Certainly one of Pittsburgh Steelers QB Justin Fields’ defining traits is his big-play skill. He can damage defenses together with his legs as proven by 18 profession speeding touchdowns and 6.2 yards per carry. He also can damage defenses together with his arm as he confirmed on the primary day of Steelers coaching camp, hitting WR Van Jefferson deep.
Justin Fields deep to Van Jefferson on first day of 2024 camp, through @Mazursky8895 #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/VJgYzSR12b
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) July 25, 2024
There may be little doubt that Fields has bodily instruments that loads of quarterbacks would covet. The issue is placing it collectively constantly. Fields’ play is excessive variance. For each large play he makes together with his legs or arm, he has a damaging one. It’s one thing that he wants to scrub up, and a part of that may come from merely understanding what the offense is making an attempt to perform throughout a given play.
“You’ve simply received to sort of know when it’s the best time to take these dangers downfield, when it’s that point to take a shot downfield,” Fields stated Thursday per a transcript supplied by the Steelers. “I believe we discuss quite a bit concerning the intent of the play. You’ve received performs the place you’re simply in search of a completion, and also you’ve received performs the place you’re making an attempt to take photographs down the sphere, so simply understanding when it’s that point of the sport to take photographs downfield, to attempt to make a play. And also you additionally know there are different occasions the place [it’s] simply get the ball out of your fingers or simply attempt to get a completion or get again on observe to attempt to rating some factors.”
One of many greatest issues Justin Fields has had in his first three NFL seasons is that he holds on to the ball too lengthy. Amongst qualifying quarterbacks in 2023, Fields held the ball longer than any within the league on common. He held the ball for 3.12 seconds earlier than making an attempt a go on common. He was the one qualifying quarterback who held the ball over three seconds.
Consequently, Fields was sacked 44 occasions in 2023, the second most within the league. Satirically, fellow Steelers QB Russell Wilson was sacked a league-leading 45 occasions. He held the ball on common for two.99 seconds, simply behind Fields.
There are loads of causes quarterbacks maintain onto the ball. The play could possibly be lengthy growing. They might purposefully be trying to find the large play. They could possibly be scrambling for his or her lives because the go rush bears down. It may even be because of a scarcity of imaginative and prescient.
However what Fields is talking about has to cope with the psychological method to quarterback play. There’s a time to hunt for the large play downfield. However there are additionally occasions to take the layup.
Soccer video games are a marathon, not a dash. Do followers and gamers love large performs? Completely. However groups may have essentially the most success after they engineer sustained scoring drives. And that requires holding the offense on time and making sensible performs. Not holding the ball for over three seconds and taking a sack whereas trying to find the 40-plus-yard bomb downfield.
There’s a time and a spot for the large play. And Justin Fields has the instruments to ship it. He simply must work on the small particulars and fundamentals of the common play. As soon as he does that, the large performs will come even simpler.
