Steelers have cooled after their hot start and coach Mike Tomlin faces a choice at QB

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Justin Fields paused, trying to think of the right words. When they didn't come, the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t think we’re one of those teams looking for an identity,” Fields said following a 20-17 loss to Dallas that dropped the Steelers to 3-2. “We know who we are.”

After another tight loss, one the ended early Monday, it's fair to wonder if that's true, maybe in part because Fields' boss has spent the last few weeks deflecting questions about the most important position in the sport.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has gone out of his way to avoid making any declarations about who the team's starting quarterback is, repeatedly calling it a “hypothetical” while Russell Wilson — who earned the gig coming out of training camp — slowly recovers from a calf injury suffered a couple of days before the season opener.

That mindset has put Fields in a tricky position. He took significant steps forward in each of Pittsburgh's first five games, evolving from game manager to dynamic playmaker in the process. While Tomlin has praised Fields' play, he repeatedly stopped short of naming Fields the full-time starter regardless of Wilson's status.

That decision may be shrewd in an era when few quarterbacks make all 17 starts, especially in Pittsburgh, which has had a QB1 go wire-to-wire since 2018. Yet it also has forced Fields into a high-wire act where each week feels like a tryout of sorts.

Though he demurred recently when asked if there was any more pressure than usual heading into the Dallas game because Wilson appears to be nearing a return, Fields took a significant step back against the Cowboys, completing just 15 of 27 passes for 131 yards.

While Fields did throw a pair of touchdowns — including a 6-yard shovel pass to Pat Freiermuth with 4:56 to go that put the Steelers in front — he also oversaw another listless first half that forced Pittsburgh into catch-up mode. He missed a couple of shots down the field in the first quarter and struggled to get into a rhythm with wide receiver George Pickens, who caught just three of the seven passes thrown his way.

Tomlin has grown increasingly agitated about his team's sluggish starts. It cost them in Indianapolis — which sprinted to a 17-0 lead — and should have cost them more than it actually did against Dallas. Only a pair of red zone turnovers by Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott prevented the Steelers from being down multiple scores going into the break.

Things did improve a bit in the second half, but Pittsburgh managed all of 226 yards of total offense against a Dallas defense missing stars Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence. That can't be the norm going forward.

Which leads back to identity. Tomlin's choice to not back one quarterback over the other has led to a feeling of indecisiveness. The Steelers don't have a particular identity in part because Tomlin hasn't given them one. He has two very different quarterbacks with two very different skill sets at two very different points in their careers.

The sooner Tomlin lands on one QB , the sooner Pittsburgh can move forward with certainty and maybe build a foundation that feels firmer than the one Fields is standing on at the moment.

What's working

Having T.J. Watt do T.J. Watt things. The All-Pro outside linebacker became the second-fastest player to reach 100 career sacks when he racked up 1 1/2 against Dallas, including combining with Nick Herbig for a strip-sack that cut short a Cowboys drive in the first half.

While Pittsburgh's defense wasn't early at its best on a night it gave up 445 yards, Watt remains the rare type of defender who can change the arc of a game and potentially a season on a single snap.

What needs help

Whoever the quarterback is, the running game figures to be a focal point. Yet yards have been hard to come by over the first five games. The Steelers are dedicated to running it to be sure. They're just not dedicated to running it effectively. Najee Harris is averaging just 3.3 yards per carry, in part because the young offensive line in front of him has repeatedly had issues creating enough space for Harris to get going.

Stock up

Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. wants desperately to be known as one of the league's shutdown corners. He's taking significant steps in his second season. He helped keep Dallas star CeeDee Lamb relatively in check and hauled in a fourth-quarter interception that set up a late go-ahead touchdown drive.

Stock down

Pickens is one of the most physically talented receivers in the league. While Tomlin believes the third-year pro has matured, there were signs late Sunday that Pickens remains a work in progress both on and off the field.

After Fields overthrew him in the fourth quarter as part of a drive that ended with a punt, Pickens walked off the field and threw his helmet to the ground so hard it bounded over one of the benches on the Pittsburgh sideline.

Cameras caught Dallas cornerback Jourdan Lewis calling Pickens “weak” after the game. It might be time for Pickens to show some of the mental toughness Tomlin has publicly said Pickens has developed.

Injuries

Herbig, who has been electric in his second season, could be out a while after injuring his right hamstring in the third quarter. DeMarvin Leal, who is working as a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker, exited with a stinger. The Steelers are already without outside linebacker Alex Highsmith, who has missed two games with a groin injury.

Key number

1 — The number of players who reached 100 career sacks faster than Watt. Hall of Famer Reggie White needed just 96 games to get to the century mark.

Next steps

Figure out who the starting quarterback is going to be — and stick with him — before a visit to Las Vegas on Sunday to face the reeling Raiders.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL

Will Graves, The Associated Press