Justin Fields is well on his way to reintegrating himself within the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense. There’s a multitude of manners in which he can be deployed given his skill set, though former NFL defensive end Chris Long believes he’s best suited for a specific area of the field.
On the most recent episode of his Green Light podcast, Long stated that Fields could represent the solution to the Steelers’ recent red zone woes.
“I think if we could see a little more Justin Fields in the red zone, that would be good,” Long said. “Maybe just take the red zone snaps. Because right now, it’s not working. That’s gonna bite the Steelers in the a** at some point.”
Before Pittsburgh’s Week 11 win over the Baltimore Ravens, he had not entered a game since his most recent start in Week 6 as he took a back seat to Russell Wilson, who solidified himself as the bonafide No. 1 option at the position upon returning from a calf injury.
Even after Fields was benched, the Steelers were always going to keep utilizing him in designed packages that highlighted his mobility. While a hamstring injury he sustained in Week 8 delayed the premiere of those plans, they were on full display last Sunday.
Fields ran for 17 yards on two attempts against Baltimore, first breaking off an eight-yard run at the beginning of the third quarter before helping Pittsburgh clinch the victory on the final drive of the contest with a nine-yard gain.
Back to Long’s point, the Steelers own the third-worst touchdown rate in the red zone this season (44.44%) while finishing 0-for-4 on their tries versus the Ravens, which included a Wilson interception.
Fields, who has 248 yards and five scores on the ground, could help alleviate some of the pressure and struggles the offense has endured in that area of the game with his legs and perhaps even his arm.