After the Pittsburgh Steelers' undefeated season was cut short with a loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, fans were left feeling as though they, too, had been cut short.
In what was an impressive comeback attempt out of the offense, the Steelers couldn't quite finish the job. And, depending on who you were to ask, there were plenty of individuals to blame for Pittsburgh's first loss on the season.
The consensus seemed to be that there were a few mistakes which cost the Steelers, though, rather than one player individually. Whether it was poor offensive line play, turnovers or the ineffectiveness of a couple specific defensive players (looking at you, Patrick Queen), this was, indeed, a team loss.
One thing that cannot be questioned, though, was the fact that quarterback Justin Fields proved he could help engineer a comeback. He thrived in the midst of adversity.
Fields finished with 312 passing yards, 55 rushing yards and three total touchdowns.
Anybody pointing the finger at Fields, in this one, should aim in a different direction. The fourth-year pro was absolutely phenomenal. And, of course, this leads many to the ever-popular conversation around who the Steelers' quarterback will be next week.
Russell Wilson appears to be nearing full health, therefore some might argue a quarterback controversy could be on the horizon. However, if the Steelers do what one NFL insider believes they will, Mike Tomlin will continue to stick with Fields.
Justin Fields looks like he'll remain the Steelers' starter going forward
As Wilson continues to come back from his calf injury, the question of "who will be the starter?" won't go away. With Mike Tomlin not necessarily giving firm answers on the situation, at least from a long-term perspective to this point, one has to wonder where the Steelers are heading in that respect.
If fans were paying attention prior to all of the Week 4 action, though, an answer seemed to emerge.
Before the Steelers even took the field for their matchup with the Colts, on Sunday, NFL insider Ian Rapoport seemed pretty confident that Pittsburgh was not going to make a quarterback change. even if Wilson were to be healthy next week.
"Russell Wilson is nearing full health. If it was a playoff game, if it was the Super Bowl, he would for sure be playing. That said, likely after this week (Week 4) Mike Tomlin will get to a point where Russell Wilson will be healthy enough and have to name a starter, and that is expected of course, to be Justin Fields," Rapoport said on the air.
If this is, indeed, the route Pittsburgh is going, fans should be thrilled. Fields has looked every bit the part of this team's starter and leader. He's been well-liked in this locker room from the jump. He's playing well. He adds a dynamic to the offense which Wilson cannot.
This seems like a no-brainer, and that's exactly what this is trending to be for Tomlin.