Bold prediction: Justin Fields' last start with Steelers will be against Raiders

Justin Fields needs to play great against the Raiders, or the Steelers will make a switch at quarterback.
Pittsburgh Steelers v Atlanta Falcons
Pittsburgh Steelers v Atlanta Falcons / Kevin C. Cox/GettyImages
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You can feel the tension out of Pittsburgh right now. After a last-minute loss last week, fans are starting to grow weary of the future. The previous game continued a long trend of poor offensive performances that has plagued the team for years. Another week provides a new opportunity to turn things around on that side of the ball, but most who watch the club have little hope.

Everyone knows that the defense will provide opportunities each week for this team to have a shot at winning. They do have a few hiccups along the way, but as a whole, this defense keeps Pittsburgh in games. This group is 3-2 and could get another loss this week if they're not careful. No one seems to be panicking inside the Steelers organization, but another loss this week could be troublesome.

No one in Pittsburgh has been considering the quarterback situation since Russell Wilson has been injured. Most of the noise surrounding the controversy has mostly come from the national media. One thing is for sure, Justin Fields has a ton of pressure on him this week. He is going up against a poor Raiders secondary, and he needs to execute. Wilson is healthy and wants his starting job back.

Expect Fields to struggle enough for the Steelers to make a QB change

Since Wilson is healthy, expect Fields to have a short leash as the starting quarterback. Many fans will groan at the idea of benching Fields. He is the younger player by far and has shown glimpses of quality play over his first five starts in Pittsburgh. He could be the future quarterback. It is hard to come up with a reason to bench him at the moment, but he will have to win his job each week.

Even though the blame can't be fully put on Fields, the Steelers offense continues to only produce an average of 18.4 points per game. That is a recipe for disaster in today's NFL. Again, not everything can be put on Fields's shoulders for the lack of points as the offense has struggled as a group. One thing is for sure, the coaching staff seems ready to make a change at quarterback when needed.

This will be Fields's job to lose, but Wilson is right there and ready to start. He will have his full uniform on just like he has for most of the season. As he continues to get back from his calf injury, it will only provide more rocks to an already bumpy path for Fields. If he can get a win in Las Vegas and put up quality numbers, then it will be hard to imagine a change at the quarterback spot.

Wilson will do his best to be a good teammate along the way, but he wants to play in this game and beyond. If Fields starts to struggle early against the Raiders, then Mike Tomlin may turn to Wilson to take over at quarterback. Hopefully, Fields can prove to be the starter from this week on, but it won't be easy with how poor the Steeler's offense is. You could see Wilson as soon as this week.

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