is winning football and the things Fields can do in short-yardage/goal-line moments.

Pittsburgh won’t use this in every scenario and Fields’ playing time will ebb and flow from game to game. But defenses will be forced to spend the time and calories practicing against it. And even when they see it, it’s hard to stop.