Quarterback controversy brews in Steelers' snoozefest preseason loss vs. Bills

It was a night the Pittsburgh Steelers would love to forget. In the preseason opener, Mike Tomlin's team was shut out in the first half against the Houston Texans before mustering up 12 points in garbage time. In Week 2 of the preseason, fans were optimistic the offense would bounce back against the Buffalo Bills.

They did not. In fact, things somehow looked worse this week.

Pittburgh's struggles began early in the game. As Broderick Jones and the offensive line crumbled, Russell Wilson was buried in the turf often. The veteran quarterback's skittishness in the pocket led to numerous checkdown passes and a lack of noteworthy plays.

Wilson played most of the first half but exited the contest when his team had zero points on the board late in the second quarter. All he had to show for his performance was 47 yards on 4.7 yards per attempt while taking three sacks for minus 21 yards.

Then Justin Fields came in, and Steelers fans felt signs of life. Leading the team in a two-minute drive just before the clock ticked down on the first half, Fields did enough to get his team in field goal range, and kicker Chris Boswell took care of the rest.

Unfortunately, these would be the only three points the Steelers would score all night.

While Fields made some jaw-dropping plays in the second half, it didn't help put points on the board. The Steelers' Week 2 preseason contest against Buffalo ended in a 9-3 loss. Both quarterbacks struggled through the air, but quarterback controversy is brewing... and rightfully so.

Steelers are finding reason to start Justin Fields Week 1

Neither Steelers quarterback reached 100 yards through the air in their preseason game against the Bills, but one QB undoubtedly offered more excitement and upside than the other.

Though Justin Fields was far from perfect, he showcased the ability to extend the play routinely and make the occasional play past the sticks. Fields also showed off his impressive rushing ability as he effortlessly chipped in 8 carries for 42 yards.

On one play late in the game, he did his best Ben Roethlisberger impersonation.

When it came to marching the football down the field, it was Fields was the superior player. The polarizing quarterback did have an erred pass that should have been picked off and only finished the game with 5.4 yards per attempt, but he at least chipped in 134 total yards (rushing and passing) in just over two quarters of play.

On the other hand, Wilson's play in the first half was a disaster that caught fans off guard. Obviously, we need to see both of these quarterbacks put points on the board, but there's no question which QB offered the greater spark to the team.

If nothing else, fans are banging the table for the younger quarterback with more upside who at least inspires hope of a future. The Pittsburgh Steelers need to go back to the drawing board and find a way to fix things before their preseason finale.

Neither quarterback performance was good, but the poor performance of Russell Wilson and the exciting play style of Justin Fields has Steelers fans brewing up quarterback controversy heading into the final preseason game.