The Pittsburgh Steelers are 3-0 led by quarterback Justin Fields and everybody is having a good time.
Well, most of us are, anyway.
If you're a Cincinnati Bengals fan, that's another story. But, if you're in Pittsburgh, things are going swell for the Fields-led Steelers through three weeks.
As good as the Steelers have looked during their undefeated start, though, there are some who might argue against the idea that it's going to last. Fields has done some great things in his first few starts for the organization, but some experts simply don't see it lasting.
ESPN's Benjamin Solak recently put out a column with some intel and analysis of quarterbacks around the league after what we've seen through three weeks and had this to say about Fields and the Steelers:
"If this is Fields' metamorphosis, we should expect it to be rocky. And let's be clear, it has been rocky. Being 3-0 is nice, but Fields is still 25th of 31 quarterbacks in success rate and explosive play rate.
"If his inaccuracy returns -- which is a reasonable expectation, given the spray chart of his first three years in the league -- this incremental passing attack will suffer even more."
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The fact Solak opted to go the negative route, here with Fields, is just silly. It's an example of the narrative that some have written about the Ohio State product even before he became a pro. Those who have never believed in Fields might as well admit there's nothing he could do to sway their opinions.
Meanwhile, the Steelers are indeed 3-0 and Fields has played as good as anyone could have hoped.
Let's not twist the numbers, Justin Fields has been as good as anyone could have predicted
Justin Fields
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) September 22, 2024
Don’t listen to all the dog trash that so many other said
Always believed in the kid. Always.
Too talented and too hard working to not be good.
Good for him.
Through three games, Justin Fields ranks sixth in the NFL with a completion percentage of 73.3.
Believe it or not, that ranks higher than the likes of: Brock Purdy, Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes, Kyler Murray, C.J. Stroud, Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford among several others, of course.
His passer rating of 95.3 ranks 12th in the NFL ahead of quarterbacks such as: CJ. Stroud, Matthew Stafford, Patrick Mahomes and Dak Prescott, among many more.
While one of the main issues with Fields over his career has been taking far too many sacks, Fields has taken less sacks (6) than: Baker Mayfield, C.J. Stroud, Matthew Stafford, Brock Purdy, Joe Burrow and Dak Prescott, including others.
The notion that this is Fields' metamorphosis is absolutely correct. He's evolved as a player. Solak has that much correct in his take. But, to insinuate that he would return to the player he once was is just absurd.
Instead of boxing yourself in and believing Fields truly couldn't improve and become a more polished NFL quarterback, try looking at several other examples around the league as of late. There are multiple quarterbacks who have taken a significant leap later in their career rather than right away, and Fields is just one of those guys.