Arthur Smith reveals his perfect Justin Fields game plan in Week 1 win

One of the main takeaways from the Pittsburgh Steelers' Week 1 win over the Atlanta Falcons was that starting quarterback Justin Fields played mistake-free football.

Did Fields light it up through the air? No, not really. He finished 17-of-23 for 156 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. However, he did add another 57 yards on the ground.

It was exactly how the Steelers liked to play football. The defense showcased strength, flexed their muscles and the offense played efficient football without turning the ball over. Steelers fans will gladly take games exactly like this, every week, if they could.

When it came to Fields' passing, though, fans might have noticed something, especially after the game when his passing chart confirmed suspicions.

Fields didn't throw it over the middle at all in this one, which was curious. Fans probably wondered why, but in the end, it didn't matter because they got the win and that's what counts.

Still, the question remained and someone had to ask it. So, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith was asked why Fields never threw it in that direction.

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Among a strong Jason Bourne reference, Smith essentially said that was the game plan all along. He didn't want to risk turnovers, so he built the game plan around steering away from the Falcons' lethal man in the middle, safety Jessie Bates.

For one, calling T.J. Watt the Steelers' version of Jason Bourne is one heck of an analogy. I'm sure Watt would gladly accept the comparison.

But, steering away from Bates was the perfect example of what never happened for Fields, previously.

Did Arthur Smith figure out how to best use Justin Fields?

One thing Fields was often criticized for during his tenure with the Chicago Bears was his inability to keep the ball out of harm's way. He was always physically gifted whether it was his big arm or his legs. But, Fields would somehow often end up giving the ball away, and often in crunch time.

By Smith steering Fields away from the middle of the Field and clear from a player like Bates, he made the game easier on him.

Now, this isn't necessarily something Fields should feel good about. His offensive coordinator might not have trusted him enough in this area, so Smith decided not to risk it.

On the other hand, Smith played it smart. He played to win. He knew where Fields' strengths lied and decided to keep the ball within that realm ... and it worked.

If Fields continues to start for the Steelers, it wouldn't be surprising to see Smith continue playing this conservative, so long as the ground game continues to thrive. if Pittsburgh can continue running the ball consistently, and Fields makes the plays when he needs to, this team could be very tough to beat going forward.